1968 Officine Stampaggi Industriali 20 M

Officine Stampaggi Industriali, or OSI for short, was a Turin-based coachbuilding company founded in 1960 by former Ghia president Luigi Segre and Arrigo Olivetti of the Fergat company. The company's existence was brief, but during that time it succeeded in the goal of creating custom designs and custom-built cars based on Ford, Fiat, and Alfa Romeo mechanical components. One of the earliest projects was to build the bodyshells of the Innocenti 950 Spider to a design created by Tom Tjaarda. Perhaps their most successful project was the Ford 20M TS Coupe based on the German Ford Taunus 20M. The total number of examples produced varies, with some sources stating around 2,200 units while others as many as 3,500 units. It is believed that around 870 were powered by 2.0-liter V6 engines while 409 used a larger 2.3-liter V6 unit. The styling was performed by Italian automotive designer and engineer, Sergio Sartorelli.

Built atop the Ford Taunus 20M platform, the OSI-Ford 20 M TS had a 106.5-inch wheelbase, an overall length of 183.9-inches, a width of 71.2-inches, and stood 52.8 inches tall. The 2.0-liter V6 engine, a development from Ford's V4 unit, produced 85 horsepower or as much as 90 horsepower with a higher compression setting. The engines were paired with a three-speed all-synchromesh manual gearbox controlled using a column-mounted lever. Disc brakes were at the front along with a MacPherson strut suspension, and a beam axle suspended on leaf springs at the back. The electrical system was a 12-volt one.

The future of the Officine Stampaggi Industriali company was in jeopardy by the time the OSI-Ford 20M was introduced. Segre had passed away from complications following appendicitis in 1963, thus severing the personal ties with Ghia and Ford. Giacomo Bianco of Fergat replaced Segre but struggled to keep the company afloat. The company laid off 2,000 employees in 1966, and OSI car production ended in December 1967. The company continued to remain in business as a producer of industrial equipment and steel pressings.

by Daniel Vaughan | Aug 2022