FIAT 1500 with OSCA engine (Maserati brothers)

**Tramonto** · 10-01-2020, 08:05 PM

I saw an OSCA it was a FIAT body which was designed by Pinaforina (miss spelled) and a Maserati engine. Does anyone know anything about these and their value?

**Nobarth** · 10-01-2020, 10:49 PM

I had a new Fiat 1500 OSCA Spyder dohc 90 hp cabriolet in high school. It was a really cool car especially for 1960. It had a detuned Maserati Brothers racing engine with tube headers that revved to 8000. I drag raced it and autocrossed it. It wasn’t very good at either of those. Solid rear axel and front discs. It came with a really great signed Enrico Nardi wood steering wheel. It focused my interest forever on small displacement foreign cars. Not that many were sold and not many people know about it. I think their value is 30 to 40 when restored. Just my guess. I still have a Penin Farina designed hard top for the car in my shed I have been meaning to sell. I also had several later 1500 convertibles with the same body but with a pushrod engine. When at a stoplight waiting for the light to turn I would sit and watch it rust. I loved the OSCA dearly.

Charlie

**map** · 10-02-2020, 12:42 AM

I hope they sound better in real life than in the videos online; engine sounds like a cement mixer with a load of rocks.

Not surprising, they jump all over the place in price. It might be one worth importing from the UK.

https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds...s/2248086.html
https://www.classic-trader.com/uk/ca...ca/1961/181591
https://www.classic-trader.com/uk/ca...-s/1960/160513
https://rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/a...nfarina/182225

**Nobarth** · 10-02-2020, 09:01 AM

Probably cam drive noise. Some audio emphasizes different sounds than others. I do recall some sounds that sounded like valves that were not. They are asking 75 for that one. I don,t think they are in that ball Park even though I love the car. The engine was listed as 75 hp. That is incorrect. That car is not as good as its separate elements unfortunately.

Charlie

**smark** · 10-02-2020, 10:09 AM

I see where Honda, was inspired by its styling.

**Fiat500USA** · 10-02-2020, 11:09 AM

Back then and through out the 70s and beyond, the Japanese copied the Italians (and everyone else). Very little innovation from them. They were more into copying and making improvements on technology others pioneered. Probably smart to let the others take the risk and then swoop in making detail (hopefully) improvements.