Everyone loves a giant-killer, an underdog who trounces the big guns. The Osca MT4 was just such a junior sportsracer, the creation of the Maserati brothers after they had sold their eponymous first business to the Orsi family. Most famous of this little barchetta's impressive victories was not around the sinuous mountain roads of Sicily, but pounding the desolate flatlands of Florida in 1954 for the third 12 Hours of Sebring.
The twin-cam, 1452cc Latin compact was entered by the dashing American millionaire sportsman Briggs Cunningham, with his sonin-law Bill Lloyd teamed ace Stirling Moss, who jumped at the chance of escaping austere England for the sunny warmth of the American south. Against an international 60-car field, including factory-team Aston Martins and Lancias plus a clutch of privateer Ferraris, the little white MT4 was never judged to be a contender. Moss always relished such a situation, and was determined to prove the pundits wrong with this jewel from Bologna. “Briggs' Osca was quite amazing," the maestro told historian Doug Nye. "You could drive it as hard as you liked, slinging it sideways was no trouble.” In his diary, Moss recorded that the Osca was: 'A little beauty – 5900 in top and 5600 in gears.' Only insufficient brakes and a weak clutch spoiled the MT4's potential, but the brilliant handling continually delighted Moss.
As expected, the Lancia D24s set the pace at Sebring, duelling away out in front, but after four hours of racing, Moss and Lloyd were up to seventh - despite a spin. And when the Lancias began to suffer mechanical problems, the tiny Osca rasped into the Florida twilight. With the chilly darkness enveloping the circuit, it steadily climbed the leaderboard to an amazing second as the race entered the final nocturnal hour. By now totally without brakes, Moss delighted the 14,000-strong crowd as he slid into the turns broadside to scrub off speed.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة June 2022 من Classic & Sports Car.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة June 2022 من Classic & Sports Car.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
RAY HILLIER
Double-chevron oddity proves a break from the norm for this Crewe specialist
SHORT BACK & GLIDES
Eccentric enthusiast Captain RG McLeod's series of Manx-tailed Bentley Specials reached its zenith with this unique S2 Continental.
People's choice
The diminutive but multi-million-selling Fiat 850 packed a remarkable diversity of form and function into its compact footprint
PLASTIC BREAKS FROM THE NORM
Glassfibre revolutionised niche car-body production, but just occasionally strayed into the mainstream.
A SENSIBLE SUPERCAR
The cleverly conceived four-seater Elite secured Lotus a place at the big players' table, but has it been unfairly maligned since then?
"I had a habit of grabbing second place from the jaws of victory"
From dreams of yachting glory to the Le Mans podium, via a stint at the top of the motorsport tree, Howden Ganley had quite the career
Still going strong
Herbert Engineering staked its reputation on the five-year warranty that came with its cars. A century on, this Two Litre hasn't made a claim
One for the kids
General Motors was aiming squarely at the youth market with the launch of the Pontiac GTO 60 years ago, and its runaway success popularised the muscle-car movement
A NEW BREED OF HERO
Launched at the turn of the millennium, the GT3 badge has already earned a place alongside RS, CS and turbo in Porsche lore.
Brits with SIX appeal
The straight-six engine is synonymous with a decades-long legacy of great British sports cars. Six variations on the sextet theme convene for comparison
