Black Angel Team - Notizie

Enzo Osella Has Died: Farewell to Italy's Last Great "Garagiste"

The motorsport world mourns the passing of Vincenzo "Enzo" Osella, the legendary Turin-based constructor and founder of Osella Corse, who died on Saturday, September 27, 2025, in Turin at the age of 86.

Italian motorsport lost one of its most iconic and authentic figures last Saturday: Enzo Osella, the Turin constructor who brought his cars to the prestigious Formula 1 World Championship for eleven seasons, embodying the artisanal and visionary spirit of Italian racing.

The Origins: From Workshop to Racing

Born in Cambiano on August 26, 1939, Enzo Osella inherited his passion for engines from his father Luigi, owner of a workshop in the center of Turin. His training took place among wrenches and engines, where young Enzo learned the art of mechanics and developed that technical sensitivity that would distinguish him throughout his life.

His approach to racing began in 1957, when one of his father's workshop clients, a rally driver as a hobby, took him as a navigator in various races, including the Sestriere Rally. In the same year, Osella drove for the first time in a rally in his sister's Fiat 600, an experience that ended with an accident on a curve.

It wasn't a fortunate debut, but it was enough to ignite a flame that would never be extinguished. With his father's support, Osella purchased a Lotus Eleven, which he personally modified by equipping it with an Osca engine and Alfa Romeo differential, participating in various hillclimbs.

The Experience with Carlo Abarth: A Fundamental School

In 1963, Osella began working with Karl 'Carlo' Abarth, a legendary figure in Italian motorsport, acquiring knowledge about the production of chassis and engines and the tuning of sports cars. It was a crucial formative experience: first as a test driver and then as a mechanic with the role of driver supervisor in team races, Osella learned the secrets of competition at the highest levels.

At the end of 1964, he took over one of Abarth's companies in Turin and decided to go independent, giving birth to what would become one of the most respected entities in Italian motorsport.

The Foundation of Osella Corse

In 1971, when Abarth sold the brand and facilities to Fiat, Osella had the courage and foresight to take over the racing department, officially establishing Osella Corse with headquarters in Volpiano, in the Turin hinterland. A racing team destined to leave an indelible mark on motorsport history was born.

Osella's philosophy was clear: few words, much work, maximum quality with limited resources. A "Piedmontese" approach, made of sobriety, stubbornness, and lucidity in the relationship between ambitions and available means.

The Formula 1 Adventure: David vs. Goliath

From 1980 to 1990, the Osella team participated in the Formula 1 World Championship, before being taken over by Fondmetal. They were eleven heroic seasons, as a "romantic underdog," where the small Turin structure confronted the giants of the Circus.

The most prestigious result came in 1982 with fourth place at the San Marino Grand Prix at the Imola circuit, achieved by French driver Jean-Pierre Jarier. It was the best finish ever for the team, a result that entered the hearts of enthusiasts and still today represents a memorable feat for an Italian private team.

Other memorable moments include Piercarlo Ghinzani's fifth place in Dallas in 1984, in extreme weather conditions, where Osella's foresight to throw a bucket of water on the driver's back during the pit stop made the difference.

Osella's Formula 1 was characterized by genius and ingenuity: when resources were scarce, imagination made up for it. It's said that to save on equipment transport costs for overseas races, Osella would fill the monocoque chassis with as much workshop material as possible, taking advantage of the free transport for the cars.

Return to Origins: Domination in Hillclimbs

After the Formula 1 experience, Osella returned to his most authentic terrain: hillclimbs and sports-prototype cars. Here, the Osella brand continued to achieve extraordinary success, dominating hillclimb competitions for years and becoming an absolute reference point for Italian and international drivers.

His cars - light, powerful, manageable - embodied that racing soul that no economic difficulty could extinguish. The FA and PA models became icons in hillclimb racing, cars sculpted in aluminum and in the imagination of a constructor who could machine a part at night and bring it to the start line on Sunday.

The Legacy of a Master

Enzo Osella was much more than a constructor: he trained mechanics, engineers, and drivers, leaving as a legacy a "Piedmontese" way of racing: sober, stubborn, crystal-clear about the relationship between resources and ambitions.

His figure represents the last great Italian "garagiste": one who knew how to get his hands dirty, design, build, and race with his own cars. A man of workshop and track, capable of competing at the highest levels even without a financial empire behind him.

«Tonight Enzo Osella has begun his last 'climb'…», Osella Engineering wrote in a moving message on social media. «He leaves us peacefully, with a mountain of beautiful memories that will be difficult to forget».

The Final Farewell

Enzo Osella's funeral will be held on Tuesday, September 30, 2025, at the Basilica of Superga, a symbol of Turin and a place that overlooks the city that Osella represented throughout the world.

ACI Sport expressed deep condolences, remembering Osella as "a passionate sportsman and a skilled and successful constructor who represented Italy also in Formula 1. Countless drivers built their careers and successes with Osella."

The racing world loses an icon, a visionary artisan who demonstrated how passion, ingenuity, and determination can take a small Turin workshop to the world's most prestigious circuits. His lesson remains unchanged: you can compete at the highest levels even without an empire behind you, if you bring clear ideas and real work to the track.

Farewell Enzo, enjoy your last climb.

https://www.osella.it/wrp/
https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enzo_Osella