Rose and star - Do you know Opes?
02/21/2024
As is so often the case, you always find the most interesting things in the archive when you are actually looking for something completely different. For example, a file whose name could initially be mistaken for a misspelling of a major German brand contained a curious and now almost forgotten small car project.
In September 1948, Officine Precisione e Stampaggio (Opes) presented the Ninfea 800 at the Turin Motor Show: a 3.72 meter long, 700 kg, two-door saloon for up to five people. The unique selling point of the "water lily" was that it was powered by an air-cooled three-cylinder radial engine, which produced 24 hp at 3800 rpm and was designed to make the little car reach speeds of up to 100 km/h.
With a four-speed steering wheel, front-wheel drive and American-style bodywork, the Opes Ninfea 800 was thoroughly modern. However, the ambitious plan to "show Fiat" came to nothing. Officine Precisione e Stampaggio, based in Turin, was dissolved at the end of 1949.
