They say the 1960s were a time of experimentation, and nowhere is that more obvious than in the one-car acid trip known as the 1967 OSI Silver Fox. Picture a pair of silver popsicle sticks connected by a paper-thin wing, throw in a Renault engine, and aim it at the Mulsanne Straight. That was the idea. Welcome to the most obscure sci-fi side quest in Italian automotive history.
Built for Le Mans, but Also Maybe for the Jetsons
The Silver Fox wasn’t some backyard project. It came from Officine Stampaggi Industriali (OSI), a real-deal Italian coachbuilder known for working with Fiat and Ford. But by the late ’60s, someone at OSI clearly slipped into their villain origin story arc, because what came next looked more like a spaceship than a car.
Designed by Sergio Sartorelli — the same mind behind the Volkswagen Karmann Ghia Type 34 — the Silver Fox was an attempt to bring active aerodynamics and wild form-follows-function thinking to Le Mans. Yes, that Le Mans. The 24-hour torture test for cars that usually have engines the size of patio furniture.
But the Silver Fox didn’t go big. Instead, it went weird. Two separate body pods housed the wheels and passengers. A center wing joined them like a silver surfboard. And just to keep things spicy, it was front-engined, rear-wheel drive, and allegedly capable of over 130 mph despite being powered by a 1.0-liter Renault four-banger.
Wedge Era: Beta Version
Years before the Lancia Stratos Zero or Bertone’s wildest creations, the Silver Fox was already out here testing wedge shapes and futuristic packaging. But while it looked like something Batman would drive to his lakeside villa, it wasn’t just design theater. OSI was actually testing aerodynamic lift characteristics and ground effects, way before “downforce” became a marketing buzzword.
Unfortunately, like most cool things, it never got to prove itself. The car was tested extensively, but never competed. And just as it was being groomed for possible Le Mans glory, OSI as a company began unraveling.
So Where Is It Now?
The lone prototype still exists, reportedly living out its days in a dusty Italian museum like a Bond villain in retirement. You might never see it in person, but it’s worth knowing it existed. Because for every Miura or Daytona that got to live the dream, there was a Silver Fox that got left in the concept car cold.
And hey — if nothing else, it’s proof that in the 1960s, someone actually said, “Yes, let’s build the aerodynamic silver canoe with a Renault engine and see what happens.”
Spoiler: not much happened. But we’re damn glad they tried.
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