Michael Satterfield
Chances are you have never heard of Officine Stampaggi Industriali (OSI) or the Bisiluro (Silver Fox). But in the 1960s the OSI was one of the premier coachbuilders in Italy, founded by former Ghia President Luigi Segre. Like many coachbuilders, they built low volume special models for manufacturers like Innocenti, Ford, Alfa Romeo, and radical show cars like the Alfa Romeo Giulia Scarabeo and
Built in 1967 to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans the Silver Fox debuted at the Turin Motor Show. Designed with aerodynamics in mind the Silver Fox was essentially a wing with wheels.
Powered by a 1000cc Renault Alpine 4 cylinder mounted in the left pod to counterbalance the weight of the driver in the right pod, the car could reach a top speed of 155mph, not bad for 1967. To give you an idea the fastest car in the world in 1967 was the V12 Lamborghini Muria with a top speed of 173mph, so OSI had worked it’s magic using aerodynamics instead of raw power.
The aero on the car included three individual spoilers that connected the two pod-like cabins. The front and middle spoilers could be adjusted depending on the amount of downforce/drag that was required for different race tracks. Sadly other than a few test runs, the Silver Fox would never see the track as OSI closed went out of business in early 1968, making this winged wonder a one of a kind.
