OSCA MT4 Vignale Berlinetta — chassis 1153

The OSCA MT4 Vignale Berlinetta was a one-off coachbuilt sports car produced in 1955 by Officine Specializzate Costruzioni Automobili (O.S.C.A.), with bodywork by Vignale and design by Giovanni Michelotti. Developed during a period when O.S.C.A. focused on lightweight, high-performance cars, the collaboration combined Vignale’s craftsmanship with Michelotti’s refined and aerodynamic design language. Constructed on a tubular chassis, the Berlinetta featured hand-formed aluminum bodywork, emphasizing low weight and elegance. Its proportions reflected mid-1950s Italian design trends, balancing sportiness and sophistication. The car was powered by O.S.C.A.’s 1.5-liter MT4-2AD inline-four engine, delivering strong performance for a compact grand touring model. A rear-wheel-drive layout and carefully tuned suspension contributed to its agility and balance. First exhibited at the 1955 Turin Motor Show, this example, chassis no. 1153, is the only MT4 Berlinetta with Vignale bodywork and one of four road-going MT4s completed at the factory. Distinctive features include facet-cut taillights that reflect like rubies, a plexiglass rear window, alloy filler cap, and a Nardi steering wheel bearing a hand-painted OSCA emblem. The car retains its original oxblood leather interior, paint, and three-piece fitted Swiss luggage, along with its jack and tool roll, each marked with the chassis number. The car covered approximately 10,000 kilometers in Europe before entering private collections in France and Switzerland. Remarkably, it has never been restored, preserving a “time-warp” patina. Sold at auction in Paris for over half a million dollars, it achieved the highest recorded price for an OSCA at the time. With only four owners in its history, including noted OSCA collector Elad Shraga, this 1955 Vignale Berlinetta represents a unique and historically significant example of Italian postwar coachbuilding, uniting the artistry of Vignale, the design mastery of Michelotti, and O.S.C.A.’s engineering precision.