Le Mans With A Hydroplane On Wheels

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This is the O.S.I. Silver Fox from 1967. The Italians wanted to go to Le Mans to score a speed record with it. Sadly, they didn't, but their attempt is worth noting for its pure batshittery.

Officine Stampaggi Industriali was a coachbuilding company founded in Turin in 1960 by former Ghia boss Luigi Segre and Arrigo Olivetti, the head of wheelmakers Fergat. They made custom bodies for Alfa Romeo, Fiat and Ford models, and also got Sergio Sartorelli on the payroll. He designed classics such as the second generation of Karmann-Ghias (Type 34), the Ghia 1500 GT, and the series of concepts for Renault with their backs in the front. At O.S.I., he created what many consider to be the most beautiful Ford ever (made out of a Taunus), the 20M TS Coupé:

The Silver Fox was also his child, but a less successful one, to say the least. Powered by an Alpine engine located behind the navigator, the spare wheel went behind the driver to balance it out. This weird race car was unveiled at the Turin Motor Show in '67, but couldn't make it to Le Mans after O.S.I. ran into some financial difficulties the next year. Shame, as the moment of its takeoff could have been a great moment of Le Mans history... or a terribly tragic one.