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O.M. S.A. Officine Meccaniche Fabbicia Brescana di Automobili, Brescia |
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Officine Meccaniche or OM was an Italian car and truck manufacturing company founded in Milan 1899. It made railway engines until it took over the Brixia-Züst company at the end of 1917, because of the interest to
build Züst airplane engines. Car production started in 1918, using the plant of Züst with the last Züst model the 4710cc (100 x 150 mm) 25/35hp dating back from 1913 undedr the new name Tipo S305.
Productions of cars 1919-1934 was based on single 4-cylinder and 6-cylinder models. The Tipo 465 voiturette with a 4 cylinder single block 1327cc (65 x 100 mm) engine, produced by head designer Ottavio Fuscaldo was announced in 1919 but deliveries delayed until 1921. Four 465 cars however were entered for the Coppa del Garda om 7th December 1920. In 1922 a sports version named tipo 467 with an enlarged 1410cc (67 x 100 mm) engine was added to the assortment. The works team used engines with increased capacity to 1496cc (69 x 100mm) and with a shortened wheelbase from 2900 mm m to 2400 mm. That engine developed into the Tipo 469 S and N in 1923 (wheelbase 2800 mm). 1923 saw an all new model, Tipo 665 'Superba' with a six-cylinder 1990cc (65 x 100mm) engine. The car was lightly built with the chassis having just two cross members. The type N had a wheelbase of 3100 mm while the sporty S type had a wheelbase of 2800 mm. Improved variants N2 and S2 appeared in 1925 followed by N3, N4, S3 and S4 in 1927. In 1929/30 the engine size was increased to 2220 cc (67 x 105mm) for the N5 and S5 models. O.M. Constructed a Grand Prix car for the 1926 1.5 litre formula. The car featured a 1477cc 8 cylinder engine. The car made is debut at the 1926 German Grand prix at Avus and made the fastest lap of the race. The car developemnet proved problematic but two cars apperaed at the 1927 European Grand Prix at Monza. O.M. cars proved to be quite sucessful in racing. Apart from victories in local Italian races and hillclimbs O.M.s finished 1st and 2nd at the 1924 Circuito del Mugello and finished 2nd and 3rd at the Circuito del Garda. It was followed 1925 with victory at the Tripoli Grand Prix, a 2nd place at the Coppa Etna and a victory at the Coppa Vinci and another second place at the Circuito de Garda. In 1926 a second victory at the Coppa Vinci was acchieved and third place finishes at the Alessandria Circuit and Coppa Etna. 4 &5 Le mans 1925 O.M. cars finished fourth and fifth at both the 1925 and 1926 5 Le Mans 24 hour races. O.M.s greatest race achievement however was a triple victory in the first Mille Miglia race in 1927, Ferdinando Minoia / Giuseppe Morandi winning followed by Renato Balestero / Timo Danieli and Arcimede Rosa / Mario Danieli. For the 1928 Mille Miglia a two seater model called SMM was built. For the 1929 Mille Miglia SMM 2.2 liter and SSMM 2.2. liter supercharged were entered. The cars popularity is shown by the fact that 25 O.M. were entered for the 1930 Mille Miglia. The works team then restricted their participiation to major events and after 1930 new cars were not prepared for the team. O.M. were raced by privateers until 1935. Passenger car production then ceased, and O.M. concentrated on commercial vehicles and making train parts. O.M. was taken over by the Fiat Group in September 1937. In 1975 the O.M. brand name finally disappeared. |
 665 "Superba" N1-N5, S1-S5, MM, SMM, SSMM
Introduced at the 1923 Milan Motor Show the Models 665 was developed through the years in multiple variants: The car was lightly built with the chassis having just two cross members. The type N had a wheelbase of 3100 mm while the sporty S type had a wheelbase of 2800 mm. Improved variants N2 and S2 appeared in 1925 followed by N3, N4, S3 and S4 in 1927. In 1929/30 the engine size was increased to 2220 cc (67 x 105mm) for the N5 and S5 models. Normale (N) series 1-5, Sports (S) series 1-5, M 2 L, MM 2.2 L, SMM and SSMM 2 L and 2.2 L. Victories:
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