Iconic Maserati nameplate dusted off for rebadged Chinese SUV, but a sports car will follow

Italian brand Osca has returned after almost 60 years, but instead of sports cars it’ll be selling Chinese SUVs... at least at first.

The revived brand has teased a sports car, which Italian outlet Askanews reports will be based on a Lotus – likely the Emira – and will be unveiled later this year ahead of a 2027 launch.

Before then, it’ll launch the MT6 mid-size SUV, with Italian customer deliveries commencing in September.

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The Osca brand’s revival is the brainchild of DR Automobiles, which imports Chinese vehicles to Italy and makes minor changes to them.

While previously it has created new brand names, such as Sportequipe, under which these rebadged Chinese vehicles have been sold, it’s now resurrecting old Italian nameplates.

First came Itala, which originally operated from 1904 to 1934, and whose name will now grace a range of models starting with the GAC Emzoom.

Now there’s Osca, which was founded in 1947 by the Maserati brothers, and produced single-seat race cars, as well as road cars like the small Zagato-built 1600 GT.

The revived Osca is even using similar model names to the original firm, with its debut model – based on the Changan UNI-T – bearing the MT6 nameplate, similar to the MT4 race car produced from 1948 to 1956.

The MT6 measures 4515mm long, 1870mm wide and 1565mm tall on a 2710mm wheelbase. That makes it 85mm shorter but 15mm wider than the Toyota RAV4.

Compared with the UNI-T, it features a new grille, a revised front bumper, and unique 21-inch alloy wheels wrapped in Pirelli P-Zero tyres.

The front-wheel drive MT6 is powered by a turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine mated with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

Motor1 reports it has received retuned suspension, with engineers led by chief technical officer Roberto Fedeli – formerly of Ferrari – also working over the powertrain, exhaust and brakes.

Inside, there are dual 10.25-inch displays, while DR Automobiles has applied plenty of Alcantara trim as well as a pair of Recaro bucket seats to differentiate it from its Changan donor vehicle.

The MT6 will reportedly be followed by a larger model called the MT8.

DR Automobiles is playing up the history of the Osca brand and trying to draw a connection between the original and the revival.

“In 1948, a four-cylinder car displacing just 1100cc beat six- and eight-cylinder engines by focusing entirely on one principle: the perfect power-to-weight ratio,” it says on its website.

“Eighty years later, that same principle lives on in the MT6, a crossover coupé that makes agility and driving pleasure its hallmarks.”

The original OSCA brand was founded by Ernesto, Ettore and Bindo Maserati in 1947, who had all sold their shares in their namesake firm in 1937.

They established OSCA – short for Officine Specializzate Costruzione Automobili - Fratelli Maserati (Specialised Automobile Construction Workshops - Maserati Brothers) – which they in turn exited in 1963. The firm was shuttered in 1967.

The rights to the OSCA name were reportedly passed down to Ernesto's son Alfieri and have subsequently been secured by DR Automobiles owner Massimo Di Risio following Mr Maserati’s passing in 2022.

It joins a sprawling range of brands under the DR Automobiles umbrella.

The Italian firm launched its namesake DR brand back in 2006, applying the name to rebadged Cherys, before rolling out EVO in 2020. EVO has offered vehicles from Chery, JAC and Forthing, the latter a brand of Dongfeng Liuzhou Motor which is launching here this year.

In 2022, it launched Sportequipe, selling rebadged vehicles from Chery’s Jetour and Kaiyi brands. It also attempted to launch a brand called ICKX, which resulted in legal action from Belgian racecar driver Jacky Ickx; the brand was subsequently launched as ICH-X.

The Tiger, Birba and Stilnovo brands have followed.

It’s unclear if DR Automobiles will encounter further legal troubles with its new strategy, given Italy’s Competition and Market Authority fined it €6 million (A$9.74m) in 2024 for indicating its vehicles originated from Italy when they were in fact sourced from China, as well as for not ensuring adequate supply of parts.

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