Restoration of DAF/O.S.I. CITY 1965 in Our Workshop

his unique city car was developed following a design competition held by the Italian magazine Quattroruote in 1965. O.S.I., a well-known Italian design firm, took on the challenge and ultimately chose the Daffodil as the basis due to its compact dimensions and automatic Variomatic transmission. Top designer Sergio Sartorelli was given only nine months to realize the design. The result: a compact car with a sliding door on one side and two opposite doors without a center pillar on the other side. This bold construction required an extra strong floor and box beam for the rigidity of the body.

Despite its small size, all components were successfully integrated, including a 20-liter fuel tank from a Vespa, which was placed on top of the engine.

The O.S.I. City was enthusiastically received at the Turin Motor Show. The only criticism was its large turning radius. Corgi Toys released a rare scale model, which is now a valuable collector's item.

After its presentation at the AutoRAI in 1967 and some photo reports in Eindhoven (the car had previously been displayed at the DAF Museum), it disappeared from the scene. It wasn't until 2002 that it was rediscovered at a DAF dealer in Palermo, complete with original documents and 70,912 km on the odometer.

The car is currently fully disassembled for restoration in the museum's workshop. In one to two years, the O.S.I. City will once again be on display in all its glory.