In the early 1980s, the OTO Melara company developed a new armored car, called the OTO R 2.5 “Gorgona”. Investing heavily into research and development efforts, OTO Melara continued developing the design into a “Special Task Vehicle” as part of a private venture.

The resulting OTO R3, nicknamed in production as “Capraia” was first shown off at the Italian Naval Exhibition in Genoa in 1982. The new vehicle received increased armor protection around its body, protecting the crew from rifle caliber fire and shrapnel. Furthermore, the vehicle could be armed with various weaponry, ranging from MGs, over cannons to ATGMs, depending on the version.

Despite their very promising and versatile design, this family of combat vehicles were only built and used in very limited numbers.