The OM Taurus was a medium-weight truck that served with the Italian Army in the Second World War. It was built from 1939 to 1950 and was closely modelled on the larger OM Ursus.
OM Taurus at a glance
| Maker | Officine Meccaniche (OM), Brescia |
|---|---|
| Production | 1939–1950 |
| Class | medium truck |
| Gross weight | 6.5 tonnes |
| Payload | about 3 tonnes |
| Related model | OM Ursus |
| Pre-war cab | behind the engine |
| 1950s cab | forward control, above the engine |
| Military use | Regio Esercito in the Second World War |
This article is based on one short Italian Wikipedia page, the only source used. No free photograph of the Taurus is available, so the page keeps the old cover image.
History of the OM Taurus
OM built the Taurus as a medium truck in the late 1930s, alongside the larger Ursus, which it closely resembled. The vehicle carried 6.5 tonnes gross and about three tonnes of payload, and it was supplied to the Italian Army during the Second World War.
In its pre-war form the Taurus had a rear-mounted cab, with the driver sitting behind the engine. After the war the model was presented again under the same name with a forward-control cab, the driver now sitting directly above the engine.
Design and features
- Medium weight: 6.5 tonnes gross and about three tonnes of payload.
- Ursus relationship: very similar to the larger OM Ursus.
- Two cab layouts: rear-mounted before the war, forward control in the 1950s version.
OM Taurus versions
- Taurus (pre-war): rear-mounted cab.
- Taurus (1950s): forward-control cab.
The OM Tigre of 1958 replaced the later Super Taurus; the army’s mountain vehicle of the same years was the OM Autocarretta. More vehicles are in the OM collection.
Sources
- OM Taurus, Italian Wikipedia: production, weights, cab types, military use
