Innocenti C by OSI
Car of the Day #169: 1968 Innocenti C by OSI – Small calzone coupé
As you may imagine, a question I'm asked is, “How do you find so many weird vehicles?”
Most of the time, it’s straightforward: look for vehicles that were a result of two automakers coming together at a singular point in time.
Innocenti started as a factory that made Lambretta scooters, but soon branched out into vehicles, with its first car being an Italian-built British Motor Corporation Mini.
This connection to England’s motor industry helped to provide the platform for the Innocenti Spider, which was based on the Austin-Healey Sprite.
Innocenti C brochure scans (French). Note fuel economy being a plus point — at a thirsty 7L/100 km(!!) • via Innocenti
The Innocenti C, C for coupé if you hadn't guessed, was introduced in 1966, six years after the Spider was shown. Styled by Sergio Sartorelli at OSI, it’s a handsome little thing, with more detailing and nuance than a quick glance may suggest.
A nice square take on a small sports car, it's a shame that only 794 examples were made in its two years of production, offered only in red, white, or green. I’d love to see them around at car shows, parked in groups of three to complete Italy’s il Tricolore.
Though rare, they'd be easy to fix, at least: with a BMC-sourced 1,100-cc 4-cylinder engine and all of the mechanical improvements made to the Spider over a number of years of production, the C was by every measure the one to get if you enjoy driving.
