Cars Brands that start with O

You can make the right choice when buying a car, satisfy your hobby, strategize your company, or simply expand your horizons only if you have complete and detailed information about each car brand, its history, and its products. This is facilitated by resources that allow you to collect, find, and verify such information. Considering that the history of the automobile began more than a century and a half ago, it is not superfluous to preserve information that goes far back in time. Even today, we are increasingly faced with the fact that much information about those who stood at the origins of the automobile industry gradually lost and disappeared, remaining only in scraps of memories, old newspapers, photographs, and postcards.

What car brands begin with the letter O?

Opening the page with the list of car brands that begin with the letter “O,” you can notice that it is quite small compared to other lists. And this is not only because car manufacturers were not very fond of this letter. Nevertheless, you can find more than a dozen names, among which there are both brands from the beginning of the last century and modern ones. The world-famous Opel and the representative of the Brazilian car industry Obvio!, Officine Specializzate Costruzione Automobili, OM Carrelli Elevatori S.p.A., and many others.

Collecting and systematizing the information found is beneficial not only to those who are interested in it but also allows you to preserve the history of the car for future generations. Knowing your car’s past, which is closely linked to the history of mankind, helps you better understand your present and more accurately predict the future.

Opel

Since 1862, as a manufacturer of sewing machines, the German brand of cars of the future Opel Automobile GmbH, headquartered in Rüsselsheim, Germany, traces its history. In 1886, the production of bicycles began. The first Opel-Lutzmann automobile came out in 1899. In 1900, a contract was signed with Automobiles Darracq S.A., France, to produce Opel-Darracq until 1907. In 1902, the car’s own development appeared. In 1929, it was acquired by General Motors. In 1940, the millionth car was produced. In 2017, PSA (Stellantis) became the owner of the brand.

Orca Engineering

In 2003, in Ebenholz (Vaduz, Liechtenstein), the company of René and Ralph Beck was founded to produce sports cars. They designed and built the Orca 113 platform and the Beck LM800 prototype. The Orca 113 was produced in three variants. Seven cars were produced – 3 C113 coupes, 2 R113s – a concept version of the C113 roadster, and 2 SC7s (an exclusive model). Its production was discontinued in 2007. Until 2012, the Beck LM 800 was the only car created by the brand. It used the Audi Twin Turbo V8 engine.

ORECA

ORECA (Organization Exploitation Compétition Automobiles) is a French racing team founded in 1973 by Hugues de Chaunac. Since 2007, the brand has been used as a sports car manufacturer. Courage Compétition prototypes were created on this basis. The first car of the brand was the Oreca 01 model of the LMP1 class. In 2009, the FLM09 model was developed for Formula Le Mans. In 2015 and 2017, the Oreca 05 and Oreca 07 were released, respectively. A modification of the latter, the Acura ARX-05, raced in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

OSCA

The Italian company OSCA (abbreviation for Officine Specializzate Costruzione Automobili) was founded in 1947 in San Lazzaro di Savena in Emilia-Romagna. The history of the brand began ten years before its official registration when, in 1937, the Maserati brothers sold the factory to Adolfo and Omar Orsi. It was not until 1948 that the company began to operate as a moving machinery production. The first racing model, the MT4, was produced. Based on the racing chassis 1600 GT and 1600 GT2, the company created elegant two-seat coupes – Frua, Michelotti, Zagato, Fissore, and Vignale. In 1967, following the sale of MV Agusta in 1964, the brand was closed.

Osella Engineering

Osella Engineering was an Italian racing team founded by Vincenzo “Enzo” Osella, which began racing in the 1960s in Abarth, Italy. In 1975, the brand assembled its Osella FA2 chassis development in its workshops and sold it a year later. The next development, the Osella FA3, intended for sale, was not a success. This was the end of the production direction of the sports team. The team itself regained its leadership position and was not recalled until 1980-1990.

Oakland Motor Car Company

The Oakland Motor Car Company was an American company founded in 1907 in Pontiac, Michigan, USA. In 1909, it was acquired by General Motors to sell luxury and expensive car models in order to create competition in this segment with the leading brand Pontiac. The main achievement of the brand was to create affordable prices for the expensive category of cars in order to survive in the competitors’ market. The brand’s most popular models were the 1909 Oakland Model 40, the 1916 Model 50 V8, the 1928 Model 212 All-American Sport Cabriolet, and the Model 212 All-American Landaulette Sedan. In 1931, unable to withstand the competition, the brand was closed.

Obvio!

