Maserati: In Search of the Road Cars

By S. Scott Callan

VELOCITY GROUP

All Rights Reserved 2012 ­ 2014

2 INTRODUCTION well placed. The FE was neither a spindly and anemic voiturette, nor merely a reduction of IF’s 8­liter, side­ valve, chain driven cars. It was an en­ tirely new category of car. Its chassis was Our focus here is on the road cars that light, but constructed in the robust Ital­ were to take Maserati to the public. It’s a ian manner. It’s engine was a single over­ classic redemption tale. From its compe­ head cam design, displacing 1208cc with tition focus and foundation it ascended shaft drive. With fenders and lights, a the international automotive firmament. road car, without, a racer. Its style & performance established a It is this latter sentence that defines the mythic reputation on the road, the cars to come from the young man at the printed page and in conversation. Fifty controls. Cars that went from circuit to years on, as the industrial sector shud­ road, pit to garage, with a swiftness that dered, factors external and internal left little time to reshape engineering or weighted its descent. And with the new temperament. To stand next to an early Century, resurrection. sixties 3500 coupe idling is visceral me­ As all industrial tales it is a complexity chanical intensity that soon has you rub­ of characters and event, engineering and bing the hairs on your arm as if they style, manufacturing and capital. have become possessed by static electric­ Recently I came across an old photo­ ity. Many drivers boast of being pressed graph that presages this story. It is a shot into their seat on clutch lift and throttle of Alfieri Maserati sitting at the controls drop. Whether at fisted grip of a twin of an Isotta Fraschini EF in Argentina. plug six or quad cam eight, the comment It’s tagged as having been taken at a is made real, memorable. commercial exhibition in 1911. Here we will tell our story through the The car, Isotta Fraschini’s FE, is con­ experience of ownership. Taking the sidered by many to have been the first reader on this journey, in search of the sports car. This automotive definition is road cars.

4 5 were the Ruggeri brothers out of Milan. taken with it. And later that same year, he Chapter One And, you know, so the whole thing is all was at a, at the Monaco auction, and saw major Italian racing thinking and so forth the Michelotti sketch. The Michelotti An tied together. But this car was a one­off de­ sketch was being auctioned off. And he signed to be a spectacular showpiece by bought it and sent it to me.” Vignale, built by Vignale, but designed by “ Really, of what car was the sketch?” I A6 Michelotti.” asked putting the Antione’s Ferrari book EMERGES “ Now, so this is a case of Guglielmo Dei back omn the shelf. The phone on the deck came to life. I know, mid­year 1950, and completed, I ac­ ordering the rolling chassis and taking it “ Of mine.” reached over and hit the record button in tually have the build sheet somewhere, over to Vignale and contracting Vignale “Oh, you’re kidding? Really? Paul.” case it was Paul. No caller ID on this old not in front of me, so when we, before we himself, correct?” “ Yeah, the design sketch.” Western Electric touch tone. get there, I’ll get you that too, but built for “Correct. And I don’t know which one “Oh, how fantastic.” “Good afternoon.” intent to be the display car at the 1951 of them hired Michelotti, but this was the “ And you can use that. You know, I’ll “Hey, Scott, this is Paul.” Paris auto show, the feature on Maserati’s first of the Michelotti design executions of make you a copy, and we can use it if you “Hey, Paul.” stand. And in typical Maserati fashion, which he did quite a few for . . .” want to . . .” “I tried to call you a little while ago, but they persuaded a customer to foot the bill, “ Really? Was it?” “ Oh, please. Absolutely.” it wouldn’t go through. So here I am.” the customer’s name being…I’ll think of “ Well, he had built a couple 212 Fer­ “ And on the envelope, in Michelotti’s “ Oh, okay. Great. Yeah, I, it was prob­ it. Oh, here. I’ve got his name.” raris, and a 166…” writing, it said Maserati A6G, you know, ably when I was trying to call you to see if “ Wasn’t it Simone, the French distribu­ “ Oh, yeah.” I replied, reaching behind November 1950 or whatever it is. And I had, I was supposed to have called you.” tor?” me to the bookshelf for Prunet’s book on then a line underneath it says in later writ­ (laughter) “ No, this was built for Guglielmo Dei, the Ferrari road cars. I was curious about ing, dash, Cunningham 1953. (laughter) “Well, one way or the other, we are in on order from Guglielmo Dei.” date and design. And, of course, for the Cunningham, it was contact.” “ Oh, right.” “ 166 and 212s (Ferrari) were similar, not built on a much larger scale.” “Okay. Very good. So, you know, let’s “ Guglielmo Dei was the long­time all exactly the same, but similar. And then “It had to be, yeah.” go back. Tell me a little bit. Where shall Maserati associate. He had a car dealer­ the last major use of it was as the Cunning­ “ Built on the, you know, for the big we start, in the beginning when you saw ship in Rome. He also was the backer of ham. Chrysler. But the guy who paid, who it on the street, or where do you want to the Centro Sud racing team.” “I actually have an original Michelotti ended up the customer for it, and let me start telling me about it?” “ Exactly, yeah.” Scotch, sketch. I could use a scotch, think of his name, Marcel Schwob dʹHeri­ “ Well, let me identify it first. We’re “ And he was the talk and the power (laughter) but I have a sketch that was sent court, and I have, he was a Parisian of Ar­ going to talk about Maserati A6G 2000, behind the development of the 4CL final to me. Mick Walsh, the editor of Purebred gentine or Brazilian business association, variously described as an A6G 2000, version with the two­stage supercharger and Classic, I guess it is, the British sports but he lived in Paris, and in the original A6GCS, A6 or 2000 GT, car number 2031. also for the customer. And the customer car magazine, saw 2031 when it was on order book it lists Marcel Schwob dʹHeri­ “2031 was laid down in, oh, I don’t also with heavy engineering involvement display in Pebble Beach and was quite court, Paris at, dash, either Rio or Buenos

6 7 Aires. I can’t remember. I’ll have to look lot, indiscriminate lot with a chain link sion on what the settlement will be regard­ “The…and I didn’t know anything about at the sheet. fence around it full of wrecked cars, but ing the Maserati, and we haven’t turned in the car at the moment. I mean, I recog­ “So the car was used at the Paris auto with no business office or anything there, the title yet, so it’s not a salvage sale. But nized the significance…recognized it was a show, and then Hericourt, working with just a lot. And several rows back in the, we need to get it taken care of right away. Vignale body… but the, it had the Maserati Maserati test driver Albertini, or Maserati among the wrecked cars, I observed the He said if you’d like to come over and emblems on it, but the entire driveline had factory driver Albertini, I always hesitate three­quarter, upper, three­quarter, rear look, I can meet you whatever day. been removed, and it had been American­ to say factory, because the Maserati fac­ view of this body. And I knew it was “So I juggled my schedule around and ized with a Shelby type approach to a tory at that time was about 2,000 square something exotic Italian, but I couldn’t tell went over there to meet him. And we Ford, small block, V8, Ford transmission, feet. what it was. went in, and the car, you know, had been Ford rear end. And, anyway . . . (laughter) “So I made a notation of location, came sitting outdoors for several years with bad “And that was all still in it?” “ Yes, I hesitate using the word indus­ back a couple days later and crawled impact damage front and major impact “ That was all still in it. And so the guy trial.” around. There was nobody there, and the damage rear, driver’s window down or was…not the easiest person to deal with, “ Right.” You could still hear the Irish neighboring businesses said that they partly down, and so forth, somewhat the the adjuster. And I said, you know, I might humour in Paul’s voice. “Anyway, well, thought the lot was used by State Farm worse for weather and wear.” be interested in buying it. What kind of a the Orsi’s did have the big industrial com­ Insurance Company as a storage area for “ What color was it at that time?” price? So on and so forth. And he said, plex, but it wasn’t for building the cars. long�term storage of cars, because they “It, at that time, the car was dark blue well, he said, we’ve written it off and so Anyway, Hericourt and Albertini ran the said stuff would come in and out or occa­ and badly oxidized paint and crushed forth, he said, so make me an offer. So I car in the 1953 Tour de France, bearing sionally but very rarely moved around. back through the wheel well on the left did. I offered him $300, and he countered number, entry number 40 and DNF’ed. “So I started making phone calls, and, front fender and really whacked on the left at $325. And from the factory records it appears yes, it was State Farm Insurance. And it rear up to the wheel well. It had cracked (laughter) that they had a close encounter of the first took me several days of calling different the broken left rear wheel and broken the “And he said, ‘well, yeah’, he said, ‘but kind with something, because after the people to find out anybody who knew axle mounts loose from the frame and you have to bring me cash or a cashier’s Tour de France, the car went back to the anything. I finally got to their claims su­ buckled the frame. check’. And he said ‘the car has to be out factory for a very expensive and extensive pervisor, who acknowledged, yes, that “And I got into the discussion with the of here by the end of the week’. rebuild. was for cars that were tied up in long­ guy about what it was and so forth. And “This was, I don’t know, probably “Anyway, and I first encountered the term litigation and stashed. And I de­ he said they had been trying for several lunchtime on a Tuesday or something. So I car a long time ago…in the ‘70s, while scribed what I’d seen. And he said, oh, years to reach a settlement with owner, was running a pretty good sized business traveling through Los Angeles on my way that’s probably the Maserati that’s been and even to the point of I think somebody operation at the time under very intense to a business meeting and riding as a pas­ sitting in there for a couple years. from some organization, some facility in circumstances. And I was trying to think senger with a couple other business guys, “And I asked him, without getting too Italy that bid on repairing the car and talk­ how the hell I was going to find the time. driving through East Los Angeles on eager, if any of the cars in that lot were for ing to people in the U.S. also about repair­ But, anyway, I plotted and looked at the Washington Boulevard. sale. And he said, well, usually not. But ing it, and finally agreed to write it off as a car. I thought about it a bit and so forth, “Being a confirmed car nut, I noticed a he said we just finished reaching a deci­ total for the guy. and said, okay. I said if you meet me here

8 9 or have somebody meet me here mid­day he could let me into the yard, and he’d on Thursday or late morning on Thurs­ have to lock the yard, and he’d come back day, then I’ll make the arrangements to later in the afternoon. He said ‘where is get it out, I said, because you’ll have to your truck and trailer?’ I said, ‘oh, they’re move some of these other cars. He said coming later’, so . . .” ‘okay, but you have to bring your own “Is that you laughing, I hear, Paul?” I help and trailer. We can’t really load it on knew that laugh. It was the ‘yeah, sure, the trailer for you’. the guys with the truck will be here…’ I “So I went home and made out my tool could see Paul, back then in the seventies, list, which included a few battery pow­ at that lot, deceptively, possibly self de­ ered power tools, a porta power, hy­ ceptively, raising his wrist to look at his draulic porta power, chains and clamps watch.” and so forth. I had taken the spare wheel, “Yeah,” he said still chuckling. “So the yeah, the spare wheel was still there. So I left rear fender was completely crushed got a tire put on it, brought an air bottle up into the left rear wheel well, and the with me, and ether, gasoline, water, and wheel was broken, as I said, and the axle so forth. broken off the frame, the frame buckled. “Interestingly, when it was hit in the But that, you know, three­inch steel tube front, the impact crushed the fender, left was all that the frame was. So I clamped front fender back to about the middle of the porta power on the frame. the wheel well. But because the car was “Well, first I took a skill saw, a battery­ very light, malleable aluminum and little, powered skill saw, and I whacked off the tiny, spaghetti­frame tubes, other than the crushed left­rear fender, cut it up the mid­ mainframe tubes, which were about dle of the wheel well and back down the three­inch metric, or whatever, the metric main body line, put some wooden blocks . . . three­inch horizontal tubes for the in against the body on the rear, inside of mainframe. But, anyway, the radiator the rear, pushed the main body shell back was pushed out of place, but it wasn’t out to somewhere near its original posi­ punctured. tion, then put the porta power on the “Amazing.” frame, straightened the frame to the point “So I came back. Oh, and I brought a where I could hang the axle assembly battery. I got over there about 11:00 on back in its original location. Thursday, and the guy was there. He said “But the welds at the location for the

10 frame tie down and frame mounting and back and forth until, oh, about 3:00, laughter told all you needed to know over it to keep people from paying too so forth were broken. So I Mickey pulled it up to the gate of the yard, and about his own surprise that he pulled it much attention to it and questioning my Mouse’d a chain suspension for the left put my tools back in the trunk of my busi­ off. And the joy of potentially pissing this sanity and started doing my research on it. side to hold the rear end up, replaced the ness car, which I left parked on the curb guy off. “And so…most of the current books on broken spring mount bolts. The spring it­ in East L.A., which in itself was a fairly “And the guy is looking at me, and he Maserati that you can now obtain weren’t self hadn’t broken. It had flexed, and it risky deal. kind of walked around the car and looks at available at the time. I think the only de­ had broken the shackle springs and so (laughter) it, cursing in really creative obscenities, cent book I found initially was the old forth. And rehung the rear, put hydraulic “Yes, it was. And it was still there?” and he said ‘I’ll be a *%$@&$#!” He said Floyd Clymer Maserati book on the A6. fluid in the brake systems, bled the “It was still there when I came back. ‘everybody told us this thing couldn’t be And…ummm…then Tony Hogg was then brakes, which held. So, the guy came back, and there’s the car. repaired’. He said ‘how the hell did you the editor of Road and Track, and he was “Unbelievable.” You know, it wasn’t running, when he do this?’ (laughter) something of a Ferrari aficionado. And “And all four wheels turned. Put the came back, but it was pushed up to the “Anyway, so at the time I was living in they had done a couple feature articles on wheel, the spare wheel that I, which I gate. And he kind of grunts and hops and Glendora, California, out by Arcadia in the Maserati. A guy named Bill Cheseboro, thought of it, you know, back in the some­ so forth and said ‘have you got the San Gabriel Valley, which is probably, I Cheseboro or Cheeseburg was the main what vacant area that had been the wheel money?’ I said, ‘yeah, have you got the don’t know, about 40 miles, 45 miles. Road and Track photographer in the early well, and then addressed the front and paperwork?’ So he gave me an envelope “Oh, yeah, 45 miles of really empty days, from maybe 1948 or whenever it was did the same thing with the front frame­ with the original pink slip and so forth, stretches of road.” they started until well into the ‘50s. And work and took out the dent in the front. and the paperwork from the company, “Yeah…” then he bought an A6 Pinin Farina coupe, So I pushed the front roughly back in but it was still in the name of the guy who (laughter) and they ran a couple feature articles on it place, cut a cardboard disk and taped it in had been the owner, had the accident. “So I took the front license plate off my and so forth. place for the headlight and driving light “Oh, it also had the details of the acci­ business car and fastened it to the rear of “So I contacted Tony at home to ask him that were supposed to be…so it wouldn’t dent. The car had been parked at the curb the car, because the license plate was miss­ about the, if they had any other informa­ look too obnoxious. Put the battery in it, over in North Hollywood, right around ing at that point, and drove it home.” tion on the early Maseratis. And he said, refastened the radiator hoses that had the corner from where today AutoBooks, “Oh, God.” ‘yeah’. He said ‘we’ve got a, we did a been pulled loose, put coolant in it, AeroBooks near the Burbank studio has cover feature and article on a really beauti­ turned it over, played with it a little bit, their location. And the guy who had “And, anyway, and I took a few pictures ful one­off Maserati in November 1951’. and got it to fire up.” owned it was an engineer at Lockheed. of it after I had worked on it, because I still And he said ‘I’ll send you a copy of the “Unbelievable.” Hearing this I was “Anyway, so he said, ‘well, when is have some pictures that show kind of it, magazine and the file archived photos that laughing under my breath from a knowl­ your truck going to get here? I can’t wait you know, in the carved up condition that I we’ve got on it that we used for preparing edge and appreciation of Paul’s sense of very long’. And I said, ‘oh, that’s okayʹ. I had when I saw it. Anyway, so then I put the article’. And what showed up was my detail: In the middle of all of this, to cut said ‘just open the gate, and I’ll take it it, stuffed it in my garage. Of course, I had car, pictures of my car in its original condi­ out faux cardboard lights. out’. a nice three­car garage at the time. I tion. “And so I continued to tinker with it “And I got in it, fired it up.” Paul’s stuffed it in the corner and put a car cover “And he was unaware that you actually

