In 1971 Fiat Veicoli Industriali reorganised its truck ranges and replaced OM’s animal names with numbers. The OM 40, 50, 55, 65, 75, 100, 110, 120, 150, 160, 180 and 190 were the result: the same trucks under a simpler naming scheme.
OM numeric series at a glance
| Maker | Officine Meccaniche (OM), Fiat group |
|---|---|
| Introduced | 1971 |
| Naming | a number for payload and engine size |
| Models | OM 40, 50, 55, 65, 70, 75, 80, 90, 100, 110, 120, 130, 150, 160, 170, 180, 190 |
| First models | the heavy OM 100 and OM 190 |
| Grille | OM badge moved to the centre of the grille |
| Restyle | smaller rectangular grille above the bumper |
| Other badges | Fiat, Unic and Magirus |
| Second series | mid-1970s, squarer cab |
| Police use | OM 55 13 and 55 14 armoured vans |
The Italian Wikipedia article covers the whole numeric range on one page, so this article groups the OM 40, 50, 55, 65, 75, 100, 110, 120, 150, 160 and 180 records of the collection.
History of the OM numeric series
Why the numbers appeared
After the Second World War OM’s trucks carried animal names: Leoncino, Tigrotto, Tigre, Lupetto, Cerbiatto, Daino and Orsetto. In 1971, as part of a reorganisation of the whole commercial-vehicle division of Fiat Veicoli Industriali, those names began to be replaced by simple numbers that distinguished payload and engine. The new trucks looked much like their predecessors, except that the OM badge moved to the centre of the grille instead of sitting outside it at the top.
The series was opened by the heaviest models, the OM 100 and OM 190. A few years later it was restructured with a new, much smaller rectangular grille placed low above the bumper. The range was then limited to the OM 100 and sold under several group badges: OM, Fiat, Unic and Magirus. A second series, from the second half of the 1970s, brought a squarer cab and a further restyled grille.
The OM 55 and the police
The version known as the OM 55-13, later the 55-14, was used as an armoured van by Italian police forces from the 1970s, replacing older equipment and later giving way to the Iveco Daily, Iveco VM 90 and Iveco RG-12. The OM 55 served for many years with the Carabinieri, the Polizia di Stato, the Guardia di Finanza and the prison service. Because OM had joined Fiat and then, in 1975, the new Iveco, many examples carry Iveco badges and the designations Iveco A 55 F 13 or A 55 F 14. Some can still be found in barracks awaiting disposal.
Design and features
- Simple names: a number for payload and engine replaced the animal names.
- Familiar shape: the same cab as the previous generation, with the OM badge moved to the grille centre.
- Shared badges: sold as OM, Fiat, Unic and Magirus.
- Police work: the OM 55 became a long-serving armoured van.
OM numeric series versions
- OM 40, 50 and 55: the light end of the range.
- OM 65 and 75: successors to the Leoncino and Lupetto segment.
- OM 100 and 190: the heavy models that opened the series.
- OM 55-13 and 55-14: armoured vans for the Italian police.
- Second series: the mid-1970s trucks with a squarer cab.
The numbers replaced trucks such as the OM Leoncino, OM Lupetto and OM Tigrotto. More vehicles are in the OM collection.
Sources
- OM serie numerica, Italian Wikipedia: naming, models, restyling, OM 55 police use
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