Buon Anno

And so we say good-bye to 2016 and salute 2017.

Be well, play and drive safe e cent'anni!

The OM 665S: A Forgotten Machine

How's this for a story.

1927 was the year the Mille Miglia race began its ascent into legendary status. A competition it helped to make iconic brands like Alfa Romeo and Porsche. For more on the Mille Miglia - which was reborn in 1977 after a 20 year hiatus - visit here.

But it wasn't those cars or Ferrari or Maserati or BMW who won its first race. That distinction belonged to the cool looking OM 665S (aka the Superba) of the Officine Mecchaniche company.

An obscure, long forgotten automobile it also won at Le Mans. Despite its early success and promise, the company eventually stopped producing cars and focused on truck and buses. By 1938, it was closely affiliated with the FIAT group (manufacturing, among other things, train parts) only to permanently be absorbed thirty years later and seven years after that came under the control of IVECO.

So what was the ultimate fate of a company who won the first Mille Miglia? It exists today as a forklift manufacturer.

Quite an evolution don't you think?

Innovative Italians: Microcars

Hey, for what it's worth, belated Merry Christmas/Buon Natale.

Check this baby out. I have no idea what's being said but it's a cool video:



It's the Italian designed 'microcar' Iso Isetta. It went on to be licensed in a number of different countries including Germany (seen in the video) with the 250, 300 and 600 models.