12 13 had the car at the time in the conversa­ Varzi and Nuvolari and later with just parts like water pumps and manifolds and got people out there looking for A6 parts. tion?” about any Italian named driver you can other things I was missing. Well, actually, “In the records that I got from Bertocchi, “At that point, he didn’t know I had the think of and Moss and so forth. And he that came later, because I hadn’t found the I learned that this car was unique in a lot car.” was also reputed to be an absolutely in­ engine yet. of ways in that it was built at the same “How incredibly generous of him.” credible driver himself, having made a “A couple weeks after him telling me time as the very first A6GCM, which is the “Tony was a nice guy. He really was. point of always trying to beat the world’s that he couldn’t send me any of the mate­ car that, with a few modifications, became He, unfortunately, died very young, I leading driver on test times on any track rial, the boxes and letters started coming the 250F. And the very first A6GCM is car mean, around 50 or so of a heart attack in when they tested a Maserati, including with everything that I’d asked for. number 2032. It was sold to Froilan or to the L.A. or San Francisco airport. beating Stirling Moss’s time in Modena in (laughter) the Argentine Sports Car Club for Froilan “Oh?” a 250F. “But never signed!” Gonzalez. “While still senior editor of Road and “Anyway, so I wrote to him, and, sur­ (laughter) “so the engine in my car, it turned out Track. prisingly, I just told him, you know, what “Anyway, so at the same time that I later, was…essentially the same block and “Anyway, so then I started digging fur­ the situation was, that I had acquired this started putting out the feelers through the components as used in the A6GCM. And ther, and I did my research on Maserati, car that was disemboweled, and I was try­ Maserati club and anybody and everybody the A6GCM was given a twin cam head, which was then in great trouble but still ing to do research on its originality, I who might know anything or be exposed and mine was the last car built with a sin­ alive. It had just gone…It was going mean, the origins, I guess, is the word, to information about early Maseratis, and I gle cam head, a single cam configuration. through the Citroen ownership and out, and anything I could find. talked to everybody from Strother McMinn “Here, Paul, let me flip this over. Hold in and out and so forth. But I learned that “He responded right away, which sur­ to what’s Joel’s last name? Joel . . .” on.” I clicked the release on the old Guerrino Bertocchi was really the guy prised me. Sometimes his letters were in “Oh . . .” Marantz and flipped over the tape, who had been the plant manager, I use Italian, but that was okay. He started “The 4CLT expert…” punched play & record to get back to the term plant loosely, chief test driver, sending me stuff and…was so helpful “Yes, I’ll think of it in a second…” where we were. chief racecar prep person, authority, and that we would get into this further devel­ “Me too, in a minute. Connecticut­ “ Anyway, in those years, I was a really ran everything except the public opment of this, and we started talking based. In fact, at about that time . . .” whirling dervish of travel, bouncing all face of the business. about 2003 and 2024 A6 cars later. “Joel Finn.” over the world and on business, so I con­ “So I read up on Bertocchi, who also, it “But, anyway, he sent me blueprints. “Hmm?” tacted Maserati clubs, Maserati owners, turns out, is the world’s, was, he died, he “Well, this is also a funny story. And “Joel Finn.” everywhere I went, and in the course of was the guy that, he rode, he prepared the when I wrote and talked to him also “Joel Finn, yeah. I talked to Joel Finn, my travels acquired miscellaneous miss­ cars and then rode as a passenger in every about this he said, well, he said he talked to HMSA, Steve Earl, and a half ing, small pieces in England and France Mille Miglia, in the whole history of the couldn’t legally get me the original blue­ dozen other people who had early Maser­ and Italy, in South America, in Australia, Mille Miglia, from 1927 until, when was print, the factory records and so forth, be­ atis of other varieties. And at that point and various locations around the U.S. de Portago’s accident, ’57? cause, technically, they belonged to the nobody knew much of anything about this “Things like the missing headlight, “Hell of a record.” company or to the Orsis. But, he said, he car…like nothing. But I got a lot of other which turned out to be an oddball Marchal “It was. So he rode as a passenger with had blueprints for some of the component miscellaneous Maserati information, and I number, and I actually found a matching

14 15 headlight in Australia…on…what car was look’. there, sticking out of the ground where the have water in the, you know, there were no it on? It was on a Simca, a little 1.5 or 1.4 “So I promptly developed a business bulldozer had just made a pass was the manifolds on it, so there had been some liter Simca coupe.” reason to be in Los Angeles a day or two corner, buried, you know, like a two­inch moisture exposure. But, anyway, I got it “Yeah, that would make perfect sense.” later (laughter) and flew to L.A. and exposed area, of what appeared to be the out of there, and I was very willing to give “And it had the right number and the drove out there. And, yes, the wrecking rounded, front edge cam cover of a the guy the $200 he wanted for it.” right headlight ring, so . . .” yard was going out of business. The cars Maserati A6G single overhead cam cover. “As fast as possible.” “Really, the right headlight ring as were all out of the yard, and there were So I went back to his office, got a shovel, “As fast as possible, yeah.” well?” bulldozers and other grading equipment and did my own excavation, and that was (laughter) “Yeah, and eventually, through my in there, cleaning the property. the engine.” “Anyway, so . . .” wide range of contacts, a guy in Southern “There was one little office facility. I (laughter) “What kind of condition did the engine California that I knew, by the name of went in and introduced myself, and the “And the engine had been, according to turn out to be in?” Mike Arnold, who at that time was man­ very elderly guy who had been the owner his records, traded in when somebody, it “Remarkably good. The rings were all ager of a, I can’t remember the name of was still there. And I asked him about it, turned out it was the engineer who owned seized. The pistons, there was no electrol­ the yard, but he was manager of a good­ about the Maserati parts that he had the car, the car of the accident, from Lock­ ysis in the cylinders, so the pistons were all sized, sophisticated, foreign wrecking listed, and he said, ‘Well, there’s, come on heed. But he had used it as his core when good. And, interestingly, there was virtu­ yard, foreign car wrecking yard in Azusa, back’. He said, ‘Right over here I’ll show he acquired a Ford 289 complete engine in, ally no wear in the motor, I mean, no ring California, and a confirmed car nut, basi­ you. There’s this motor, here’. somewhere in the late 60’s. And, anyway, ridge, maybe 2/1000, 1.5/1000 ring ridge, cally a Alfa Lancia guy, and I have helped “So I went over and looked, and the so I excavated the motor, in a state of high and not bad.” him with several of his cars. So he was motor that he had there was a 3500 GT excitement, (laughter) and I can’t remem­ “Incredible.” pretty thorough about passing on infor­ motor and 3500 GT parts. And I said, ber how the hell I got it out of there, but I “And the crankshaft was in good shape, mation about any leads. ‘Oh, well’, another, you know, dead end. carried it out and put it in the trunk of my no corrosion on the bearing surfaces and “And I think at that time I was mainly And he said, ‘Well, you know, we had car . . .” so forth. Anyway, so I tore the engine officing in New York, and he called me another Maserati motor here for years “Was the tranny attached to it still?” It down and did my best in preserving one day, and he said ‘there’s a, through that nobody seemed to recognize’. ‘And,’ reads like some Rafael, with an archangel things, dug out the corroded rings, and my wrecking yard contacts, I just learned he said, ‘we finally put it out on the scrap pointing to the just graded ground, behind took one of the pistons down to Grant’s that the place that was called AAA Wreck­ metal pile, because nobody wanted it’. I the bulldozer, beneath the amber rusting Piston Ring Company, which was then in ing on Riverside Drive in North Holly­ said, ‘Well, can I go look at that?’ And he LA sky. Anaheim, and with the dimensions, had wood is going out of business, and in the said, ‘well, most of the scrap metal stuff is “No tranny, and because it had been them make me a new set of rings for it, list of parts that are available to other gone, but they haven’t excavated yet the buried underground for years, the magne­ and continued my research on it.” yards for cleanup materials, it says there area, because some of it was buried’. sium pan and miscellaneous other magne­ “Um­hmm.” I’m certain my smile at the are some early, unusual Maserati parts’. “So I went out in the yard where he sium, external castings were all pretty pleasure of this, in all its improbable real­ And he said ‘I can’t get over there myself showed me the scrap metal pile had been. much turned to powder. And, anyway, but ity, was probably audible to look at it. You may want to go take a And I’m walking around looking, and it was still very oily. It didn’t appear to “I got back in touch with Bertocchi about

16 17 the, any additional parts that they had, you go through the various Maserati he said they decided it was too ugly to live. had to take the seats out. and eventually assembled all of the com­ books, I can tell you which book, I don’t (laughter) So they sacrificed it to the extent “And what Bertocchi said was that they ponents, original components, and put have it here in front of me but . . .” that they removed that body that shows in built it to the FIA rulebook so that they the thing together. “Well, I’ve got Orsini’s book open in Orsini’s book, shortened the frame from could run it as a formula car and as a “So it was absolutely matching across front of me.” 101 inches or whatever it was to 92 inches sports car. And the rulebook said it had to the board then?” “Okay. Do you have the Richard and built the first Montefaro out of that have a door and a spare tire and two seats, “It had the number stamped on it. Krump book of Maserati competition frame. And Fantuzzi was then working but usable. (laughter) So, anyway, so . . . “Then in the course of the communica­ cars?” for, no, he was still independent, but he was working on three . . . you know, what tion back and forth with Bertocchi, I also “No, I don’t.” built the body. Sorry. happened . . .” saw some other pictures of one of the “Okay. But in it . . .” “Oh, yeah, because Fantuzzi was the ap­ “Paul, are you there? I’m losing you.” other early cars. Oh, one of the people “Because I’m looking at serial number prentice for the origi­ Cell phones have become who helped me then with information on 2003 in the Orsini book, and it refers to a nal body guy at the bain of these conver­ the car, two people that helped me were works car of 1947, Modena with coupe Maserati in the early sations. The sound i s Ivan Zaremba from Phil Reilly & Com­ body.” days, dating back to tinny and you can walk pany, who had a A6, and he had the A6 “Yeah, okay. Perfect. That car was built the Type 26, for good­ out of the room and lose Zagato coupe, later series, twin cam. And for Villoresi for the 1947 Mille Miglia. ness sake, yeah. an entire train of thought. Sid Colberg, who had the A6 Montefaro, And he raced it in that and in a couple “Right. So and I “I’m here. Are you I’ll think of the number of his car. It’s in­ other events. It DNF’d in the Mille. They don’t know if that there?” cidental at this point. brought the car back to the factory. This book shows the pic­ “Paul? Yeah, I was, I “But, anyway, I saw a picture that was also at the time that the Orsi opera­ ture. In at least one of lost you there, the whole Maserati had of another Montefaro that tion and Maserati were tied up in the the books there’s a pic­ last paragraph, I think, of was different than Sid’s, and, I mean, a post­WWII communist riots, and there ture taken from three­ what you said. pretty car, more maybe analogous with a were actually some shootings. I think quarter rear above the “Can you hear me now 4CLT configuration. And so I asked him Ugo Gobbato was the head of, four­time car and a couple other better?” what it was and why there weren’t any head of Alfa, was executed, and there pictures that show the configuration. And “No.” other pictures of it. And he said that that were some shootings at Maserati. The if you remember, the other Montefaros “Are you there?” was 2, I think the number is 2003, and he plant was shut down for a while. And it have a fairly low rear deck. They have a “Okay. There. You’re good now.” said, I have to confirm all this back on my was in the middle of all that that the big round opening and cover for the spare “Okay. Anyway, so he said in the midst notes, he said the, it was the very first of Maserati brothers packed their bags and tire and so forth. In the first one, there’s no of all this, and this might be in your Orsini the Montefaros, even though there were moved down the street and opened Osca. opening for the spare tire, just a little ac­ book, they sold the car to a privateer from two cars built immediately after it that “Um­hmm.” cess panel, so you could reach in and undo Syracuse, from Sicily, and the name of the carried number 01 and 02. But he said “Anyway, they took 003 back and de­ the knockoff, which held the tire in place. guy is in one of the books. It’s either in, let this car was built first as a coupe. And if cided that, this was Bertocchi’s statement, But then to get the spare tire out of it, you me see where.”

