1980 Osella FA1 "MS Denim"
Osella Squadra Corse was formed in 1972 by Enzo Osella, based in Volpiano, Turin. The team ran in F2 and sports car races building a good reputation for itself. In 1979 the decision to move up to F1 was made and a new car was designed by Giorgio Stirano.
The monocoque chassis was made from Aluminium honeycomb as was the standard of the time. It was a wing car using air flow under the car to suck it down onto the track, and utilised lower wishbones with top rocker arms to actuate the inboard Koni shock's with coil over springs. Ford's Cosworth DFV V8 engine was providing 485hp which was transmitted to the rear Goodyear tyres through a Hewland FGA 400 gearbox.
The car is designated FA1 as it was for Formula one racing, as opposed to the Sports Prototypes which where designated a PA. The 'A' part is in deference to the support received from Carlo Arbarth, who had been Enzo Osella's mentor and for whom Enzo had run Arbaths' racing department. The number is obviously the first car of the F1 series of cars.
Unfortunately the car was around 100kg over weight, which created a real handicap at the start of the season. This preponderance was reduced to 45kg in the FA1b but it wasn't enough to make a difference. Eddie Cheever tried to qualify the car all season but in a disappointing year failed to reach the grid 4 times and never saw the chequered flag at all. Only once was he classified at the end of a race, 12th in the Italian GP.
Osella raced in F1 until the end of the 1989, but gathered only 7points from it's 151 Grand prix. Amongst the great names to have driven for Osella several stand out. The Early years were aided by the skill and experience of not only Eddie Cheever but also Jean-Pierre Jarier. Later names like Alex Caffi, Nicola Larini and Olivier Grouillard graced the team but the name that means most now is multiple Touring car champion Gabriele Tarquini. Featuring on the list of designers for Osella is the name of Tony Southgate.
The OSELLA name left F1 at the end of 1990 when it was taken over by Gabriele Rumi's Fondmetal organisation, ironically one of Osella's earliest sponsors.
Our model is the car driven by Eddie Cheever at the XXXIII Marlboro British GP at Brands Hatch on the 13th of July, 1980.
Eddie Cheever's 1980 British GP was reasonably good by Osella's standards. He qualified his car 20th on the grid. On race day the weather was overcast but remained dry for the 76lap race. Considering how much trouble the car had been to qualify this season 20th was a good effort. Although he ran well for the first few laps, sadly, Eddie retired the car on lap 17 when a rear suspension failure occurred.
Built by Ian, straight from the box, in the early 1990s, the model is brush painted with Humbrol enamel paints. A straight forward white metal kit, this type of model making was quite new to Ian at the time. The parts didn't fit that well but nothing that filler and patience couldn't solve. Is it a great kit? No. But when you don't know any better you just work with what you have. And the decals were poor too, again a product of the 1980s.
