1949 O.S.C.A. MT4-2AD 1100

In 1937, following a period of financial difficulty, Ettore, Ernesto and Bindo Maserati sold the company bearing their family name to the industrialist Adolfo Orsi. Under the terms of the agreement, the brothers remained with Maserati for a further ten years, continuing to contribute their considerable technical experience to the Modena manufacturer. Once this contractual commitment had expired, they returned to San Lazzaro di Savena, near Bologna, where in 1947 they founded Officine Specializzate Costruzione Automobili, better known as O.S.C.A. The new company was established to produce lightweight competition cars in limited numbers. Without the financial resources of a major manufacturer, the Maserati brothers concentrated on small-displacement sports cars whose performance would depend upon low weight, mechanical refinement and handling rather than outright power. Their first model was the MT4, its designation standing for Maserati Tipo 4 cilindri. Introduced in 1948, the MT4 was initially conceived for the 1,100 cc racing category. Its construction reflected the brothers’ extensive competition experience and retained some of the principles employed in the Maserati A6GCS, one of the last cars developed during their time at Maserati. The MT4 featured a lightweight tubular chassis, independent front suspension by unequal-length wishbones and a live rear axle. Its compact four-cylinder engine was developed from Fiat-based origins, while the open two-seater bodywork followed the essential barchetta format required of a purpose-built sports-racing car. The MT4 first appeared in competition during the 1948 season. Following an early outing at the Coppa Acerbo at Pescara, Luigi Villoresi drove the new O.S.C.A. to victory at the Grand Prix of Naples. This immediate success demonstrated the effectiveness of the brothers’ approach and marked the beginning of an exceptional competition career. Giulio Cabianca was among the first private drivers to recognise the car’s potential and contributed to a growing series of victories that established O.S.C.A. as a formidable presence in the smaller-capacity classes. Throughout the first half of the 1950s, the MT4 was continuously developed. Engine capacity increased and increasingly sophisticated cylinder heads were introduced, while the chassis and bodywork were adapted to suit different circuits, categories and customer requirements. The original single-overhead-camshaft engine was followed by the twin-cam MT4-2AD, and successive versions competed with capacities ranging from approximately 1.1 to 1.5 litres. In its ultimate form, the engine displaced 1,491 cc and was equipped with twin ignition. The combination of modest dimensions, low weight and highly developed mechanical components made the MT4 one of the most effective sports-racing cars of its generation. Its greatest international achievement came at the 1954 12 Hours of Sebring, where the 1.5-litre MT4 entered by Briggs Cunningham and driven by Stirling Moss and Bill Lloyd won the race outright, defeating numerous larger and more powerful cars. Most MT4s were built as open two-seaters, with many receiving lightweight aluminium coachwork by Morelli of Ferrara. Other chassis were clothed by specialist coachbuilders including Frua and Vignale, which also produced a small number of berlinettas and individual interpretations. As was common among actively raced cars of the period, several MT4s were subsequently modified, re-engined or rebodied in order to remain competitive in changing racing categories. Produced in relatively small numbers between 1948 and the mid-1950s, the MT4 became O.S.C.A.’s most numerous and successful model. It established the technical principles and competitive reputation upon which the company built its subsequent range of sports cars and single-seaters, powered by four-, six- and twelve-cylinder engines of widely differing capacities.

The most significant development of the MT4 was the adoption of a new twin-overhead-camshaft cylinder head, identified by the suffix 2AD, standing for “due alberi di distribuzione”. This solution replaced the single-overhead-camshaft arrangement of the original MT4 and considerably improved the breathing and performance of O.S.C.A.’s compact four-cylinder engine. The MT4-2AD retained the light and straightforward construction of the original model but introduced an engine featuring an all-aluminum cylinder block and DOHC cylinder head. Fed by twin Weber carburettors, it combined high specific output with the flexibility required for sports-car racing, where the same basic design could be adapted to different capacity classes. The 2AD engine first appeared in 1,092 cc form and was progressively developed through changes to its bore and stroke. Variants of 1,342 cc and 1,453 cc were produced, followed by an ultimate version of approximately 1.5 litres. Power outputs differed according to displacement, compression ratio, carburettor specification and the requirements of individual customers. The later engines also benefited from further refinements, including twin-spark ignition on certain 1,500 cc versions. Rather than representing a single fixed specification, the MT4-2AD designation therefore identified a developing family of closely related sports-racing cars. Engines could be rebuilt or enlarged during their competition careers, while chassis were frequently updated and fitted with new or modified bodywork. Consequently, the specification recorded for an individual MT4-2AD at a particular date may not correspond either to its original configuration or to that in which it survives today. The MT4 adaptability enabled the model to remain competitive for several seasons and established O.S.C.A. as one of the leading constructors of small-displacement sports-racing cars during the 1950s.