18 19 “Are you talking about Nicola Mus ­ put in a deDion transaxle, deDion assem­ things from, you know, 12 transmissions “ It’s a good start.” meci?” bly with transaxle, and eventually en­ for a ’36 LaSalle and things like that. And “ It was a good start. And, anyway . . . at “What is, who is he?” larged the motor to 2.5 liter, which is, and there, sitting on the shelf, is a wooden box that time, I had occasional help from my “He’s the guy that bought it from the it became the 250F. So these things are all with the Maserati logo on it and shipping brother, Louis, my late brother, Louis, who works in 1948.” really closely tied together. tag. was a pretty talented guy. And he helped “Okay. Yeah, that’s it. Right. In fact, “Anyway, I was so intrigued, but I’m “I didn’t even open the box, now that I me do various things, rough shape the do me a favor and write down that name still working on 2031, continuing to chase think about it, but I just, because the tag on body and so forth. And then . . . and e­mail it to me, because I have to look things. My friend, Mr. Arnold, still work­ the outside of the box showed that it had “Now when you say rough shape the it up too. But, anyway, he was the origi­ ing the communication network of wreck­ been in the shop since . . . I’m trying to re­ body, were you actually trying to preserve nal owner. He bought the car. The ing yards, called me again in New York. member what, like ’58, ’59, somewhere like the original panels? Weren’t they com­ Maserati brothers had left. The car is sit­ This is about a year later. And he said that, and it had been sent in by Bob Estes, pletely crushed?” ting there. Bertocchi is running the opera­ there’s a wrecking…no, there’s a transmis­ actually under the name of Bob Estes Lin­ “Yeah, I actually, and that’s what Louis tion but trying to avoid getting shot, and sion service company in Watts, South coln­Mercury dealership. and I did is we uncrushed them. He Maserati is on the ropes. They sold it to L.A., that is having a liquidation sale, and “And it subsequently turned out that treated them and manipulated them back him. And what Bertocchi said was, I said among the items listed is unknown Bob Estes was the first guy who acquired and forth. Take a piece of aluminum foil what happened to the car, and he said Maserati transmission. He said I don’t 2031 from Europe and brought it to the and crumple it in your hand, and then try “demolita”. The owner, that guy, know anything about it, but he said it U.S. and owned it until he sold it to what­ and straighten it out, but try and do that wrecked it, and some of the parts came might be worth checking out. ever the guy’s name is, this Lockheed engi­ with, you know, 16­guage or thereabouts back to the factory, but not the car. “So, again, I arranged a quick trip from, neer. He may have sold it to one of his soft aluminum, and that’s what we were ‘So I said, you know, is there anything I I think I was in London at the time I got shop managers first. That might have been working with. And what I did was work it can get from it? So, eventually, I got pho­ the message, I arranged a quick trip to . . . but, anyway, so Mr. Wong Chuck Yok back to the original, or as close as we could tographs, drawings, a sketch of it, some Los Angeles and put on suitable attire and or whatever his name was at the transmis­ get to the original configuration using tem­ pictures of the car as they were modifying a defense weapon and went to Watts, and sion place cheerfully accepted my $160 plates off the other side, and so on and so the original frame. The original frame on found the place…And it was a transmis­ offer for this how old, 40­year­old wooden forth, to get it as close as we could. the coupe was a standard Gilco produced sion rebuilding business that had been in box. (laughter) And in the box, freshly “Then I took the body in that shape to Pinin Farina coupe frame. And they business since the 1930s and had just been back from a rebuild at the factory, was the Marcel Dulay, Marcel’s Custom Metal, in shortened it, and all of it, and Pinin Farina purchased by some enterprising Korean original transmission of the 2031. Corona, California, and Marcel remade the coupes, from the Pinin Farina coupes entrepreneur, because that was in the area “So, I mean, ignoring my airfare, world left front and left rear fender and that por­ through the 250F they all used the same of Watts being taken over by the Koreans travel, and various other things, I’m now tion of the frontend using our original pan­ front suspension. at that time. into the car at a capital expense level of els in, you know, as the patterns. The “But…and the first A6GCMs and my “So I persuaded him to let me go in and $325, $200, and $165. metal of the original ones we had straight­ car, 2031, had a live axle rear end. And look over the inventory. And I went in, “It absorbed a hell of a lot more money ened and put back was broken and brittle then they eventually modified the GCM, and I’m prowling through his stack of before I eventually got done, but . . . and so forth, but it was back in shape.

20 21 “So you had nothing going on then…” with a white top. And working under trim “Right.” areas and damaged panels and so forth, (laughter) we found areas of the original paint. I sent “Anyway, and at the same time, I also the samples to DuPont, who duplicated the started into the resurrection of 2003 in the paint for me, and we, had it repainted ex­ configuration of the prototype of the actly as it appeared for the 1951 Paris auto A6GCM, the first one, the one that was de­ show. molita. I acquired a Gilco PF chassis, well, “And, likewise, the upholstery, the origi­ body and chassis, except that the body was nal upholstery was done in high­quality gonzo, and used that chassis as the donor leather in a blue color. And we matched along with the rough sketch drawings and that exactly and matched and did every­ photographs and so forth of and the origi­ thing absolutely right on it. And it took nal parts that we got from the factory, from years to get the thing perfect. And eventu­ Bertocchi, I mean, to resurrect 2003 . . . ally . . . service of a, quote, ‘professional re­ “How much material did you get from storer’ in Los Angeles, in the Los Angeles 2003?” area, who had been referred to me as hav­ “Oh, small stuff, trim and internal pieces ing done Pebble Beach quality restoration like the very unique trademark Maserati on a couple early Ferraris. Well, I was even steering column mounts and instruments busier in those years, and I was making and manifold, just original exhaust mani­ enough money, so I wasn’t frightened of fold and just miscellaneous, small stuff. the potential restoration costs. But I used the original motor out of 2024 “So I engaged him to do it along with and the original front suspension out of the timetable, to finish it from, because at “So he basically created new panels pieces and the grill. And the external trim 2024 . . . and built it exactly to their origi­ that point I had all of the component then? He used new, clean­sheet alu­ pieces and grillwork on this car were all nal specifications and have now succeeded pieces, and I had started on everything. minum and then just followed what you very artistically done, hand engraved on in bringing that fully back to its original The car was, you know, a pretty straight­ had created as almost templates for them? the external trim and so forth, as you’ve configuration. forward, clean it, fix it, paint it sort of “Exactly, yeah. I also used the services seen on some high­end, pre�war, French “Anyway, we’re back to 2031 though. I restoration. of a guy by the name of Ellery Engel in and Italian cars. Anyway, so, and this all continued to work on 2031 along with “And that turned out to be a very expen­ Piru, California. Ellery is a very talented took a few years, because I’m busy raising doing all these other things. Among other sive object lesson in why you don’t hire re­ detail guy. And I had him, working with a family, running businesses, running interesting things, we discovered that the storers.” him, showing him what I wanted done, around the world doing all kinds of car had originally been a kind of mid­ (laughter) we remade the missing external trim things at the time. range, bright sort of metallic French blue

22 23 road car docility into the viscerally compet­ duced their seminal 804. A car upon which Chapter Two itive. In post war practice it was more trans­ most every GP car for a decade was based. THE forming the scrap and the spare into the No shame need be attached the brothers’ usably, survivably, competitive. There was a effort. None was. For the October running Nesselsdorf here, a SCAT there. It would be of the Monza sportscar race, the brother’s a disused aero Isotta four cylinder, 2.5 liter had ready, and Alfieri piloted, a 3­liter ver­ Backstory that would write the young firm’s name on sion of the single cam Diatto. It went onto to the road cars the sporting pages. From 1920 through victory against the formidable opposition 1922 Alfieri distinguished himself as driver of Sivocci at the controls of Alfa’s soon to be To fully appreciate the lineage of the the brightly lit candle burned to wick. and the brothers all as performance tuners dominant RLTF. Alfieri and the 3­liter went Road cars, a look back to the engineering His younger brother Alfieri felt less rest­ worthy of consideration and respect. on to a close quarter competition with Boil­ foundation of the company is in order. tive in his advancing positions at Isotta, The consideration came from the old rail lotʹs Peugeot on Sicily at the Coppa Florio. Maserati’s foundation is sibling in nature which he joined in 1903. With machinist and auto transportation company of Diatto. Losing on the last lap for want of oil. An­ and humble in character. The brothers foundation and racing instincts he moved Restructured under the Gursa family after other win at Garda enthusiastically af­ were of Bolognese heritage, and as so through the commercial and competition the war, with engineers Coda and Lardona firmed Diatto’s new commitment to racing. many of the era, boys of the new mechani­ departments of the company. Traveling to directing, the side valve was put aside and 1923 was to provide far less enthusiasm cal age. Argentina & Great Britain as commercial the single overhead cam showed the way as the expense of greater development was With the hydroelectric infrastructure representative. Called upon to establish a forward. The first iteration was a 2­liter. not fulfilled through victory. 1924 provided powering industrialized Italy, heavy in­ service facility for the Milanese firm in his With the passion and blood that is nature of the sweat, but not the satisfaction. In light dustry followed the power grid down hometown, he returned to Bologna in the national spirit, the firm looked to fulfill of the competition, it is no surprise. The from the Alps as the first decade of the 1912. Confident he was now ready to go the engineering’s promise through racing. Alfa P2 was dominant, Bugatti was refining 20th Century unfolded. out on his own, he and his brothers Engineer Coda and the Gursa family the T35, Sunbeam mounted the carb on the It was into this burgeoning structure the opened a performance tuning shop two turned to Alfieri and his brothers to form supercharger ­ transforming how the sys­ brothers Maserati entered. The oldest, years later. the Diatto racing department. With the GP tem worked, and Delage, well, the 2LCV, Carlo, led the way. He shared 1890’s bicy­ European conflict and national uniform formula at two liters, yet to be super­ with its 2­liter, quad cam V12 was a jewel cle factory origins with many, but it was interrupted the progress. Returning after charged, Alfieri set about to transform the not soon forgotten by a member of the Alfa development of a little single to power it the war, to the shop now run by the 20S Diatto into a GP car for the late season team, Enzo Ferrari. that distinguished. Local investment and youngest, Ernesto, Alfieri rounded up the Italian Grand Prix. For 1925 Alfieri proposed and Diatto ac­ production followed. Competition ac­ brothers and found a live­in industrial It was a bold and valiant effort. Here cepted the construction of a fully bespoke claimed. The path then lead through FIAT, building on the east side of town. The were the brothers pushing the bounds of re­ GP engine. Though with the Grand Prix Bianchi and Isotta. While creating a new brother’s quartered up stairs and the shop ality by attempting to transform a road car formula changing from 2­liter to 1.5 in ’26 it car for a cadet operation of the Ceirano rang out with activity below. into a GP car. In all reality they had little seemed ill advised financially. And so it family in Bologna illness struck. By 1910 The objective was transformation of chance, for this was the year FIAT intro­ was to prove. But in the event the engine

24 25 and the car was a fine piece of work. Its engine was a study in alloy straight eight with supercharger. It was to come at a bad 1926 19271928 1929 1930 1931 1932 time economically. The Gursa family’s in­ Alfieri Maserati straight eight DOHC 1492.9cc Built to prevailing Grand Prix formula vestment in competition coincided poorly with the recession. Taking the dreams of competition cars the firm with it. Type 26 Type 26 Type 26 Type 26 Type 26 Type 26 Diatto has basically been folded quietly into that forgotten corner of automotive Iron head & 60X66mm 60X66mm 60X66mm history. When thought of at all, or men­ Refurbished Refurbished block. Roots Roots Roots tioned in passing, it is as the company 60X66mm supercharger supercharger super­ from which Maserati emerged. More accu­ Victory x1 Victory x1: Roots 1 Minini carb 1 Minini carb charger rately it should be remembered as one of class win supercharger mounted on mounted on 1 Weber that group of innovative firms that, like blown thru blower blower mounted on Tunis GP Bugatti, had the industrial depth and 2 Minini 128 @ 6000 128 @ 6000 blower courage to develop the SOHC engine after carbs 4­speed 4­speed 128 @ 6000 the first war. Its daring continued in its de­ 120@5300 4­speed velopment of alloy manufacture, built to 3­speed #14 factory car Victor x2 the anticipated GP formula displacement. For our purposes here, it stands signifi­ #11, #12 & #13 3 class wins cantly, as the firm and purse that sophisti­ factory cars. cated the manufacturing operation of the #11 class brothers, allowing them to produce their Victor first engine, and car, the type 26, upon Targa Florio which a company was built.

Over the next several pages, you will find a visual timeline that illustrates the engineering evolution of the firm. It will provide insight into how Maserati’s cus­ tomer cars came forth from the circuit to the road.

26 27 1926 19271928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1926 19271928 1929 1930 1931 1932 customer cars Alfieri Maserati straight eight DOHC 1980.5cc Type 26 Type 26 Type 26 The implication Type 26 Type 26 of all of this is competition cars 60X66mm the engines & 60X66mm Type 26B Type 26B Type 26B Type 26B 60X66mm 60X66mm cars were Roots Roots Roots Roots under constant #1515 62X82mm 62X82mm 62X82mm #40 engine super­ supercharger development super­ super­ Roots Roots Roots for E. charger 1 Weber and modifica­ charger Here Elektron charger tion by the supercharger supercharger super­ Tomeucci, 1 Minini mounted on 1 Weber was used for 1 Minini Maserati Broth­ 1 Minini carb 1 Minini carb charger #2010 engine carb blower mounted on the casting of ers, even as blower mounted to mounted to 1 Weber for C. Pe­ 128 @ 6000 carb 128 @ 6000 they came in the head and blower blower mounted to drazzini 4­speed 128 @ 6000 4­speed for service dur­ 128 @ 6000 block. 4­speed ing the season, 4­speed 155 @ 5300 155 @ 5300 blower #16 J. Palacio, #20 P. Brunori and between 4­speed 4­speed 155 @ 5300 six cars, eight off set engine owners. This Spain #19 L. Fagiloi / Elekton 4­speed engines. and trans: constant client #26 G. Vittoria Gubbio: #15 & # 18 crankcase Elekton two engines Type­Special service often aluminum of 2109cc had detrimen­ factory cars crankcase Victor x 5 head, (bored to #19 taken out tal effects of Victor x2 Maserati pis­ 64mm) to 1700cc new engineer­ tons 3rd TF #29 F. Fisauli, ing and keep­ #23 G. Vottio­ #31 C. Nen­ ing all these Victor x4 ria zioni, #33 D. cars racing suc­ Roller bear­ de Sterkich, cessfully. This ings on cams #35 J. Mal­ was to be a con­ #27 C. Pastore: stant challenge colm (Buenas aluminum for the Trident. Aires, 2109cc head; engine) Maserati pis­ tons

28 29 1926 19271928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1926 19271928 1929 1930 1931 1932

Alfieri Maserati straight eight DOHC 1492.9cc competition cars Type 26MM The 26 MM was built specifically for the 60X66mm Mille. As can be seen in the engine specs Roots they were little more than a GP car with supercharger Road accessories. As such it was seen as a blown thru ringer by the competition, and a rules 1 Minini carb cheater, as it did not start life as a sports mounted on blower car, like Alfa’s 6C 1500s. This had more to 128 @ 6000 do with Maserati’s lack of industrial 4­speed depth than intent to bend the ruls. This would be a trait of the road cars for some Victor x 1 time. Two cars were made, #22 & #25. The first going to C. Tonini, the second to P. Brunori

30 1926 19271928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1926 19271928 1929 1930 1931 1932

Alfieri Maserati straight eight DOHC 1980.5cc competition cars Type 26B MM The 26B and it’s off spring, the MM, were built to go after the popular privateer cars 62X82mm from Molshiem. Much attention was Roots given the chassis and suspension to place supercharger them on approximate footing with the 1 Minini carb Bugatti. The MM came in for special at­ mounted to tention to address handling and durabil­ blower ity. Though truth be told, the races that 155 @ 5300 the open­wheel GP based cars were built 4­speed to compete in were robust dirt road races Elekton and challenging in the extreme, whose crankcase only difference with the Mille was there was no sports car pretense and they #24 & #30 ended before night fall required lights. were factory cars, #34 went Alfieri & Borzzachini led ‘29 Mille Miglia for to D. deSter­ 700 k, DNF gearbox. lich & #38 to G. Furmanik.

