Crazy Classic Car: OSI Silver Fox Prototype

When you first see the 1967 OSI Silver Fox Prototype, you might legitimately feel like your eyes are playing tricks on you. After all, it looks like no other car in the history of the automobile. But the odd shape wasn’t crafted to shock but instead had a real purpose at the time of its inception.

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Back in 1967, Officine Stampaggi Industriali (OSI) was a prominent coachbuilder in Italy. As is the nature of such a company, it didn’t do volume production but instead was a boutique operation often catering to the unique, including making wild concepts for mainstream automakers.

But the Silver Fox, called the Bisiluro in Italian, was crafted for a singular task: competing in the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans. After being unveiled at the Turin Motor Show in 1967, the radical design fascinated many at the time.

Aerodynamics were front and center. Like a catamaran with two hulls to help it cut through the water more efficiently, the Silver Fox had two pods. The driver sat in the one on the right, like in a British car.

Connecting those pods were three members that were shaped as spoilers. Both the front and middle spoilers could be adjusted, allowing for the fine tuning of downforce.

Power comes from a 1000cc 4-cylinder built by Renault Alpine. It’s mounted in the passenger pod, which during racing would be left unoccupied. That meant the weight of the engine and the driver would hopefully balance each other out.

Top speed was 155 mph, for the late 60s wasn’t too shabby, especially considering the car didn’t use a screaming V12 engine.

While the OSI prototype was fascinating, a production model never followed. The coachbuilder went belly up, closing up shop in early 1968, ending the dream of seeing the strange catamaran car race around Le Mans.

Only one Silver Fox has survived and it makes appearances at events fairly frequently in Europe, delighting crowds and amazing those who have never before beheld the unique design.

Images via Italiansupercarvideo/YouTube