In 2001, a low-cost microcar company was established in Brazil. It developed two models, the Obvio! 828 and Obvio! 01. The American market played a major role in their distribution through ZAP. But the death of the designer, whose name played an important role in the deal, led to the impossibility of realizing the grand plan. In 2019, the company was closed, and its businesses were sold or taken over by the government.

Ogle Design

Ogle Design was a small British design company that worked in automotive design. It was founded by David Ogle in 1954 in Letchworth, Hertfordshire, to produce industrial and domestic equipment that was successful with consumers. In 1959, the company began designing automobiles. Its facilities began producing light-duty trucks and cars. After the death of the founder of the SX1000 model in 1962, the new manager closed the production of passenger cars.

Ohta Jidosha

In 1922, Hiro Ohta founded one of the oldest Japanese automobile manufacturers in Tokyo, Japan – Ohta Jidosha Seizosho Co. The Ohta Model OS prototype was built and produced at the time of the company’s founding. The start of the main production of cars was realized only in 1934. In 1935, the brand was renamed Kosoku Kikan Kogyo Co., Ltd. In 1936, the Ohta Model OC was released. In 1937, the Ohta Model OD was released. In 1947, the company became known as Ohta Jidosha Kogyo Co., Ltd. After the war, the company released the PA model, which became known as Tokyo Taxi. Models OE, VK-2, and PK-1 were also produced. In 1957, the brand was closed.

OKA Motor Company

The Australian automotive brand OKA Motor Company from Bibra Lake (Western Australia) was founded in 1986 and is known for its comfortable cabs and bodies mounted on all-terrain vehicle chassis. The company created updated four-wheel drive trucks and touring buses. It created three basic models – XT, LT, and NT- on the basis of which different variants of bodies – single-, double-cab, and multi-cab- were produced for buses. The designer of such a prefabricated vehicle was Alan William Baker. In 2011, the company ceased to exist.

OM

The Italian automobile manufacturing company OM Carrelli Elevatori S.p.A. dates back to 1917 and is based in Milan, Italy. It produces automobiles under the OM Pimespo brand. Until 1933, it was an independent company. The first car of the brand was the Tipo S305 of 1918, created on the basis of the Italian Zust. In 1923, the legendary OM 665 Superba was produced. In 1968, the company was acquired by FIAT and became known as FIAT Carrelli Elevatori. In 2002, the company left the structure of FIAT and reoriented to the production of high-quality lifting and transportation equipment.

OSI

The company OSI or Officine Stampaggi Industriali from Turin (Italy) since 1960 was engaged in the production of bodies created by Luigi Segre and Arrigo Olivetti as a design division of Ghia. During its short existence, the brand, which after Luigi Segre’s death in 1963 could not stay afloat and was completely liquidated in 1968, managed to create several custom models using products from Alfa Romeo, Fiat, and Ford. Among the company’s first products was the 1960 Innocenti 950 Spider body. A modification of the Anglia Torino model created by Ford was widely recognized.

ÖAF

ÖAF, or Österreichische Automobil-Fabrik, was founded in 1907 as Österreichische Austro-Fiat in Floridsdorf (Austria) to produce cars and trucks. Today, this brand is a subsidiary of MAN SE. The brand became famous with a 4-ton truck produced in 1911. The brand received its name Österreichische Automobil-Fabrik in 1925, immediately starting sales of Italian Fiat. The last private car of the brand was Type 1001. In 1925, a light truck AFN was produced, and in 1928 – AF2. In 1929, the Austro-Fiat-1001 bus was produced, and production of passenger cars began. After privatization in 1970, the company was acquired by MAN. In 2001, the brand was renamed MAN Sonderfahrzeuge AG.

Otomo

Junya Toyokawa founded the Otomo automobile company in 1924, which produced experimental cars and power plants at the Hakuyosha Ironworks Ltd. factory. Ales cars with sedan or van bodies and two- and four-seaters were produced under this brand. Mass production of Otomo models provided for the formation of cabins. The models had a wooden frame lined with sheet iron. In 1927, the company became part of Gorham, which was joined by another Japanese automaker. The new company was financed by American aircraft designer William Gorham.

Overland Automobile Company

Overland Automobile Company was an American automobile company founded by Claude Cox in 1903 in Terre Haute, Indiana, United States. After moving to Indianapolis, Indiana, the founder sold his company in 1908 to John North Willis, who renamed the company Willys-Overland in 1912. In 1910, the company created its iconic Overland 42 model, from which Milton Reeves based his eight-wheeled Reeves Octo-Auto. Overlands were produced until 1926 when they were replaced by the Willys Whippet.

Oldsmobile

ODA

Osterreichische Austro-Fiat