Victor x 2

32 33 Alfieri Maserati 19291930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1928 19291930 1931 1932 1933 1934 straight eight Alfieri Maserati straight eight DOHC 1078.6cc DOHC competition cars 1690.7cc Type 26C Type 26C Type 26C Type 26C competition Alfieri Maserati sixteen cylinder Alfieri Maserati sixteen cylinder cars Dual straight eight DOHC 3961cc Dual straight eight DOHC 4905.9cc 51X66mm­ 51X66m 51X66mm Roots Type 26R competition cars competition cars Roots Roots 51X66mm supercharger supercharger supercharger 62X70mm Roots Type V4 Type V4 Type V4 Type V5 Type V5 1 Weber carb­ 1 Weber carb 1 Weber carb- Roots super- mounted to mounted to mounted to supercharger 62X82mm 305 @ 5500 #4001 Fac­ 69X82mm 69X82mm blower blower blower charger 1 Minini carb Dual Roots #4001 Fac­ tory car Dual Roots Dual Roots 95 @ 5000 105 @ 6000 105 @ 6000 1 Weber mounted to supercharg­ tory car supercharg­ supercharg­ 4­speed 4­speed 4-speed carb blower ers Victor Tripoli Victor at Real ers ers Elekton Elekton Elekton 140 @ 6500 mounted to 1 Minini GP Premio Rome. 1 Weber carb 1 Weber carb crankcase crankcase crankcase 4­speed carb First outright mounted to mounted to blower Elekton mounted to GP win for #4002 sold to each blower each blower Aluminum 105 @ 6000 crankcase each blower the Trident. R. Galeazzi. 330 @ 5200 360 @ 5200 Type 26 1500cc #36 Type 26C #39 Type 4-speed 280 @ 5500 Rolling chas­ block sleeved MM (kitted 26C MM (kit- Designation 4­speed 4­speed Elekton 4­speed sis was sent down to out with ted out with ‘R’ given as a Alfieri invited Geared at Geared at crankcase Geared at to compete at to Zagato crankcases crankcases 1100cc. Long road acces­ road acces- result of roller stroke made bearings on crankcases Indy. Sent and Spyder Elekton Elekton sories) E. sories) sold to con­rod. Elekton Ernesto & body was fit­ crankcase crankcase for poor torque Tamburi, G. Tuffanelli delivery. Hav­ Purely experi­ crankcase Borzzachini ted. First real #5001 Factory #37 F. Ardiz­ #39 re- ing aproached mental. with V4. To customer or­ car Engines zone, 1st in class at this profitable turned to #4001 Factory meet rules dered road Victory x1 #5001 & #39 U. Mille #21 factory test market from Factory car, car blowers were car. It’s four other #5003 were Klinger car, #28 sold to the GP engine A. Maggi. removed. appearences engineered ‘32 Mille & cars, weight Cremona C Though DNF were frustrated to be contra­ Victor x1 Victor x1 was a problem 5th & 6th in class record valuable inter­ by minor prob­ rotating and Open wheel Open wheel in comparison Italian GP 245.069kph national lems and by mounted to the Amilcars recognition. Jano’s techni­ side by side 2nd place at 1929: 1st in & Salmsons. Brooklands class, Tripoli cally advanced Alfa P3. GP #32 A. Zanelli 35 1928 19291930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1928 19291930 1931 1932 1933 1934 Alfieri Maserati straight eight DOHC 2495.4cc competition Alfieri Maserati straight eight Type 26M Type 26M Type 26M DOHC 2495.4cc 64X94m 64X94mm 64X94mm customer cars Roots Roots Roots Type 26M Type 26M Type 26M supercharger supercharger supercharger Sports Sports Sports 1 Weber carb 1 Weber carb 1 Weber carb mounted to mounted to mounted to #141 C. Pas­ Victor at six # 2521 blower blower blower tore, hour Tunis Castagna 4­ 185 @ 5600 185 @ 5600 185 @ 5600 race place con­ 4­speed 4­speed 4­speed #44 H. Birkin vertable. Cast Iron Cast Iron Cast Iron #2511 L. This was a block, block, block, Castelbarco very finely fit­ Elekton all Elekton all Elekton all Castagna ted out car around. around around Gran Sport. that went on With the M se­ In the M we #39 returned to take the ries we see ex­ have the full to Factory car, #2513 G. Prize of Excel­ perimentaion maturity of Al­ ‘32 Mille Furmanik, lence for the with roller bear­ fieri Maserati’s Touring most elegant ing at central design and 1931 also saw chassis, automobile at position of the Giuseppe Campari crank. manufacture. the Villa Basis for future race a 26M Sport at #2516 & d’Este Con­ #42, #2510, engines. the Irish TT to take a 2518 4­seat cours. factory cars, dramatic 2nd. The chassis for Victor Henry­ RAG sales, Birkin’s Birkin car and the Dublin, RAG GB., Victory x1 Monza 1st, Mountain­ 2nd, 3rd & Ards & 26C Brook­ Course lands cars mark the #2520 to Za­ 5th. Brooklands first exports for Maser. gato Spanish GP They were handled by 1st & 2nd. Henry Birkin’s new agency in London. Victor x8 36 37 1931 19321933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1931 19321933 1934 1935 1936 1937

Alfieri Maserati IL­4 DOHC 1088.4cc Alfieri Maserati straight competition cars eight DOHC 2811.9cc This new series of cars was built to the popular cycle car class specs. This series of twin cam competition cars fours also was the first car designed and built by Masearti to endurance racing sports car specs, from chassis to accesories. Their construction anticipated that these would become road cars. 8C 2800 4CTR 4CS 4CS 4CS 4CS 4CS 69X94mm This is a good time to mention 65X82mm 65X82mm 125 @ 5300 65X82mm Roots 65X82mm 65X82mm that the reason the Maserati Roots Roots Introduction Roots supercharger Roots Roots Brothers were able to produce super­ supercharger of hydraulic supercharger 1 Weber super­ super­ such fine engines and parts in charger 1 Weber carb brakes, inde­ 1 Weber carb carb­ charger charger such small quantities and 1 Weber carb mounted to pendant tor­ mounted to mounted to 1 Weber carb 1 Weber carb under such challenging eco­ mounted to blower sion­bar front blower blower mounted to mounted to nomic circumstances was be­ blower 100 @ 5300 suspension, 125 @ 5300 205 @ 5500 cause of the fine relationship 90 @ 5300 4­speed blower blower and signifi­ Dual fixed 4­speed Alfieri maintaned with his for­ 4­speed Cast Iron 110 @ 5300 115 @ 5300 cantly for the head alloy Cast Iron mer employer Isotta Fraschini, Cast Iron block, 4­speed 4­speed future of blocks block, Elek­ who did all the casting & forg­ block, Elekton all Cast Iron Cast Iron Maserati, fixed 4 speed ton all ing. Elekton all around. block, block, head alloy around. around. Elekton all Elekton all block in two­ #1129 F. Bertani. Two engines Also the impresively high stan­ Testa Ripor­ #1114 rolling around. around. cyclinder cast­ This started life dards of the Italian trade tata (remov­ chassis sent to ings. as a 4C 1500, were made & #1123 M. put into vari­ schools and aprentice pro­ able head) Milan Agency Tuffanelli & then had the grams of the post WWI era re­ Bodied by Bri­ Bergamini, new twin fixed ous chassis #1113 Fac­ Bertocchi take #1124 Sub­ sulted in a tradition of uniquily head blocks of available. tory proto­ anza in yellow #1113 to their alpina Racing, qualified machinists in Italy’s for Milan AS. the 1100 replace type. third class win #1126 E. artisan manufacturing opera­ #1113 sold to Bianco it. Monza GP: at the Mille. Fangioli Victor tions. Victor 1100cc U. Klinger This time Bertocchi co­ Bianco had Bo­ in first heat, Class Mille Victor 1100cc drives with calli as codriver and victor in Miglia Class Mille Bianco in this time to take Final. Miglia & #1126 to take class win with Verona class win at Mille #1126 at Mille 38 39 1931 19321933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1931 19321933 1934 1935 1936 1937 Alfieri Maserati IL­4 DOHC 1088.4cc competition cars Ernesto Maserati IL­4 DOHC 1497.7cc competition cars Here the new 4C series, built to the popular cycle car class specs, was designed and engineered as a light-weight, ultra slim monoposto for With this new 4C we see the ascendency of Ernesto at the helm of the tech­ open wheel competitions. nical department in the absence of Alfieri. His forte having been the details of process now blended with technical to produce a materity of product 4CM 4CM 4CM 4CM 4CM from the Trident. 65X82mm 65X82mm 65X82mm 125 @ 5300 65X82mm 4CS 1500 4CS 1500 4CS 1500 4CS 1500 4CS 1500 Roots Roots Roots Roots 69X100mm 69X100mm 69X100mm 115 @ 5000 69X100mm super­ super­ super­ Introduction super­ Roots Roots Roots Roots charger charger charger of hydraulic charger supercharger supercharger supercharger Introduction supercharger 1 Weber carb 1 Weber carb 1 Weber carb brakes, inde­ 1 Weber carb 1 Weber carb 1 Weber carb 1 Weber carb of hydraulic 1 Weber carb mounted to mounted to mounted to pendant tor­ mounted to mounted to mounted to mounted to brakes, inde­ mounted to blower blower blower sion­bar front blower blower blower blower pendant tor­ blower 100 @ 5300 110 @ 5300 115 @ 5300 suspension, 125 @ 5300 115 @ 5000 115 @ 5000 115 @ 5000 sion­bar front 115 @ 5000 4­speed 4­speed 4­speed and fixed head Dual fixed 4­speed 4­speed 4­speed suspension, Dual fixed Cast Iron Cast Iron Cast Iron alloy block in head alloy Cast Iron Cast Iron Cast Iron and fixed head head alloy block, block, block, two­cyclinder blocks block, block, block, alloy block in blocks Elekton all Elekton all Elekton all castings. 4 speed Elekton all Elekton all Elekton all two­cyclinder 4 speed around. around. around. around. around. around. castings. #1122 Capre­ #1128 G. Lu­ #1529 Factory doni Racing, rani #1115 G. Fur­ #1516 G. L #1519 G. Lu­ #1524 Sub­ car, manik, #1116 #1125 B. Develop­ rani, really rani, with yet alpina Rac­ R. D. Cerami, Tuffanelli, ment of fine Sport another Cam­ ing,. #1118 R. Out­ #1127 M. Sport series with Campari pari & law, London, & Sorniotti Sorniotti body. Victor x1 Bergamini body. #1119 F. Ma­ Victor x1 #1520 U. (1938) trullo #1120 G. (1938) #1517 R. Maag, re­ Furmanik, Gaeazzi with vamped #1518 #1121 L. Mernarini for German Uboldi (CH) body. export. for racing #1518 B. boat. Tuffanelli

Victor x3 40 41 1932 19331934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1932 19331934 1935 1936 1937 1938

Ernesto Maserati IL­4 DOHC 1495.7cc Ernesto Maserati IL­4 competition cars DOHC competition cars With the new monoposto 4C series we see the passing of Maserati’s first stage of product begun with the 1500cc Type 26. Here we have a coulpe of 4C hot rods in the series. 4CM 1500 4CM 1500 4CM 1500 4CM 1500 4CM 1500 4CM 1500 4CM 1500 4CM 2000 4CM 2500 69X100mm 69X100mm 69X100mm 69X100mm 69X100mm 69X100mm Roots Roots Roots 145 @ 6000 Roots Roots Roots 80X96mm 84X112mm super­ super­ super­ super­ super­ super­ 1970.4cc 2482.6 charger charger charger Introduction charger charger charger Roots Roots Number of 1 Weber carb 1 Weber carb 1 Weber carb of hydraulic 1 Weber carb 1 Weber carb 1 Weber carb supercharger supercharger employees mounted to mounted to mounted to brakes, inde­ mounted to mounted to mounted to 1 Weber carb 1 Weber carb at the end blower blower blower pendant tor­ blower blower blower mounted to mounted to of 1933: 30 130 @ 5600 135 @ 5600 140 @ 5600 sion­bar front 150 @ 6000 150 @ 6000 150 @ 6000 blower blower 4­speed 4 speed 4­speed suspension, Dual fixed Dual fixed Dual fixed 165@5500 195 @ 5300 Cast Iron Cast Iron Cast Iron and fixed head head alloy head alloy head alloy 4­speed 4 speed block, block, block, alloy block in blocks blocks blocks Cast Iron Dual fixed Elekton all Elekton all Elekton all two­cyclinder 4 speed 4 speed 4 speed block, head alloy around. around. around. castings. Elekton all blocks #1536 Fac­ #1549 L. #1554 A. around. #1523 Engine Hug, export #2012 Fac­ #1514 T. #1521 G. Fa­ tory car, En­ Hartmann #2011 Fac­ delivered to to Switzer­ tory car, then Rossi, deliv­ rina, #1522 gine export to Bu­ tory car, then G. Barbieri land, #1558 to J. De Villa­ ered to Cinti Engine de­ stamped dapest, to G. Lurani, for Bugatti E. Bianco, padierna, shipyeard in livered to #1120 to re­ #1552 Fac­ then I. chassis. Engine then G. Fa­ Venice for Derby Auto­ place G. Ro­ tory car, Berrone #1525 F. Bar­ stamped rina in ‘35, boat. mobiles, vere’s 4CM bieri, #1526 #1125 to re­ then back to France. 1100 engine. E. Bianco, place B. Factory in #1527 L. ‘36, then to Victor x2 Tuffanelli’s Castelbarco 4CM 1100 Hartmann in #1528 I. engine. ‘37. Berrone Victor x3+ 42 43 1932 19331934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1932 19331934 1935 1936 1937 1938 Ernesto Maserati straight eight DOHC competition cars Here we the evolution of the straight eight beyond the Type 26 series. Here based on the new 4Cs. 8C 3000 8CM 8CM 8CM 69X100mm 69X100mm 69X100mm 69X100mm 2991.4cc 2991.4cc 2991.4cc 2991.4cc Roots Roots Roots Roots supercharger supercharger supercharger supercharger 1 Weber carb 1 Weber carb 1 Weber carb 1 Weber carb mounted to mounted to mounted to mounted to blower blower blower blower 220@5500 220@5500 240@5500 240@5500 4­speed 4­speed 4­speed 4­speed Cast Iron Cast Iron Cast Iron block, #3005 R. Som­ block, block, Elekton all mer, #3006 G. Elekton all Elekton all Zehender. around. #3007 Factory around. around. #3001 Fac­ car, #3008 H. 1934 con’t: tory car, Ruesch, export #3009 N. Brail­ CH, #3010 P. land, export F, #3016 W. #3002 Fac­ Etancelin, Ex­ #3010 P. Straight, tran­ tory car, port F, 3011 W. Etancelin, Ex­ formed in Mulliner con­ #3003 L. Pre­ Straight, Ex­ port F, #3011 moli, engine port GB, 3012 vertable, W. Straight, #3018 T. Nu­ put in W. Straight GB, #3012 W. Campari French volari, #3019 J. Bugatti T­35 Straight, GB, De Villa­ GP, Tazio Spa, #3013 E. pedierna, Coppa Ciano, Howe, GB, #3022 H. Nice, Witney #3014 C. Pe­ Ruesch CH, Straight Moun­ drazzini, 1935: #3027 tain Course vic­ #3015 N. Brail­ Factory car tory Brooklands lard, F, Brooklands x1 (1938) 45 1933 19341935 1936 1937 1938 1939

Ernesto Maserati IL­6 DOHC competition cars For the new 6C a third fixed head twin cylinder block from the 4C 2500 was added. October ­ November 6C 34 6C 34 Orsi’s move 84X112mm 84X112mm Maserati into new 3724.1cc 3724.1cc factory in Modena. Roots Roots super­ super­ Orsi brother in law, charger charger 1937 Orsi Aleate Giacmazzi, 1 Weber carb 1 Weber carb Industries appointed Genral mounted to mounted to underwrites Director. blower blower the Com­ 270@5300 270@5300 pany Power transfer from 4­speed 4­speed Maserati brothers to Orsis. production production x2 x5

