1967 OSI 20M TS

60 Bids Winner - leo123
1:07 PM, 08 Jul 2022Vehicle sold
Sold for

$25,500

Winner - leo123

Background

In 1960, coach builder Ghia, sought contracts to put some of its designs into limited volume production, and formed a parallel company to carry out the work. The brainchild of Luigi Segre, owner of Ghia, and Arrigo Olivetti, owner of automotive component manufacturer Fergat, Officine Stampaggi Industriali – shortened to OSI – set up modern production facilities in Turin, adjacent to Ghia's operations. Its first commissions were for the Innocenti 950 Spider, and the station wagon variant of the Fiat 1300/1500 sedan, the Familiare.

In January 1965, Ford's European subsidiary, headquartered in Cologne, Germany, commissioned OSI to build a successor to its flagship Taunus Coupe. The new luxury coupe was to seat four in comfort and use the fourth-generation Taunus 20M executive car chassis and as many of its components as possible. It would be sold and serviced by Ford dealerships.

The new OSI 20M TS was first shown in concept form on the Ford stand at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1966. Principal credit for the styling went to Sergio Sartorelli, whose hand shaped the Volkswagen Type 34 "razor edge" Karmann Ghia and the Fiat 2300 S Coupe. At the time, Sartorelli was director of OSI's new central styling department.

The OTI 20M TS remained in the catalog only through 1967. Approximately 2,000 of these hand-built coupes are believed to have been produced, with sales limited to the German market. It was succeeded by the Capri coupe in 1969. Marque experts agree that only about 200 examples still exist, only a handful of which are on this side of the Atlantic.

  • EX54GJ01940
  • 28484
  • 2,300cc V6
  • manual
  • Sea Green
  • Tan / Leather
  • Left-hand drive

Vehicle location
Bellport, NY, United States

Background

In 1960, coach builder Ghia, sought contracts to put some of its designs into limited volume production, and formed a parallel company to carry out the work. The brainchild of Luigi Segre, owner of Ghia, and Arrigo Olivetti, owner of automotive component manufacturer Fergat, Officine Stampaggi Industriali – shortened to OSI – set up modern production facilities in Turin, adjacent to Ghia's operations. Its first commissions were for the Innocenti 950 Spider, and the station wagon variant of the Fiat 1300/1500 sedan, the Familiare.

In January 1965, Ford's European subsidiary, headquartered in Cologne, Germany, commissioned OSI to build a successor to its flagship Taunus Coupe. The new luxury coupe was to seat four in comfort and use the fourth-generation Taunus 20M executive car chassis and as many of its components as possible. It would be sold and serviced by Ford dealerships.

The new OSI 20M TS was first shown in concept form on the Ford stand at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1966. Principal credit for the styling went to Sergio Sartorelli, whose hand shaped the Volkswagen Type 34 "razor edge" Karmann Ghia and the Fiat 2300 S Coupe. At the time, Sartorelli was director of OSI's new central styling department.

The OTI 20M TS remained in the catalog only through 1967. Approximately 2,000 of these hand-built coupes are believed to have been produced, with sales limited to the German market. It was succeeded by the Capri coupe in 1969. Marque experts agree that only about 200 examples still exist, only a handful of which are on this side of the Atlantic.

Overview

The 20M TS was offered with the Ford Cologne pushrod V6 engine, in either 2.0- or 2.3-liter form. Mechanically, it was virtually identical to the volume production car, with MacPherson strut front suspension, a live rear axle, front disc brakes and rear drums. It shared the sedan's 106.5-inch wheelbase. The luxurious interior was hand-tailored, with leather bucket seats and complete instrumentation.

Exterior

The sea green exterior of this 20M is clean. There are no major flaws in the paint or bodywork whatsoever. Chrome around the car is straight and free of wrinkles. The bullet rear view mirrors should be polished or even replaced with ones done in chrome just to tie everything together, and the OSI logo in the center of the grille would likely appreciate being cleaned up as well. The glass around the car is clean and free of both chips and cracks. The Jaguar wire wheels this OSI rests on are in good condition, and the old Pirelli P5 tires still have plenty of tread left on them although we always recommend a new set. Overall, the exterior to this 20M is in great shape. The car has very few exterior imperfections worth noting, the car has a brilliant shape, and the louvres behind the windows are to die for.

Interior

The interior of this 20M is in great condition. The front and back seats show very little creasing at all. There is a tear in the side of the passenger seat, but the driver’s seat appears to be uncompromised. The carpets are okay at best. They could use a deep cleaning, and the carpet in the driver’s footwell doesn’t fit neatly around the pedals. The wooden dash is clean, but some of the wood appears to be fading to the left of the steering wheel. The gauges are clean, easily readable and presumed to be functioning. The wooden steering wheel itself is in good condition, and the dash pad looks to be in good shape aside from a small crack in the surface leather, but not the actual dash pad. The headliner would likely benefit the most if it were replaced. There are several stains in different areas, and three different holes in the fabric. The passenger side sunshade mount also appears to be failing.

Mechanical

We are pleased to report this OSI has a clean undercarriage with no major damage. The frame and floorboards are solid, the suspension components are all in their proper positions, and the exhaust shows minor discoloration at best. Under the hood, the 2.3L V6 is in solid shape, and all of the various pieces seem to be resting in their correct locations with no obvious major damage present.

History

The earliest known history of this car currently is that the original owner purchased the car in Europe and imported it to the West Coast, and we understand that it was originally blue with a tan interior. In general terms, the integral condition of the car appears to be largely undisturbed, however, a previous owner did repaint the car in sea foam green and likely at the same time he also changed the center section of the grill. The bodywork is reported to be very solid, which is rare in these cars.

In 2008, the car appeared in an online auction and was purchased by an enthusiast from the Pacific Northwest. At that time, it appeared very similar to how it appears today, with the current Jaguar wire wheels fitted. The rear seat appears to be original along with the carpets and side door panels. The engine compartment also appears to be largely original.


Summary

This OSI 20M TS is an extremely cool, obscure car. The well proven Ford 2.3 Liter V6 engine provides very good power and revs excellently. This would be a fantastic choice for a rolling restoration, as it could be enjoyed as is or returned to original specifications. OSI are very rare on this side of the Atlantic, and this would be a great car for weekend drives. This is an excellent example of a 20M, and we are thrilled to assist in finding the car a loving new home.

About this auction

Seller

Private: undefined


Viewings Welcome

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and is strictly by appointment. To book one in the diary, please get in contact.

9dca3f23-acb7-4113-b8b0-782e321e5ea9/baef081b-6ceb-42cd-a108-c77fa3d07fe2.jpg?optimizer=image&width=650&format=jpg image

Thinking of selling your OSI