OSCA MT4 History

The MT4 (Maserati Tipo 4) was OSCA's founding model, debuting competitively in 1948. Its all-aluminium twin-overhead-cam four-cylinder started life at 1,092 cc producing around 72 PS and grew progressively: 1,342 cc by 1949, 1,453 cc by 1953, and a 1,491 cc 'Tipo Nuovo' specification in 1954 that pushed peak power to roughly 125 PS. OSCA supplied chassis only; Italian coachbuilders — Morelli, Vignale, and Pietro Frua among them — clothed each car in individual barchetta, berlinetta, or spider bodywork.

The MT4's definitive moment came on 7 March 1954 at the 12 Hours of Sebring, where Stirling Moss and Bill Lloyd, running for the Briggs Cunningham team, defeated a field that included factory Lancia D24s (driven by Fangio, Ascari, and Taruffi), C-Type Jaguars, and 4.5-litre Ferraris. Averaging 72 mph over 873 miles, the 1,452 cc OSCA became the smallest-displacement car ever to win the race outright — a record that still stands. The car also collected a class win at the 1953 24 Hours of Le Mans and a class win at the 1951 Mille Miglia.

Between 1948 and 1956, between 72 and 79 chassis were built, though many continued to race into the mid-1960s. Over its competitive lifespan the MT4 accumulated 92 outright wins, 109 class wins, 9 pole positions, and 194 podiums. A twin-spark variant introduced in 1955 was designated MT4 TN (Tipo Nuovo or '1500 TN').