47 1935 19361937 1938 1939 1940 1946 1936 1947

Ernesto Maserati V8 Ernesto Maserati IL­8 Ernesto Maserati IL­8 SOHC DOHC DOHC competition cars competition cars competition cars The new monoposti advanced This new 8C was composed of This new 8C was composed dramatically into experimental two four cylinder fixed­head engine & suspension design. of two four cylinder fixed­ blocks. head blocks. V8RI V8RI 8CTF 8CTF 8CL 8CL 84X108mm 84X108mm 69X100mm 69X100mm 78X78mm 78X78mm 4788.1cc 4788.1cc 2991.4cc 2991.4cc 4 valves per 4 valves per Roots Roots dual Roots dual Roots 2981cc 2981cc supercharger supercharger supercharg­ supercharg­ dual Roots dual Roots 2 Weber 2 Weber ers ers supercharger supercharger carbs carbs 2 Mimini 2 Mimini 2 Memini 2 Memini mounted to mounted to carbs, one carbs, one carbs carbs blower blower mounted to mounted to mounted to mounted to 320@5300 320@5300 each blower each blower blower blower 4­speed 4­speed 350@6300 366@6300 415@6400 430@6800 Aluminum Aluminum 4­speed 4­speed 4­speed 4­speed heads, Elek­ heads, Elek­ Aluminum Aluminum Aluminum Aluminum ton below. ton below. fixed­head fixed­head fixed­head fixed­head Torsion bar Torsion bar blocks, Elek­ blocks, Elek­ blocks, Elek­ blocks, Elek­ IFS with IFS with ton below. ton below. ton below. ton below. transaxle, leaf transaxle, Torsion bar Torsion bar Torsion bar Torsion bar spring & four leaf spring & IFS. IFS. IFS. IFS. shock IRS. four shock production production production production IRS. production x3 x1 x1 x1 Victor x1 x2 production (1948) Tem­ x2 Victor Indy x2 poada Victor x1 48 49 1936 19371938 1939 1940 1946 1947 1936 19371938 1939 1940 1946 1947

Ernesto Maserati IL­6 DOHC 1493.2cc competition cars For the profitable Formula B competitions the factory down Here we see the evolution of the 6CM to­ sized the triple fixed head dual cylinder layout of the 6C 34, ward a non­supercharged sportscar and returned to the stability of a solid rear axle. 6CM 6CM 6CM 6CM 6CS/46 6CS/46 6CS/46 II 65X75mm 65X75mm 65X75mm 65X75mm 65X75mm 65X75mm 65X75mm Roots Roots Roots Roots 90@6300 90@6300 100@6300 supercharger supercharger supercharger supercharger 3 Weber 3 Weber 3 Weber 1 Weber carb 1 Weber carb 1 Weber carb 1 Weber carb carbs carbs carbs mounted to mounted to mounted to mounted to 4­speed 4­speed 4­speed blower blower blower blower Aluminum Aluminum This car was 155@6200 160@6300 170@6500 175@6600 fixed­head fixed­head financed by 4­speed 4­speed 4­speed 4­speed blocks, Elek­ blocks, Elek­ M. Angiolini Aluminum Aluminum Aluminum Aluminum ton below. ton below. and built off­ fixed­head fixed­head fixed­head fixed­head Torsion bar Torsion bar site by blocks, Elek­ blocks, Elek­ blocks, Elek­ blocks, Elek­ IFS. Special IFS. Special Bertocchi & ton below. ton below. ton below. ton below. Sportscar Sportscar Stanzani Torsion bar Torsion bar Torsion bar Torsion bar frame. frame. with a tube IFS. IFS. IFS. IFS. chassis by Victor x2 production production production production Car built with Cavoni & Montova x5 x9 x8 x5 the cooperation body by Fan­ of Ernesto for (Barbieri) & tuzzi. Victor x7 Victor x8 Victor x6 Barbieri, using Voghera (Vil­ Tripoli 1st ­ an engine loresi) 5th Victor: Pris­ owned by G. Sicily 1st ­ 4th oner’s Cup Villoresi. Paris 1945 Full width spy­ der body.

50 51 1937 19381939 1940 1946 1947 1948

Ernesto Maserati IL­4 DOHC 1490.8cc competition cars For the profitable Formula B competitions the factory used the fixed head dual cylinder layout to advance into a four valve, large bore, reduced piston speed design. Interesting to note is individual exhaust per valve port. 4CL 4CL 4CL 4CL 4CL 78X78mm 78X78mm 78X78mm 78X78mm 78X78mm 4 valves per 4 valves per 4 valves per 4 valves per 4 valves per Roots Roots Roots Roots Roots supercharger supercharger supercharger supercharger supercharger 1 Weber carb 1 Weber carb 1 Weber carb 1 Weber carb 1 Weber carb mounted to mounted to mounted to mounted to mounted to blower blower blower blower blower 220@8000 220@8000 220@8000 240@7500 250@7500 4­speed 4­speed 4­speed 4­speed 4­speed Aluminum Aluminum Aluminum Aluminum Aluminum fixed­head fixed­head fixed­head fixed­head fixed­head blocks, Elek­ blocks, Elek­ blocks (cast­ blocks, Elek­ blocks, Elek­ ton below. ton below. ing done by ton below. ton below. Torsion bar Torsion bar Giogio Fis­ Torsion bar Torsion bar IFS. IFS. cher), Elek­ IFS. IFS. production production ton below. production production x12 x12 Torsion bar x5 (1944) x8 IFS. Victor x5 Victor x5 Victor x10 Victor x8

52 53 1948 19491950 1951 1952 1953 1954 Ernesto Maserati w/ Alberto Mas- competition cars Here the new tech team of Massimino, Bel­ lentani & Gorrini redesigned the chassis using medium diameter tubes for increased rigity. The lowered design wore a more modern Fantuzzi body. 4CLT/48 4CLT/48 4CLT /50 78X78mm 78X78mm 78X78mm 4 valves per 4 valves per 4 valves per dual Roots dual Roots dual Roots supercharger supercharger supercharger 1 Weber carb 1 Weber carb 1 Weber carb mounted to mounted to mounted to each blower each blower each blower 260@7000 270@7000 280@7000 4­speed 4­speed 4­speed Aluminum Aluminum Aluminum fixed­head fixed­head fixed­head blocks, Elek­ blocks, Elek­ blocks, Elek­ ton below. ton below. ton below. Torsion bar Torsion bar Torsion bar IFS. IFS. IFS. production production production x7 x9 x2 Victor x6 Victor x11 Victor x1 4CLT: V x2 4CLT/49 Vx3 4CLT/49 V x4 4CL: V x4

54 55 1946 19471948 1950 1951 1952 1946 19471948 1949 1950 1951 1952 Ernesto Maserati IL­6 SOHC 1488.2cc customer cars In preparation for the post war market the Orsi’s & Ernesto’s technical department took on development of a road car independent of the competition engineering inherent in the 6CM. For this car, series manufacture simplicity & costs, post war fuel supplies, passenger comfort and post sales service came in for great consid­ eration. This industrial strategy, with customer road car sales as target, resulted in the single cam head on the initially, but irregularly used, cast iron block. Once again prevailing GP displacement was chosen, but here sans supercharger, in a nod to current sports car competition rules. A6 A6 A6 A6 A6 65X75mm 65X75mm 65X75mm 65X75mm 65X75mm alloy block alloy block alloy block alloy block alloy block with remove­ with remove­ with remove­ with remove­ with remove­ able single able single able single able single able single cam head. cam head. cam head. cam head. cam head. 2­barrel 2­barrel 2­barrel 2­barrel 2­barrel Weber 36 Weber 36 Weber 36 Weber 36 Weber 36 DCR DCR DCR DCR DCR 65@4700 65@4700 65@4700 65@4700 65@4700 4­speed. 4­speed. 4­speed. 4­speed. 4­speed. Pinin Farina Tube chassis Tube chassis Tube chassis Tube chassis Tube chassis with cruci­ with cruci­ with cruci­ with cruci­ with cruci­ form center. form center. form center. form center. form center. Coil sprint Coil sprint Coil sprint Coil sprint Coil sprint and and and and and houdaille houdaille houdaille houdaille houdaille shock IFS. shock IFS. shock IFS. shock IFS. shock IFS. Coil sprung Coil sprung Coil sprung Coil sprung Coil sprung and shock and shock and shock and shock and shock solid rear solid rear solid rear solid rear solid rear axle. axle. axle. axle. axle. production production production production production Zagato Pinin Farina Pinin Farina Pinin Farina Pinin Farina Pinin Farina 56 x2 x3 x9 x23 x23 57 1946 19471948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1946 19471948 1949 1950 1951 1952

Ernesto Maserati IL­8 DOHC competition cars Dreams of Indianapolis by Franco Rol inspired the development of this car.

8CLT/50 78X78mm 4 valves per 2981cc dual Roots supercharger 2 Memini carbs mounted to blower 430@6800 4­speed Aluminum fixed­head blocks, Elek­ ton below. Torsion bar IFS. production x2 plus engine

Pinin Farina 58 59 1946 19471948 1949 1950 1951 1952 Ernesto Maserati / Alberto Massimino IL­6 SOHC 1978.7cc competition cars For sports racing competition the principles of the A6 were used to create a car of singular purpose. Here displacement was brought up to 2­liters and the new post­supercharger tuning tweak, compression, was raised to 11:1. Once again alcohol based fuel mixes were used. With this car we see the ascent of Alberto Mas­ simino to technical director in the wake of the Maserati Brothers return to Bologna. Massimino designed this series of cars in the pre­war tradition of the 4CM / 4CS; a thin two seat spyder body, that with cycle fenders and lights was A6GCS A6GCS run as a Sports A6GCS A6GCS A6GCS A6GCS racer, and 72X81mm 72X81mm 72X81mm 72X81mm 72X81mm 72X81mm without, as an alloy block alloy block alloy block alloy block alloy block alloy block open­wheel with re­ with re­ with re­ with re­ with re­ with re­ formula car. moveable moveable moveable moveable moveable moveable For the GCS single cam single cam single cam single cam single cam single cam the new tech­ head. head. head. head. head. head. nical team 3 Weber 36 3 Weber 36 3 Weber 36 3 Weber 36 3 Weber 36 3 Weber 36 placed greater DO4 DO4 DO4 DO4 DO4 DO4 emphasis on 130@6000 130@6000 130@6000 130@6000 130@6000 130@6000 handling 11:1 cr 11:1 cr 11:1 cr 11:1 cr 11:1 cr 11:1 cr through chas­ 4­speed. 4­speed. 4­speed. 4­speed. 4­speed. 4­speed. sis and sus­ Tube chassis Tube chassis Tube chassis Tube chassis Tube chassis Tube chassis pension with cruci­ with cruci­ with cruci­ with cruci­ with cruci­ with cruci­ design. The re­ form center. form center. form center. form center. form center. form center. sult being a Coil sprint Coil sprint Coil sprint Coil sprint Coil sprint Coil sprint very well bal­ and and and and and and anced all­ houdaille houdaille houdaille houdaille houdaille houdaille rounder. shock IFS. shock IFS. shock IFS. shock IFS. shock IFS. shock IFS. Leaf sprung Leaf sprung Leaf sprung Leaf sprung Leaf sprung Leaf sprung and shock and shock and shock and shock and shock and shock solid rear solid rear solid rear solid rear solid rear solid rear axle. axle. axle. axle. axle. axle. production production production production production x3 x4 x4 x3 x1 60 61 1949 19501951 1952 1953 1954 1949 19501951 1952 1953 1954 Ernesto Maserati / Alberto customer cars 1954.3cc Massimino IL­6 SOHC Here we see the Trident revert to character. This second series of road cars being the di­ competition cars rect decentant of the comeptition cars. A6GCS/4CLT A6G A6G A6G With the formal 72X80mm 72X80mm 72X80mm introduction of Iron block Iron block Iron block Formula 2 with remove­ with remove­ with re­ Maserati appre­ able single able single moveable siated they cam alloy cam alloy single cam needed a car to head. head. alloy head. promote the en­ 3 Weber 36 3 Weber 36 3 Weber 36 gine of the road DO4 DO4 DO4 cars (the promo­ 100@5500 100@5500 100@5500 tional purpose of 7.8:1 7.8:1 7.8:1 F2), but a single 4­speed. 4­speed. 4­speed. purpose light­ Tube chassis Tube chassis Tube chassis weight mono­ with cruci­ with cruci­ with cruci­ posti to go head form center. form center. form center. to head with Fer­ Coil sprint Coil sprint Coil sprint rari’s 166 F2. A and and and GCS engine was houdaille houdaille houdaille placed in a 4CLT shock IFS. shock IFS. shock IFS. chassis and sent Coil sprung Coil sprung Coil sprung to the F2 race at and shock and shock and shock Angouleme solid rear solid rear solid rear France. At the axle. axle. axle. controls was Fangio in an production early European Vignale, Frua production production appearence. coupe x1 PininFarina x5 Frua Cabriolets x9 Victor x1 produced between 1951 & 1953 62 63 1950 19511952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1950 19511952 1953 1954 1955 1956 Bellentani, Massimino, then enter Colombo IL­6 DOHC competition cars F2 was formalized at 2­liters. Its stated purpose was the use of road car engines for promotion of the partici­ pating Marques. Success in this formula was therefore essential to support the industrial strategy Maserati had embarked upon. The intensity of these competitions was to become paramount with the collapse of F1 and with the transfer of the newly established Drivers Championship to Formula 2. The result was to be the renaissance of the Trident. Enter Gioachino Colombo. A6GCM A6GCM A6GCM 72.6X80mm 75X75mm 76.2X72mm 1987cc 1988.1cc 1959.5cc 3 dual­barrel 3 dual­barrel 3 dual­barrel Weber carbs Weber carbs Weber carbs 160@6500 180@7300 197@8000 13.5:1cr 13.5:1cr 12:1cr (Bellentani (Massimino (Colombo long­stroke) square) over­square) 4­speed 4­speed 4­speed Tube frame Tube frame Tube frame of GCS deri­ of GCS deri­ of GCS deri­ vation with vation with vation with 4CTL influ­ 4CTL influ­ 4CTL influ­ ence. ence. ence.

production production production x2 x6 x5 Victor x 6 64 65 1951 19521953 1954 1955 1956 1957

Colombo IL­6 DOHC competition cars The new A6GCS/53 is Colombo’s brilliant strategy to create a Formula, road racing & road car engine. A6GCS/53 A6GCS/53 A6GCS/53 76.5X72mm 76.5X72mm 76.5X72mm 1985.6cc 1985.6cc 1985.6cc 3 dual­barrel 3 dual­barrel 3 dual­barrel Weber carbs Weber carbs Weber carbs 170@7300 170@7300 170@7300 8.75:1cr 8.75:1cr 8.75:1cr (Colombo (Colombo (Colombo over­square) over­square) over­square) 4­speed 4­speed 4­speed Tube frame Tube frame Tube frame of GCS deri­ of GCS deri­ of GCS deri­ vation with vation with vation with 4CTL influ­ 4CTL influ­ 4CTL influ­ ence. ence. ence. production production x11 production x10 x26 Victor x10 Victor 2­liter Victor x11 class Mille, Victor 2­liter Targa, Argent. class Mille 56 Mille, 2­ liter class