The 1949 O.S.C.A. MT4-2AD with chassis no. 1106 is an example bodied by the Fratelli Morelli with a “siluro” body and motorcycle fenders. It seems that the car was born with engine #1106 of the "MT4 1100" type, then modified in 1950 to "MT4-2AD 1100". It's the famous "O.S.C.A. of Cabianca”, the one that started the MT4-2AD myth and, with its series of successes, made the model one of the most desired by those who tried their hand at racing. Purchased in April 1949 by the young and promising Veronese driver Giulio Cabianca, chassis no. 1106 made its debut on May 8, 1949, at the Circuito Automobilistico di Reggio Emilia. The driver-car duo, for the first time on a circuit, was surprising and battled with drivers of the caliber of Bertone, Sighinolfi and Spreafico, but was forced to retire. The first success came on May 26th at the Circuito Automobilistico di Ferrara, ranking 1st in class. The list of races between 1949 and 1951 is very long and the O.S.C.A. - Cabianca duo is almost always on the podium or victorious in class. In at least three cases it was even 1st overall, in: 1950 Coppa Del Pasubio, Corsa sulle Torricelle, 1951 Giro Automobilistico delle Calabrie. It also took part in the XVIII Mille Miglia, finishing 12th OA / 3rd CL. Giulio Cabianca, top driver of the O.S.C.A. team, won with this car the Italian title in the 1100 cc category. In 1952 he was preparing to climb up to Formula 1 and handed over chassis no. 1106 to a gentleman driver, Baron Vincenzo "Enzo" Grimaldi, who moved the car's sporting career south, between Sicily and Calabria. Its sporting commitment was less intense than Cabianca's, but certainly successful: the car was always on the podium in class in the races it took part in from 1952 to 1955. Six years of racing (1949 – 1955) is a long time for a racing car but not for this car, still having a lot to give: it changes owners and drivers, but continues to race, almost unbeatable, until 1964. The car is purchased by Domenico Rotolo in 1955 and, between October 1955 and April 1956, the body was transformed (perhaps following a delayed update to the 1953 regulations for sports cars, or following an accident) from siluro to barchetta, with integrated fenders and the classic MT4-2AD round front grille. It is said that Rotolo had a conflicting relationship with his car: given his considerable height, he could barely fit into the cockpit and had difficulty with the large steering wheel. A friend who followed him in races remembered that once, leaving the cockpit, he said in Sicilian dialect: "Ogni vota m’arricampu a casa cu l’ossa rutti"! (I return home every time with broken bones"). In 1955, chassis no. 1106 faced its first Targa Florio, ranking 1st in class. It took part in a total of seven editions of the Targa Florio from 1955 to 1964, placing 17th OA / 3rd CL in 1956 and 11th OA / 2nd CL in 1959. Once its racing career was over, it wasn't long before the car was spotted by one of the pioneers of Italian car collecting, the late Giulio Dubbini. Other passionate collectors followed and, already in 1984, the car participated to its first re-enactment of the Mille Miglia, followed by several others after mid 2010’s. It was increasingly featured in sector publications and books, such as Mille Miglia’s Chassis Volume III, and will be in the forthcoming Targa Florio’s Chassis, both published by Automotive Masterpieces. Chassis no. 1106 is completely restored in its final bodywork with integrated fenders and is still matching numbers.