The OM “665”, which first came out in 1923 and was also known as the “Superba”, was the model that added most to the marque’s reputation. It fitted a powerfully flexible 6-cylinder side-valve engine mounted on a very light chassis that had met with some success. These qualities quickly spawned a number of sports versions which quickly made a name for themselves in racing, peak fame being achieved with their triumph in the first edition of the Mille Miglia in 1927: three OM’s in the first three places, a result that gave the 665 renown internationally and led to its being exported all over the world. The car’s world record attempts also made the news. Starting on 6 February 1926, an OM Superba driven by Piero Iliprandi and other drivers lapped the circuit at Monza for 6 days and 50 minutes. Thirty-six all-time world records, namely from 3,000 to 8,000 miles and from 4,000 to 15,000 km, were beaten. The longest distance, 15,000 km, was covered at an average of 103.568 kph. Many of these records were still standing on 1 January 1931.
The OM “665 N 5”, presented in 1929, is the brilliant tourism version of this model, with capacity boosted to 2200 cc. The model was earmarked for the British market and, following various modifications and the adoption of a Roots compressor, it was able to reach a speed of 150 kph. Its production ceased in 1934, a year after OM was taken over by Fiat.
Engine: 6 cylinders
Capacity: 2221 cc
Max. power output: 55 bhp at 4000 rpm
Max. speed: 120 km/h.
Weight: 960 kg (chassis)
Presented by OM S.p.A., Milano