66 67 1952 19531954 1955 1956 1957 1958

customer cars 1985.6cc Here we have the first limited production series of road cars di­ rectly derived from a Formula car under the Maserati heraldic. An interesting interpretation of the spirit behind the F2 rules, where the cars were to be based on road car engines. Here Maserati was making road cars with same engines that were contesting the Formula World Championship. Oh, they distin­ guished themselves in 2­liter road racing competitions. With this series we see the company setting a post war standard that would become characteristic of the road cars. A6GC54 2000 A6GC54 2000 A6GC54 2000 A6GC54 2000 76.5X72mm 76.5X72mm 76.5X72mm 76.5X72mm 1985.6cc 1985.6cc 1985.6cc 1985.6cc Twin Cam Twin Cam Twin Cam Twin Cam Triplex chain Triplex chain Triplex chain Triplex chain cam drive cam drive cam drive cam drive 3 dual­barrel 3 dual­barrel 3 dual­barrel 3 dual­barrel Weber carbs Weber carbs Weber carbs Weber carbs 150@6000 150@6000 150@6000 150@6000 8:1cr 8:1cr 8:1cr 8:1cr (Colombo (Colombo (Colombo (Colombo over­square) over­square) over­square) over­square) 4­speed 4­speed 4­speed 4­speed production­ production production Zagato Zagato Zagato coupes production Spyder x1 coupes x 6, x 14, Frua Frua Coupes, Frua Coupes Coupes, Frua Frua spyder x2, Frua spy­ spyder x5, x9, der x1, Alle­ Allemano Allemano x4 mano coupes coupes x15 x1 Victor x 8 68 69 1952 19531954 1955 1956 1957 1958

70 71 1952 19531954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1952 19531954 1955 1956 1957 1958

72 73 1952 19531954 1955 1956 1957 1958 Colombo IL­6 DOHC 2493.8cc

1954 marked the beginning on the new 2.5 liter Grand Prix formula. The engine for this new Formula 1 car followed the large bore, short stroke engineering put in plce by Gioachino Colombo. Colombo had left in late ‘53 and gone to create the innovative, but ill­fated Bugatti F1. At Maserati Bellentani oversaw the impli­ mentation of the engine’s development. The small tube chassis, brakes, suspension and transverse transaxle, with reverese De Dion tube rear ­end, were engineered by Nicola Colotti. The 250 was present at the first 2.5 liter GP and at the last GP of the series at Riverside. It was constantly modified and evolved, all overseen by Giulio Alfieri. And well loved by a generation of drivers. 250F 250F 250F 250F 250F T2 250F T3 84X75mm 84X75mm 84X75mm 84X75mm 60O V12 84X75mm 240@7200 240@7200 260@7400 260@8000 quad cam 260@8000 12:1cr 12:1cr 12:1cr 12:1cr 68.7X57mm 10.8:1cr 3 dual­barrel 3 dual­barrel 3 dual­barrel 3 dual­barrel 2490.9cc 3 dual­barrel Weber carbs Weber carbs Weber carbs Weber carbs 310hp@10k Weber carbs Carb recalcu­ production production 11.3:1cr lated and valve Experiment production x2 x11 six Webers timing changed, with Desmo­ x9 intake and ex­ valve system. Victor x 9 Chassis #2525 & production haust ports re­ Production 2526 had engine x2 designed for 130 load from ord­ canted to the side octane AvGas. sers resulted in and drive shaft Team ran 6­ Friont suspen­ 6 engines run left of driver. cylinder cars sion redesign Car lowered. being place in with Fangio at widened, wheel base lengthened. A6GCM live Fuel injection ex­ wheel and took axle F2 chassis. perimented with, World Cham­ production head design pionship. x3 changed, new cubustion cham­ Victor x 9 Victor x 3 Victor x 11 ber, twin pipe ex­ haust. Victor x 11 74 1952 19531954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1952 19531954 1955 1956 1957 1958

Bellentani IL­4 DOHC 1484.1cc Massimino Bellentani IL­4 DOHC IL­4 DOHC competition cars 1994.3cc 1994.9cc The intent here was to follow in the foot­ competition cars steps of the British (MG) & German competition With the introduction of the cars (Porsche) automakers whom had made such an impression on the American soldiers that 500 Mondial from Ferrari it Seeking to brought home sports car enthusiasm. was time to address the suc­ build upon the Maserati’s industrial footprint, artisan as it cesses of the 2­liter catabgory 4CL experience was, could not achieve an economy of scale achieved by the A6s with a Massimino de­ to compete on price in this market; the cost of new engine. veloped this en­ producing a 4C 1500 being essentially the 200S 200SI 200S 200SI gine. It was same as the A6 road cars. Save for few exam­ developed with ples, they produced them as customer com­ 92X75mm 92X75mm 2 ­ 3 & 4 valves petition cars. The series production road car 190@7500 190@7500 per cylinder. It that never was. 9.8:1cr 9.8:1cr remained an ex­ Twin Weber Twin 150S perimental en­ 150S 150S carbs Weber gine after 81X72mm 81X72mm 81X72mm five speed in carbs Massimino’s de­ 140@7500 140@7500 140@7500 unit with five speed parture. Origi­ 9:1cr 9:1cr 9:1cr engine, de- in unit nal test bed for Twin Weber Twin Weber Twin Weber Dion rear with en- fuel injection . carbs carbs carbs end & live gine, de- five speed in five speed in five speed in axle. Dion rear 4CF2 unit with en­ unit with en­ unit with en­ gine, deDion gine, deDion gine, deDion production end & live 88X82mm rear end. rear end. rear end. axle. 195@7500 x7 13.5:1cr production production production Vicotry x6 Twin Weber x8 x16 x2 carbs

76 77 1952 19531954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1952 1958

Colombo IL-6 DOHC 2493.8cc

Road racing car adapted from thes new For- mula 1 car. It used a larger diameter oval and round tube chassis, and the brakes, suspen- sion and transverse transaxle, with reverese 250S 250S 250S 84X75mm 84X75mm 84X75mm 230@7000 230@7000 230@7000 9:1cr 9:1cr 9:1cr 3 dual-bar- 3 dual-bar- 3 dual-bar- rel Weber rel Weber rel Weber carbs carbs carbs production production x2 x2

78 79 1953 19541955 1956 1957 1958 1959

Bellentani IL­6 DOHC 2992.5cc competition cars With the 250S showing little promise running on pump fuel, Bellentani designed a new engine that went in the di­ rection of a longer stroke than bore design for different torque charateristic in a pump fuel sports racer. The oval / round tube chassis was used with the transverse transaxlew and reverse deDion rear end. 300S 300S 300S 300S 84X90mm 84X90mm 84X90mm 84X90mm 245@6200 245@6200 245@6200 245@6200 9:1cr 9:1cr 9:1cr 9:1cr 3 dual­barrel 3 dual­barrel 3 dual­barrel 3 dual­barrel Weber carbs Weber carbs Weber carbs Weber carbs production production production production x8 x6 x2 x10 Victor x 12 Victor x 5 engines x 3 Victor x 6 350S 350S 86X100mm 86X100mm 290@6000 3485.3cc 3485.3cc 290@6000 9.5:1cr 9.5:1cr 3 dual­barrel 3 dual­barrel Weber carbs Weber carbs Triplex chain Triplex chain cam drive cam drive production production x2 x1 80 81 1951 19521953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 19591960 1961 1962 1963 1964 customer cars 3485.3cc Here we have the first series, if limited, production road cars. The engines were very lit­ 3500GT 3500GT 3500GT 3500GT 3500GT 3500GT 3500GT 3500GT tle changed from the 350S, save for the gear tower cam drive was replaced with chain drive. 86X100mm 86X100mm 86X100mm 86X100mm 86X100mm 86X100mm 86X100mm 86X100mm The early ones having the external oil lines. The chassis was big tube and sheet steel. The Twin Cam Twin Cam Twin Cam Twin Cam Twin Cam Twin Cam Twin Cam Twin Cam rolling chassis were sent to the various Carrozzeria. Triplex chain Triplex chain Triplex chain Triplex chain Triplex chain Triplex chain Triplex chain Triplex chain cam drive cam drive cam drive cam drive cam drive cam drive cam drive cam drive Twin plug Twin plug Twin plug Twin plug Twin plug Twin plug Twin plug Twin plug 3 dual­barrel 3 dual­barrel 3 dual­barrel 3 dual­barrel Lucas indi­ Lucas indirect Lucas indi­ Lucas indi­ Weber carbs Weber carbs Weber carbs Weber carbs rect fuel injec­ fuel injection rect fuel in­ rect fuel in­ 230@5500 230@5500 230@5500 230@5500 tion 260@5800 jection jection 8.5:1cr 8.5:1cr 8.5:1cr 8.5:1cr 260@5800 8.5:1cr 260@5800 260@5800 4­speed 4­speed 4­speed 4­speed 8.5:1cr 5­speed 8.5:1cr 8.5:1cr 5­speed 5­speed 5­speed production production production production production Touring Allemano Allemano production production production coupe’ X2 coupe’ X3 coupe’ X1 Touring Touring coupe’ x366 Touring coupe’ x390 Touring Touring Touring Bertone coupe’ x448 coupe’ x399 coupe’ x55 coupe’ x 119 coupe x1 Vignale Vignale spyder x88 Vignale spyder x47 Vignale Vignale Frus spyder 4” shortened spyder x79 4” shortened spyder x21 spyder x5 x1 wheelbase 4” shortened wheelbase 4” shortened 4” shortened wheelbase wheelbase wheelbase Touring coupe’ x 195 Vignale spyder x2

82 83 1957 19581959 1960 1961 1962 1963

Colombo / Taddeucci V8 DOHC 4477.9cc

The V8 project was started by Colombo as is evident by the oversquare basis of the en­ gine. Colombo’s departure delayed the project. Under the direction of Alfieri, Guido Tad­ deucci was delegated to complete the engineering. The big block, high horsepower battle had to be joined. Though the new V8 would be breaking new ground for the Trident, its concept took a familiar route. Where the V16 had used two in­line eights, here, with much more sophistication, the recent 150 & 200 evolved into the quad cam eight. The frame & drive train were put in the hands of Colotti. The impact of the new competition car was to have a far greater impact than anyone expected. The wet liner design was to provide un­ paralleled flexibility. 450S 450S 450S 450S 450S 450S 93.8X81mm 93.8X81mm 93.8X81mm 93.8X81mm 93.8X81mm 93.8X81mm 400@7200 400@7200 400@7200 400@7200 400@7200 400@7200 9.5:1cr 9.5:1cr 9.5:1cr 9.5:1cr 9.5:1cr 9.5:1cr 4 dual­barrel 4 dual­barrel 4 dual­barrel 4 dual­barrel 4 dual­barrel 4 dual­barrel Weber carbs Weber carbs Weber carbs Weber carbs Weber carbs Weber carbs dual ignition dual ignition dual ignition dual ignition dual ignition dual ignition five speed five speed five speed five speed five speed five speed transaxle, de­ transaxle, de­ transaxle, de­ transaxle, de­ transaxle, de­ transaxle, de­ Dion Dion Dion Dion Dion Dion production production production production production production x4 x4 x4 x4 1956 x3 Marine en­ gines x2 1957 x4

84 85 1958 19591960 1961 1962 1963 1964 customer cars 4937.8cc / 4941.1cc This first series of V8 Road Cars was a customer responsive limited production. The race engine’s gear wheel cam drive was switched out for chain drive. Stroke was increased to give a bit more mid­range torque. Again big tubes and sheet steel defined the rolling chassis. And in a tradition dating to the earliest days of the Italian automobile, the rolling chassis were delivered to the Carrozzeria of the customer’s choice, where it was com­ 5000GT 5000GT 5000GT 5000GT 5000GT 5000GT pletely de­ signed and 98.5x81mm 94x89mm 94x89mm 94x89mm 94x89mm 94x89mm fitted out to 4937.8cc 4941.1cc 4941.1cc 4941.1cc 4941.1cc 4941.1cc their individ­ Quad Cam Quad Cam Quad Cam Quad Cam Quad Cam Quad Cam ual taste. No Triplex chain Triplex chain Triplex chain Triplex chain Triplex chain Triplex chain two cars were cam drive cam drive cam drive cam drive cam drive cam drive alike. The re­ Twin plug Twin plug Twin plug Twin plug Twin plug Twin plug sults were 4 dual­barrel 4 dual­barrel 4 dual­barrel 4 dual­barrel 4 dual­barrel 4 dual­barrel often visually Weber carbs Weber carbs, Weber carbs, Weber carbs, Weber carbs, Weber carbs, arresting, 325@5500 or Lucas in­ or Lucas in­ or Lucas in­ or Lucas in­ or Lucas in­ while the per­ 8.5:1cr direct injec­ direct injec­ direct injec­ direct injec­ direct injec­ formance was 4­speed tion tion tion tion tion other­worldly. 340@5800 340@5800 340@5800 340@5800 340@5800 8.5:1cr 8.5:1cr production 8.5:1cr 8.5:1cr 8.5:1cr 4­speed 4­speed Touring 4­speed 5­speed 5­speed coupe’ X2 production production production Touring production production Touring Allemano coupe’ X1 Allemano Allemano coupe’ X1 coupe’ X11 coupe’ X4 coupe’ X1 Pininfarina x1 Frua x2 Monterosa Bertone x! x1 Ghia x2 Allemnao x2 87 1957 19581959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1958 1959 1960

Colombo / Taddeucci Alfieri IL­4 DOHC 1990.2cc V8 DOHC 4190.4cc competition cars competition cars Once again Maserati focused on the popu­ Taking as its basis the 900V8, larity of, and their success in, the 2­liter an engine was prepared for sports racing class in Italy. For this 2­liter the Race of Two Worlds. This 250S Alieri moved into advanced spaceframe de­ automotive comic opera took sign. Here the small tube engineering of in­ place at Monza. It saw the 96X86mm dependant / integrated stress loading was cars of Indy race against for­ 196@7800 taken into a new realm of deformable crush mula specific cars of Italy on 9.75:1cr zones. The chassis’ network of small tubing the banking of the princes old Twin Weber carbs gave the name ‘birdcage’. Aerodynamics park. Four engines were pro­ five speed in unit with was also explored. As part of this frontal duced. Two went to Tony engine, deDion rear area was reduced by canting the engine 45 Parravano. The factory used end. degrees. Type 60 Type 60 420M/58 El­ 420M/58 El­ 93.8X72mm 93.8X72mm dorado dorado production x3 200Hp@7800 200Hp@7800 93.8X75.8mm 93.8X81mm 9.8:1cr 9.8:1cr 410@8000 400@7200 In 1958 the engine Twin Weber Twin Weber 12:1cr 9.5:1cr found new life in carbs carbs 4 dual­barrel 4 dual­barrel Cooper formula cars up five speed five speed through the end of the tranverse tranverse Weber carbs Weber carbs 2.5 liter F1 series. dual ignition dual ignition transaxle, de­ transaxle, de­ five speed five speed Nearly anomalous was the Dion rear Dion rear transaxle, de­ transaxle, de­ 2.5 liter version of the 200S. end. end. Dion Dion Staring life in 1957 as an production production experiental sports racer it x1 Factory x5 passed on to F1. car competition cars Bellentani IL-4 DOHC 1994.3cc

88 1958 19591960 1961 1962 1963 1964

Alfieri IL­4 DOHC 2890.3cc competition cars The American competition market immediately requested a three liter version for their races. The factory, always receptive to customer request punched out the new engine to it maximum. Though not quite a full 3-liters, its advanced chassis and aero engineering provided the re- sults sought. Type 61 Type 61 100x92mm 100x92mm 250Hp@6800 250Hp@6800 9.8:1cr 9.8:1cr Twin Weber Twin Weber carbs carbs five speed five speed tranverse tranverse transaxle, de­ transaxle, de­ Dion rear end. Dion rear end. production x5 production x9 2 delivered in ‘61

90 91 1958 19591960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1961 19621963 1964 1965 1966 1967

Alfieri IL­4 DOHC 2890.3cc competition cars Having proven his point about lightness and rigidity with the Bird­ cage, Alfieri jumped right in the deep end. Though mid­engine power was proven for open wheel competition, Alfieri moved into the avante guard to prove it for sports racers. The first four were delivered with the type 61 4C engine. The type 63 II received a 3­liter F1 based 250 Due to corporate T2 engine. The type 64 reflects a rearrangement of the bits for better complications balance in the brave new world of sports racing mid­engines. the factory offi­ cially pulls out of Type 63 I Type 63 II & competition. 100x92mm Type 64 The focus goes 250Hp@6800 600 V12 completely into 9.8:1cr 70.4x64 tooling up for se­ Twin Weber 320@8200 ries production carbs six Webers of road cars. five speed production x4 tranverse Well, save for the transaxle, de­ occasional com­ Dion rear end. petition engi­ production x4 neering experiment that finds its way to favored clients.

