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1948 OSCA MT4

CarBrandLogos archive · OSCA · 1948

OSCAMT4

The Maserati brothers, unchained — small engines, giant killings.

Discover the story

Photo: contri from Yonezawa-Shi, Yamagata, Japan · CC BY-SA 2.0

A defining chapter in OSCA history.

Explore the ideas, engineering and context that shaped the OSCA MT4, then continue into its specifications and place in the marque's lineage.

1955 Osca MT4 Morelli Spider

01

Origins

Having sold Maserati and served out their agreement, the surviving brothers founded OSCA in Bologna in 1947 to build what they actually loved: small-displacement racing cars of watchmaker quality. The MT4 — Maserati Tipo 4-cylinder — carried twin-cam engines from 1.1 to 1.5 litres in a light tubular chassis under slim barchetta bodywork, and spent a decade humiliating larger machinery. Its immortal result came at Sebring in 1954, when Stirling Moss and Bill Lloyd won the 12 Hours outright against works Lancias and Aston Martins — a 1.5-litre car beating the world. Around 80 MT4s were built for gentleman racers who wanted the brothers' craftsmanship without a corporation attached. OSCA never chased scale; it chased precision, and the MT4 is where precision won heaviest.

1955 Osca MT4 Morelli Spider · Rex Graycropped and faces blurred by Mr.choppers · CC BY-SA 2.0

The facts that define it.

Produced

1948–1956

Engine

1089&nbsp
1955 OSCA MT4 spider engine

The MT4, in detail.

Production
1948–1956 (72-79 produced)
Layout
FR layout
Engine
1089 cc Fiat 1100 (1937); Fiat Overhead valve engine; OHV Straight-four engine; I4 ; 1092 cc MT4 SOHC I4 ; 1092 cc MT4-2AD DOHC I4 ; 1342 cc MT4 SOHC I4 ; 1342 cc MT4-2AD DOHC I4 ; 1453 cc M
Transmission
4-speed manual
Assembly
Bologna, Italy
Manufacturer
O.S.C.A.

Badge at launch

OSCA logo used in 1947

OSCA, 1947

This is the marque emblem that accompanied the MT4's era. The full identity timeline is documented in the brand archive.

Explore the logo history →