OSCA 1600 GT History

The 1600 GT was OSCA's own-chassis GT car, debuting as a prototype at the 1960 Turin Auto Show. Where the OSCA-Fiat 1500S used a Fiat platform, the 1600 GT was built around a purpose-designed tubular steel chassis with independent suspension front and rear — a 2,250 mm wheelbase, 50 mm longer than the MT4. The engine was a 1,568 cc version of the OSCA twin-cam producing 140 bhp at 7,200 rpm, driving through a four-speed manual gearbox.

Zagato bodied 98 of the 127 total 1600 GT examples, applying its distinctive double-bubble roofline — raised humps over driver and passenger that added headroom and incorporated rear ventilation vents. The remaining cars were clothed by Fissore and Touring. Zagato-bodied cars are designated 1600 GTS (Gran Turismo Spider or Sport depending on source). The design was well regarded and the car received an enthusiastic road test from Ludovico Scarfiotti in Auto Italiana Sport in 1961.

Homologation delays kept the 1600 GT from racing competition until 1962. Production ran from 1960 to approximately 1965, with 127 examples total. Today Zagato-bodied 1600 GTs rank among the most collectable OSCA models.