92 93 1961 19621963 1964 1965 1966 1967

customer cars 3485.3cc 3694cc Building on the popularity of the spyder, Vignale had Michelotti design a coupe. Michelotti’s new design required the factory to shorten the wheel­ base of the Spyder chassis. The factory also incorporated in the new 3500 se­ ries of engines its advanced R&D in competition fuel injection systems. Michelotti matched these traits of the rolling chassis with a clean and con­ temporary design that was to set many style trends as the sixties pro­ gressed. This transformed the new Maserati road car from finely finished Gran Touring 3500 to the superb high performance Sebring. 3500GTi 3500GTi 3500GTi 3500GTi 3500GTi 86X100mm 86X100mm 86X106mm 86X106mm 86X106mm Twin Cam Twin Cam 3694cc 3694cc 3694cc Triplex chain Triplex chain 245@5200 245@5200 245@5200 cam drive cam drive 88:1cr 88:1cr 88:1cr Twin plug Twin plug Twin Cam Twin Cam Twin Cam Lucas indi­ Lucas indi­ Triplex chain Triplex chain Triplex chain rect fuel in­ rect fuel in­ cam drive cam drive cam drive jection jection Twin plug Twin plug Twin plug 235@5500 235@5500 Lucas indi­ Lucas indi­ Lucas indi­ 88:1cr 88:1cr rect fuel in­ rect fuel in­ rect fuel in­ 5­speed 5­speed jection jection jection 5­speed 5­speed 5­speed production production production production production x49 x203 x92 x12 Series I x5

94 95 1963 19641965 1966 1967 1968 1969

customer cars 4135.8cc 4709cc Seeing a niche for the high performance sedan Maserati recruited Frua to produce the Quattroporte. Though considered rather understated in design, it lacked nothing in its fit and finish or impressive per­ formance of a true sedan. And Like Ferrari with their Bentley Continental inspired 2+2, Maserati was re­ warded with impressive sales for this two­couples out for the evening, high speed executive & family transport. Quattroporte Quattroporte Quattroporte Quattroporte Quattroporte Quattroporte Quattroporte 88x85mm 88x85mm 88x85mm 88x85mm 88x85mm 88x85mm 93.9x85mm 4135.8cc 4135.8cc 4135.8cc 4135.8cc 4135.8cc 4135.8cc 4709cc Quad Cam Quad Cam Quad Cam Quad Cam Quad Cam Quad Cam Quad Cam Triplex chain Triplex chain Triplex chain Triplex chain Triplex chain Triplex chain Triplex chain cam drive cam drive cam drive cam drive cam drive cam drive cam drive 4 dual­barrel 4 dual­barrel 4 dual­barrel 4 dual­barrel 4 dual­barrel 4 dual­barrel 4 dual­barrel Weber carbs, Weber carbs, Weber carbs, Weber carbs, Weber carbs, Weber carbs, Weber carbs, 260@5000 260@5000 260@5000 260@5000 260@5000 260@5000 290@5200 8.5:1cr 8.5:1cr 8.5:1cr 8.5:1cr 8.5:1cr 8.5:1cr 8.5:1cr 5­speed, or 5­speed, or 5­speed, or 5­speed, or 5­speed, or 5­speed, or 5­speed, or automatic automatic automatic automatic automatic automatic automatic production production production production production production production Frua x1 Frua x83 Frua x149 Frua x113 Frua x193 Frua x140 Frua x80

96 97 1963 19641965 1966 1967 1968 1969

customer cars 4709cc Once again a new Maserati series was based on a special request order for a new 2+2 in the classic sixties, low body line, large greenhouse style. Here the body was de­ signed by Michelotti and produced by the light steel master at Vignale. Mexico Mexico Mexico 93.9x85mm 93.9x85mm 93.9x85mm 4709cc 4709cc 4709cc Quad Cam Quad Cam Quad Cam Triplex chain Triplex chain Triplex chain cam drive cam drive cam drive 4 dual­barrel 4 dual­barrel 4 dual­barrel Weber carbs, Weber carbs, Weber carbs, 290@5000 290@5000 290@5000 8.5:1cr 8.5:1cr 8.5:1cr 5­speed, or 5­speed, or 5­speed, or automatic automatic automatic

production production production Vignale x15 Vignale x97 Vignale x138

98 99 1963 19641965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970

customer cars 3694cc 4014cc Proceeding further into the realm of high performance Maserati introduced the Mistral. Designed by Frua and built at Maggiore of Turin, this finely detailed coupe moved close to the Berlinetta traditions. The two ‘occa­ sional seats’ had been removed resulting in the wheelbase reduction of 100mm to 2400, and made available ini­ tially with the reworked 3.7 liter engine, then the 4.0, its elegance belied its high performance credentials. 3500GTi 3500GTi 3500GTi 3500GTi 3500GTi 3500GT 3500GT 3500GT 86X106mm 86X106mm 86X106mm 86X106mm 86X106mm 88X110mm 88X110mm 88X110mm 3694cc 3694cc 3694cc 3694cc 3694cc 4014cc 4014cc 4014cc 245@5200 245@5200 245@5200 245@5200 245@5200 255@5200 255@5200 255@5200 88:1cr 88:1cr 88:1cr 88:1cr 88:1cr 8.8:1cr 8.8:1cr 8.8:1cr Twin Cam Twin Cam Twin Cam Twin Cam Twin Cam Twin Cam Twin Cam Twin Cam Triplex chain Triplex chain Triplex Triplex chain Triplex chain Triplex chain Triplex chain Triplex chain cam drive cam drive chain cam cam drive cam drive cam drive cam drive cam drive Twin plug Twin plug drive Twin plug Twin plug Twin plug Twin plug Twin plug Lucas indi­ Lucas indi­ Twin plug Lucas indi­ Lucas indi­ Lucas indi­ Lucas indi­ Lucas indi­ rect fuel in­ rect fuel in­ Lucas indi­ rect fuel in­ rect fuel in­ rect fuel in­ rect fuel in­ rect fuel in­ jection jection rect fuel in­ jection jection jection jection jection 5­speed 5­speed jection 5­speed 5­speed 5­speed 5­speed 5­speed 5­speed production production production production production production production production Frua coupe’ Frua coupe’ Frua coupe’ Frua coupe’ Frua coupe’ Frua coupe’ Frua coupe’ x1 x99 Frua coupe’ x218 x199 x109 x23 x2 x177 Frua spyder Frua spyder Frua spyder Frua spyder Frua spyder Frua spyder x17 Frua spyder x29 x24 x12 x6 x1 x31

100 101 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1962 19631964 1965 1966 1967 1968

Colombo / Taddeucci V8 DOHC Alfieri V8 DOHC Alfieri V12 DOHC 1493.3cc Alfieri V12 DOHC competition cars competition cars competition cars competition cars With the potential of a new prototype class Alfieri returned The fatal accident that de­ Though primary focus of Maserati by ‘62 For the new 3­liter F1 for­ to traditional concepts for a High speed LeMans coupe. A stroyed Col. Simone’s Type had become tooling up for series produc­ mula Alfieri pulled out the large tube frame, engine in front and the deDion rear end. 151 did not destroy his tion of road cars, Alfieri liked to keep his Type 64 powerplant as a Cunningham ordered two, Simone the French distributor French dreams of a Maserati hand in the F1 game. With mid­engine cars starting point for the facto­ one. Success was elusive as the cars went off into the private victory at Sarthe. He imme­ now the accepted engineering formula for ries new partnership with mechanical care of the owners. Returning to the factory for diaetly ordered a new car. F1, Alfieri proceeded to create an engine just Cooper. The advancing tech­ annual modification, while lacking the constant evolution­ Here Alfieri revisited the a step forward from the new norm. The en­ nological requirement of F1, ary oversight and factory development testing that would complex framing and mid­ gine was not only a quad cam V12, with an demanding such presise in­ have produced success. engine layout of the Type 64. in­unit transmission, but was also of trans­ tegration of engineering be­ verse design. Responsibility being great and Type 151 Type 151 Type 151 Type 151 Type 65 Type 65 tween chassis & engine funds being short, the engine wasn’t fin­ builders, was to prevent this 91x75.8mm 94x89mm 94x89mm 95x89mm 95x89mm 95x89mm ished and fully tested until 1964. This left from being a smooth and little time for potential buyers to engineer 3943.9cc 4941.1cc 4941.1cc 5046.8cc 5046.8cc 5046.8cc fully realized relationship. their cars for this radical design. But, this 360@7000 430@7000 430@7000 430@7000 430@7000 430@7000 most adventurous design was not to vanish Type 9/F1 Type 10/F1 9.7:1cr 9:1cr 9:1cr 9:1cr 9:1cr 9:1cr from automotive history. It is interesting to 4 dual­barrel 4 dual­barrel 4 dual­barrel Lucas indirect Lucas indi­ Lucas indi­ 70.4x64mm 75.2x56mm Weber carbs Weber carbs Weber carbs fuel injection, note that a member of Alfieri’s staff was 2989.5cc 2984.7 rect fuel rect fuel Gian Paolo Dallara, who left Maserati dual ignition dual ignition dual ignition dual ignition, injection, injection, 360@9000 380@9800 five speed five speed five speed five speed shortly there after and went on to design the 11:1cr 11.8:1cr dual ignition, dual ignition, Miura for Lamborghini as chief designer. transaxle, transaxle, transaxle, transaxle, de­ five speed five speed Lucas indi­ Lucas indi­ deDion deDion deDion Dion transaxle, de­ transaxle, de­ Type 8/F1 rect injection rect injection dual transis­ dual transis­ production modified modified modified Dion Dion 55.2x52mm x3 torised igni­ torised igni­ Modified 1493.3cc tion tion 200@12,000 five speed five speed 12:1cr Lucas indirect injection, dual ignition, six speed

102 103 1967 19681969 1970 1971 1972 1973

customer cars 4709cc 4930.6cc Here we see the same evolution as from the Sebring to the Mistral with the V8; from the 2 + 2 to the Berlinetta. While with the Mistral its elegance belied its sporting Berlinetta character, here Giugiaro redefines the category. The perfection of line, volume and proportion is a Mid­Century masterpiece that clearly fore­ shadows the future of automotive design. In doing so it transforms the Italian two seater from brutal compe­ tition breed Berlinetta to executive jet. The spyder is unequaled in contemporary elegance. Ghibli Ghibli Ghibli Ghibli SS Ghibli SS Ghibli SS Ghibli SS 93.9x85mm 93.9x85mm 93.9x85mm 93.9x89mm 93.9x89mm 93.9x89mm 93.9x89mm 4709cc 4709cc 4709cc 4930.6cc 4930.6cc 4930.6cc 4930.6cc Quad Cam Quad Cam Quad Cam Quad Cam Quad Cam Quad Cam Quad Cam Triplex chain Triplex chain Triplex chain Triplex chain Triplex chain Triplex chain Triplex chain cam drive cam drive cam drive cam drive cam drive cam drive cam drive 4 dual­barrel 4 dual­barrel 4 dual­barrel 4 dual­barrel 4 dual­barrel 4 dual­barrel 4 dual­barrel Weber carbs, Weber carbs, Weber carbs, Weber carbs, Weber carbs, Weber carbs, Weber carbs, 330@5500 330@5500 330@5500 transistorised transistorised transistorised transistorised 8.5:1cr 8.5:1cr 8.5:1cr ignition ignition ignition ignition 5­speed, or 5­speed, or 5­speed, or 335@5500 335@5500 335@5500 335@5500 automatic automatic automatic 8.5:1cr 8.5:1cr 8.5:1cr 8.5:1cr 5­speed, or 5­speed, or production production production 5­speed, or 5­speed, or automatic automatic Ghia (Giur­ Ghia (Giur­ Ghia (Giur­ automatic automatic giaro) coupe’ giaro) coupe’ giaro) coupe’ production production production production x87 x276 x270 Ghia (Giur­ Ghia (Giur­ Ghia (Giur­ Ghia (Giur­ giaro) coupe’ giaro) coupe’ giaro) coupe giaro) coupe’ spyder x21 x216 x158 x137 x5 spyder x62 spyder x27 spyder x15

104 105 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975

customer cars 4135.8cc 4930.6cc The Indy picked up where the Mexico left off. Only its performance was an impressive step beyond what Michelotti had done previously. Here he had designed and Vignale had built a 2 + 2 in the contemporary aero idiom. The chassis Maserati produced spoke to this in its ability to transport four people in comfort up the autobahn at 150mph. Indy Indy Indy Indy Indy Indy 88x85mm 88x85mm 88x85mm 88x85mm 93.9x89 93.9x89 4135.8cc 4135.8cc 4135.8cc 4135.8cc 4930.6cc 4930.6cc Quad Cam 260@5500 or 260@5500 or 260@5500 or 335@5500 335@5500 Triplex chain 93.9x89 93.9x89 93.9x85 Quad Cam Quad Cam cam drive 4709cc 4709cc 4709cc Triplex chain Triplex chain 4 dual­barrel 290@5500 290@5500 290@5500 cam drive cam drive Weber carbs, Quad Cam Quad Cam Quad Cam 4 dual­barrel 4 dual­barrel 260@5500 Triplex chain Triplex chain Triplex chain Weber carbs, Weber carbs, 8.5:1cr cam drive cam drive cam drive 8.5:1cr 8.5:1cr 5­speed, or 4 dual­barrel 4 dual­barrel 4 dual­barrel Bosch elec­ Bosch elec­ automatic Weber carbs, Weber carbs, Weber carbs, tronic igni­ tronic igni­ 8.5:1cr tion production 8.5:1cr 8.5:1cr tion ignition Bosch elec­ 5­speed, or Vignale Bosch elec­ Bosch elec­ 5­speed, or tronic automatic coupe’ x83 tronic igni­ tronic igni­ automatic 5­speed, or tion tion production production automatic 5­speed, or 5­speed, or Vignale Vignale automatic production automatic coupe’ x221 coupe’ x47 Vignale production production coupe’ x263 Vignale Vignale coupe’ x276 coupe’ x246

