Ahh, the decade of the Swingin' Sixties. A time of frenzied innovation and revolutionary development. America launched the pill and sent a man to the Moon, England had Mary Quant's miniskirt and the Beatles, and from Italy emerged some of the sexiest automobile designs ever. 1960s Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Maseratis are iconic arbiters of chic, today highly prized among collectors worldwide, with values for decent examples easily reaching six-digit figures.

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True insiders of the hobby, who covet Italian style but prefer to drive their exotics, worry-free, have discovered classics of another stripe: rare Italo-Amercian hybrids combining breathtaking Italian design with the advantages of a bulletproof American powertrain. Notable contenders include Bizzarrini GT Strada 5300, Iso Rivolta, Grifo, and Lele, Ghia 450SS, and Intermeccanica Griffith, Omega, and Italia.

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Sandwiched between Frank Reisner's Griffith and Torino/Italia models, the high-performance Intermeccanica Omega is as rare as it gets, with only 33 (thirty three) examples completed, ever.

Omega's all steel body was manufacured by the old-world craftsmen at Carozzeria Automobili Intermeccanica in Torino, Italy. Upon completion, it was shipped to none other than NASCAR stalwart Holman Moody in Charlotte, North Carolina, where the drivetrain, consisting of a slightly tweaked high-performance Ford 289 V8 engine, mounted to a 4-speed toploader tranny, was installed. Unbelievably, perhaps, but the first Omegas were completed alongside ten altered wheelbase A/FX Mustangs intended for drag racing's Factory Experimental (F/X) class!

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The car offered here was first titled in 1968. We purchased it from the estate of its second owner, a stylish and adventurous Lady, who had cherished her Omega for 34 years. Among the paperwork we received with the car were applications for both the "Register of Italian Oddities" and the "Shelby Registry".

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When we received the car, it still wore its original, New York Car Show Metallic Orange/Copper paint, but it had faded quite a bit over the years. We decided to have the car refinished in its original hue, with excellent results. It's so refreshing to spot a car wearing its period factory color in a sea of the usual red, black, and silver car show participants. Don your EMILIO PUCCI tie or scarf, hide your eyes behind a pair of PERSOLs, and be a prime contender at the next Concorso Italiano!

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Smooth, crisp body lines have withstood the test of time admirably. Just the fragile chrome bumpers, though still very shiny, exhibit definite signs of age. How many Omegas survived is anybody's guess; we've overheard an expert claim a figure of "less than 10." Unusual when it was new, 42 years after it was manufactured, the Omega is a are bird indeed!
Let's take a closer look now.

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Beneath the Omega's impossibly long bonnet, inside the immaculately clean engine bay, lives a 289 cu.in. Ford V8. Not a garden variety small block, no, this one was specially prepped by the racing engineers at Holman-Moody. We were not able to verify this particular engine, but according to IM history--and the April 1968 Auto Trend road test, a copy of which is included--some Omegas even came with the 289hp "K"-code 289!

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Small, ultra stylish greenhouse wears its original black vinyl top, foreshadowing the later Italia convertible. No open-topped Omegas were ever made.

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The long hood/short deck design philosophy taken to its extreme. Only a Cheetah has wilder proportions. Isn't it interesting how many designers "borrowed" Intermeccanica's visionary design elements over the years? From various Ferrari models to the C3 Corvette and Nissan/Datsun's 240Z, the Apollo-Omega-Italia influence is undeniable!

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Amazingly, this Omega still rolls on its original alloy-steel wheels, made in Italy by Campagnolo--and copied later in the U.S. as "Magnum 500s." Tires are brand new radials of the correct size 195/70-14 all around.

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Another highlight of the Omega is its incredible cockpit. Nicer even than most contemporary Italian competitors, and certainly head and shoulders above the watered-down look of the later IM Italias, the stunningly executed dash layout is a pure pleasure to behold.

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A plethora of large, black-dialed, aircraft style JAEGER gauges with delicate white pointers dominate the leather-covered dash, framed by the original, wood-and-aluminum PERSONAL steering wheel.

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A trio of period green stripe Stewart-Warners was added by Holman Moody. Note KOOLAIRE air conditioning controls. (The system is complete, but we have not tested it for functionality.) Very tastefully, the AM/FM radio was factory-installed inside the glove compartment. It still works!

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Interior is 100% original, displaying a rich patina, and we decided to leave it alone, since it would be irreplacable. Wonderfully aged leather with fabric inserts abounds, Italian carpeting and a stained fabric headliner complete the picture.

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Beautifully patinated original "buffalo-style" leather seats have the look of Howard Hughes's antique flight jacket.

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All of the lights work, including the license plate lights and the beautifully shaped backup lamp. Most, if not all of the Omega's accoutrements were outsourced from mass-produced automobiles; parts are relatively easy and inexpensively to obtain, which holds true for all driveline parts as well. Oh, the joys of owning a hybrid!

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Nicely sized trunk is fully covered with salt-and-pepper carpeting and holds a matching spare rim with ancient tire.

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However, the most important area to inspect on a 40-something, coachbuilt Italian classic is the undercarriage. Rust prevention was marginal at best and the structural integrity of many hand-built Italian cars can greatly suffer as a result.
This example can present its underbelly with pride; it shows no signs of corrosion needing attention anytime soon. We doubt the car has ever been driven during the winter months.

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So, what's it like to drive the automobile equivalent of Fabio in today's traffic?
We were about to find out when we headed out on our traditional test drive, starting at our showroom in sunny San Buenaventura, cruising along the Coast to Channel Islands Harbor and finishing with some spirited freeway driving. The car starts instantly, idles smoothly--on occasion, there is a bit of smoke when it's cold, due perhaps to aged valve seals--and runs very strongly. Combined with the wonderful 4-speed toploader transmission, it propels the car to impressive speeds, indeed, far beyond the legal Calfiornia speed limits. Suspension is taut, steering precise, and the disc brakes are very good, indeed (we just had the master cylinder and the brake servo completely rebuilt--all parts were available "off the shelf").

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The car is a joy to drive, running cool, with a great-sounding dual exhaust system. It does not display any untoward traits at all, with the exception of a recalcitrant speedometer needle, perhaps. Note S-W vacuum meter inside super rare original housing atop the dash.

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Returning home, we are utterly impressed by Reisner's early masterpiece, the Omega. Not only can this car be driven on a daily basis, it can be proudly exhibited at car shows, where it will always be a conversation piece of the first order.

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If you have been lusting after a classic 1960s Italian exotics but were afraid of their exorbitant cost and inherent service headaches, the U.S.-motivated Omega may be just your ticket to happiness. Even at Italian-only car shows, it's not likely you'll ever see another one. Ultimate exclusivity paired with service friendliness is what makes the Omega so special.
We predict an almost unlimited appreciation potential for this model, a true 1960s Italian coach-built sports car, as more and more enthusiasts become aware of its unique qualities and historical significance.