Stock status: Expected soon
Registration number: FO-19-84
Manufacturer: Gallery Aaldering Arnhemsestraat 47 6971AP BRUMMEN, NL 0575564055 http://www.gallery-aaldering.com info@gallery-aaldering.com
An Italian coupé with German engineering. Today, that might sound like a carefully orchestrated collaboration between two major automotive manufacturers. Back in 1967, however, it simply meant that an Italian coachbuilder looked at a dependable Ford and thought, we can make something far more beautiful out of this. And, to be perfectly honest, they may well have been right.
The OSI 20M TS was designed by Sergio Sartorelli and built by Officine Stampaggi Industriali of Turin. OSI was never a manufacturer producing hundreds of thousands of cars each year. Instead, the company specialized in distinctive coachwork, prototypes, and limited-production models for marques such as Fiat, Alfa Romeo, and Ford.
The foundation of the 20M TS was the Ford Taunus 20M. Beneath its elegant Italian bodywork lies familiar Ford engineering, with the engine mounted up front and power sent to the rear wheels. No exotic mechanical layout requiring you to hunt down a specialist in a remote village outside Turin—just reliable engineering wrapped in a hand-built European coupé. What could be better?
Sartorelli gave the car a long hood, a low roofline, and a beautifully sculpted rear end, creating a body that is graceful from every angle. From certain perspectives, you may catch hints of Maserati; from others, perhaps echoes of a large Fiat coupé. Remember the rare BMW 3200 CS? It is fundamentally a very different car, yet this OSI feels like a more compact interpretation, with proportions that, in our opinion, allow the elegant lines to shine even more. Ultimately, however, it resembles nothing but itself. And today, that may well be its greatest strength.
The OSI was sold primarily in Germany, where the combination of Italian styling and proven Ford engineering appealed perfectly to buyers seeking something distinctive without the associated costs of owning a traditional Italian exotic. Production remained limited. Most sources mention a total of approximately 2,200 examples, although historical records differ on the exact number. The venture itself was also short-lived.
OSI produced the coupé for only a brief period before ending automobile production toward the close of the 1960s. The arrival of the Ford Capri certainly did not make life any easier for this far more exclusive coupé. The Capri could be built and sold on a much larger scale, leaving the OSI exactly what it had always been: a rare outsider.
This particular example is a true driver's car. Not a coupé restored to such a flawless standard that you hesitate to park it, but a carefully maintained and largely original OSI that simply invites you to get behind the wheel. It drives beautifully and still retains the authentic details that give this model its unmistakable character.
Its history has also been thoroughly documented by previous owners. With a car produced in such limited numbers, that is every bit as important as the car itself. Inside, you will find precisely the combination that makes the OSI so appealing: a comfortable cabin, classic instrumentation, a three-spoke steering wheel, and tasteful wood trim that clearly reveals the body was conceived in Italy rather than Germany.
Park it anywhere, and most people will ask what it is. A Maserati? A Fiat? Perhaps an obscure prototype? No. It is a 1967 Ford OSI 20M TS: Italian design, dependable Ford engineering, and production numbers low enough to make it a rarity even when new. A hand-built European coupé that does not need to be perfect to deliver an exceptional driving experience—and is almost certainly more exclusive than nearly anything else you will encounter on the road.
Interested in this remarkable OSI? Contact Gallery Aaldering today. We have been passionate about exceptional automobiles since 1975 and export our vehicles worldwide. Please inquire about the available possibilities.