106 107 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978

customer cars As the sixties came to a close Maserati called upon Giorgetto Giugiaro again. He had left Ghia and started his own firm ItalDesign. Ital was a far different company than the traditional Carrozzeria. Ital was a design and ad­ vanced engineering firm. So Ital would provide a fully engineered and finished running prototype. What Maserati had in mind for this new car would indeed be advancing into uncharted territory. The Trident re­ quested a mid­engine car to build upon the character of the Executive Jet style established by the Ghibli. More than a design fantasy like the Miura, and also of greater substance than a spare race bred midengine road car like the GT40. Solid sound proofing, finely detailed comfort, a trunk capable of carrying more than a brief case, and high performance road manners that didn’t require a Super License. A modern mid­engine in which a high speed conversation could be conducted, while wearing a suit that was still pressed when you arrived. Bora Bora Bora Bora Bora Bora Bora Bora 88x85mm 88x85mm 88x85mm 88x85mm 88x85mm 88x85mm 88x85mm 88x85mm 4709cc 4709cc 4709cc 4709cc 4709cc 4709cc 4709cc 4709cc 330@5500 330@5500 330@5500 330@5500 330@5500 330@5500 330@5500 330@5500 8.5:1cr 8.5:1cr 8.5:1cr 8.5:1cr 8.5:1cr 8.5:1cr 8.5:1cr 8.5:1cr Quad Cam Quad Cam Quad Cam Quad Cam Quad Cam Quad Cam Quad Cam Quad Cam Triplex chain Triplex chain Triplex chain Triplex chain Triplex chain Triplex chain Triplex chain Triplex chain cam drive cam drive cam drive cam drive cam drive cam drive cam drive cam drive 4 dual­barrel 4 dual­barrel 4 dual­barrel 4 dual­barrel 4 dual­barrel 4 dual­barrel 4 dual­barrel 4 dual­barrel Weber carbs, Weber carbs, Weber carbs, Weber carbs, Weber carbs, Weber carbs, Weber carbs, Weber carbs, Bosch elec­ Bosch elec­ Bosch elec­ Bosch elec­ Bosch elec­ Bosch elec­ Bosch elec­ Bosch elec­ tronic igni­ tronic igni­ tronic igni­ tronic igni­ tronic igni­ tronic igni­ tronic igni­ tronic igni­ tion tion tion tion tion tion tion tion 5­speed 5­speed 5­speed 5­speed 5­speed 5­speed 5­speed 5­speed production production production production production production production production x11 x162 x138 x72 x56 x6 x25 x25

108 109 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 customer cars V6 2965cc The basis of the Citroen investment in Maserati was the development of an engine for their forthcoming high performance sedan, the SM. To meet the unique ergonomic requirements of this front drive perform­ ance car the C 114 engine was developed by Alfieri. His strategy was simplicty itself. He removed a couple of cylinders from the indestructable V8. For further compactness he reduced bore & stroke. The resultant Quad cam V6 was the perfect engine to reintroduce the six cylinder line of Maserati. To power a Maserati engine performance was increased. The choice of chassis for this reintroduction met the needs of a company in flux and the standards of a modern high performance road car from the Trident. The chassis of the Bora was brought in for a bit of modification and the modified C 114 was place in lengthwise; the way an engine was meant to be placed behind the driver. Merak Merak Merak Merak SS Merak SS Merak SS & Merak SS & 91.6x75mm 91.6x75mm 91.6x75mm 91.6x75mm 91.6x75mm 2000 2000 2965.4cc 2965.4cc 2965.4cc 2965.4cc 2965.4cc 80X66.3 mm 80X66.3 mm 190@6000 190@6000 190@6000 208@5800 208@5800 1999.6cc 1999.6cc 8.75:1cr 8.75:1cr 8.75:1cr 9:1cr 9:1cr 159@7100 159@7100 Quad Cam Quad Cam Quad Cam Quad Cam Quad Cam 9:1cr 9:1cr Triplex Triplex Triplex Triplex Triplex Quad Cam Quad Cam chain cam chain cam chain cam chain cam chain cam Triplex Triplex drive drive drive drive drive chain cam chain cam 3 dual-bar- 3 dual-bar- 3 dual-bar- 3 dual-bar- 3 dual-bar- drive drive rel Weber rel Weber rel Weber rel Weber rel Weber 3 dual-barrel 3 dual-barrel carbs, carbs, carbs, carbs, carbs, Weber carbs, Weber carbs, Bosch elec- Bosch elec- Bosch elec- Bosch elec- Bosch elec- Bosch elec- Bosch elec- tronic igni- tronic igni- tronic igni- tronic igni- tronic igni- tronic igni- tronic igni- tion tion tion tion tion tion tion 5-speed 5-speed 5-speed 5-speed 5-speed 5-speed 5-speed production production production production production production production x17 x306 x312 x179 x125 SS x90 SS x134 2000x52 2000x50 110 111 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978

customer cars The early seventies witnessed a rapid transformation in automotive design. The Italian school was moving with a pace similar to the rapid creative expansion of the post war pe­ riod. One of the designers at the forefront of this accelerated pace was Marcello Gandini, an­ other young designer brought along by Nuccio Bertone. At the Turin show of ‘72 Bertone showed a worthy replacement for both the Indy and Ghibli, the Khamsin. Khamsin Khamsin Khamsin Khamsin Khamsin Khamsin 93.9x89mm 93.9x89mm 93.9x89mm 93.9x89mm 93.9x89mm 93.9x89mm 4930.6cc 4930.6cc 4930.6cc 4930.6cc 4930.6cc 4930.6cc 280@5500 280@5500 280@5500 280@5500 280@5500 280@5500 8.5:1cr 8.5:1cr 8.5:1cr 8.5:1cr 8.5:1cr 8.5:1cr Quad Cam Quad Cam Quad Cam Quad Cam Quad Cam Quad Cam Triplex chain Triplex chain Triplex chain Triplex chain Triplex chain Triplex chain cam drive cam drive cam drive cam drive cam drive cam drive 4 dual­barrel 4 dual­barrel 4 dual­barrel 4 dual­barrel 4 dual­barrel 4 dual­barrel Weber carbs, Weber carbs, Weber carbs, Weber carbs, Weber carbs, Weber carbs, Bosch elec­ Bosch elec­ Bosch elec­ Bosch elec­ Bosch elec­ Bosch elec­ tronic igni­ tronic igni­ tronic igni­ tronic igni­ tronic igni­ tronic igni­ tion tion tion tion tion tion 5­speed, or 5­speed, or 5­speed, or 5­speed, or 5­speed, or 5­speed, or automatic automatic automatic automatic automatic automatic production production production production production production x64 x102 x26 x80 x80 x80

112 113 but I barely got it home. The gas tanks had a guy in Europe. And the guy in Europe Chapter Three rust in them, and, you know, because it was was the first owner, so he was the second fuel injected, it certainly had problems with owner of it. It had about forty­two thou­ How to running, but it ran good enough to get it sand kilometers on it. He had started tak­ home. So, once I got it home, I started ing it apart, you know, to repaint it, cleaning the fuel injection (taking it) apart because the paint was a mess. When I got and cleaning the gas tanks out and all the it, all the paint had been stripped off, it was Fill a garagewithout really trying filters and, changed all the fluids. And bare aluminum. The engine and the run­ then the car ran good.” ning gear were in the car. So he had all the “And then you were instantly in the deep parts. It ran fine. After spending a couple of minutes dis­ wanted to buy a Maserati? Which came end.” “And I went to look at it and bought it. cussing the winter weather, something first, the opportunity at the blind auction “Right. (Laughter) Exactly.” Well, I drove it home too, even though it Midwesterner’s do in the winter when one or the desire to own a Maser?” “So that was about 1982. Now, which was basically, well, all of the trim was off is in California, I approached the salient “Well, you know, I lived in Europe from was the next one? of, the bumpers and everything. His ware­ subject 1961 to 1963, and that was kind of a fun “Well, the Vignale Spyder, yeah, I think house was in Hayward, where he kept his “So, Gene if you want to stay outside time to be in Europe, with Maserati run­ the Vignale Spyder was my second car. cars, and I decided to drive it home to and play since the weather’s so nice, I can ning at Le Mans and some of the other ex­ And that, I had gone to a, no, it actually Freemont, about 15 miles. call tomorrow.” citing tracks. So you couldn’t help but get had to be a little later than that, because my “I got about halfway home in Union City “ No, today’s fine.” excited about it. I mean, obviously, Ferrari second car was probably the Mistral. I and stopped at a stop light, and the wind­ “Okay. Good. So, why don’t we start was doing the same thing, but somehow I bought it from Norbert McNamara, who shield was covered with what I thought first things first, I guess? Was the 3500 the got excited about Maseratis rather than had been a doctor with the Army, he was water. So I thought a radiator hose first Maser that you got?” Ferrari. brought it back from Italy in 1975. You’ve broke. Well, it turned out it was a gas line “Well, the first one I got was the Se­ “And I saw this one in, well, it was in probably heard of him, he was quite fa­ that broke, and it was spraying gasoline on bring, not the 3500.” the newspaper at the time. The Stanford mous for owning really exotic and rare the windshield, because, you know, that “Really?” Credit Union had repossessed it or some­ Abarths. He had two or three Abarth race­ Lucas fuel injection has 100 psi fuel. So, the “Yeah, I bought the Sebring first in, oh, thing. So I went over and looked at it and cars, you know, that looked like miniature main fuel line had sprung a leak, and it probably in 1980. I don’t remember the put a bid on it. Then I went back three CanAm cars.” was spraying gas on the engine. Why I exact date, but I think it was like 1980. But times and raised my own bid, because it “Really? Yeah, I know the ones.” didn’t go up in flames I’ll never know. But I actually bought it, I bought the Sebring was a blind auction. So I wound up buy­ “Yeah, but, anyway, well, he died about I stopped and cut the gas line off and put it from the Stanford Credit Union at a blind ing it. That was kind of my start.” ten years ago. But, I mean, he had quite a back on with a clamp and drove it on auction.” “And what kind of condition was it in?” collection of cars. I don’t even remember home, so . . . “How did it come about that you “Well, it was, I drove it home, I mean, where I met him, but he mentioned he had “Geez. So now at this point, now this is, this Mistral coupe that he had bought from and what year was this now?”

114 115 “Well, this was probably 1984, ‘85, ”Yeah” Chuckling. “But, I never needed “So now had you started collecting about a year or two later after I brought it. parts? Where did you stand with that, be­ the Sebring. “I mean, the Lucas, when it is set up cause you have such an extensive parts col­ “And, since the car had already been right, is a great, outstanding, fuel injection. lection now?” stripped, I treated the aluminum, applied This is the fourth, well the second actually, “Well, at the time, I didn’t have any un­ a coat of epoxy primer. There was some but I’ve had three others, with the Lucas, usual cars. You know, as a kid, my dad corrosion around the rear wheel arches, I and they have all run better than the carbu­ had a gas station, and I worked for him ground this out and welded up the holes. retor cars. reparing cars and rebuilt various engines Then, I, put down several coats of Poly­ “Also, you know, when I was doing all for Oldsmobiles and Fords and Chevys and ester primer, sanding it all flat each time. I that work, twenty five years ago, I rebuilt whatever. So, I was very much in tune had some shop in Fremont spray it, the the brakes, and had the original Borroni with automobiles. In fact, I mean, I’d race original color, with Acrylic Lacquer. That wire wheels rebuilt with stainless steel stock cars at the time. I had a, well, it was paint’s been on there twenty five years, spokes. called a super modified at the time. It was and still looks pretty good. “And I have to say, the Mistral, this actually a Ford chassis with a ‘55 Olds 88 “The interior and carpet are all original, coupe, has always been one of my favorite engine in it and a Crosley body. So that never replaced any of it. cars to drive. It starts, and runs with no was my stock car. “And, you know, all the running gear is hesitation. And, in the twenty six years I’ve “Wait a minute. It had a Crosley body the original, even the Lucas dry type fuel owned it, I’ve never had a problem with it. with an Oldsmobile engine?” injection. I rebuilt distributor on the Lucas injector, with Viton O’rings, and, you know, it’s worked without a problem for twenty five years. It also, it still has the original Lucas fuel pump, which, in my opinion, causes most of the problem with that Lucas system. “I do,” Gene continued with a chuckle, “carry a spare Bosch pump when I travel, but you know, I’ve never needed it. And we’ve taken this car on several long trips to LA, and San Luis Obispo, and Lake Tahoe.” “And always with that Bosch fuel pump in back with the luggage.”

116 “Right.” on them, but that wasn’t a big problem… home and pulled the engine out and rebuilt in the U.S. (laughter) the most difficult part was the fuel injec­ the engine. While apart I balanced and “But, of course, one of the major prob­ “And that was your circle track racer?” tion, because that was really, you know, blueprinted the engine, replaced the origi­ lems with Maserati, they never had any, “So, yeah, it was a dirt track racer, that was unique to me and to almost any­ nal valves with stainless steel valves. there was never any manuals that told you right.” body. I mean, there was nobody around “You know, I’ve driven that Khamsin how to do anything. You just, you know, “Right. And you were doing this here that would work on fuel injection. over thirty thousand miles and had very you had parts books that showed you how, where, in the Midwest?” Both the Mistral and the Sebring were the few problems. I’ve checked the valve clear­ what the parts looked like and where, basi­ “In St. Louis.” Lucas fuel injected cars. ance every five thousand miles, and in cally, where they went, but there was no in­ “In St. Louis.” “So that was my first two. In fact, I think twenty five thousand, I’ve only had to ad­ structions on how to fit things together. So “Yeah, that’s where I was born and my third car was a Khamsin, actually, you just three valves. Unleaded gas hasn’t had I basically just used my background experi­ raised.” know, I have to correct myself, I bought any effect on that engine or those valves. ence and knew what rod clearances should “And how old were you when you were the Khamsin the year before the Mistral. It “One thing I did, when I was doing the be and distance clearances and those kinds doing this?” was a Khamsin that kind of leads into the engine, I retarted the cams, to European of things from rebuilding other engines “Oh, 16, 17.” story of the Vignale Spyder. But that was specs. When it was done, when I took it along the way.” “Because that’s some of the, that’s some another Khamsin.” out, it had outstanding performance above “But no shop manuals were available at of the finest training you can get is circle “Not surprised you can’t keep them three thousand, great, but, nothing below, all at the time?” track racing.” straight after all this time. I’m writing this very little pull below three thousand rpm. I “No, they finally came out with a shop “Oh, yeah. Yeah, that teaches you how down and I can’t keep the timeline.” realized this was the wrong thing to do, it manual about 1985 for the Quattroporte III. to drive a car that’s loose, that’s for sure.” “Yeah,” chuckling. “So, I bought this has an automatic. So, I set them back, the There was a good shop manual for the “Absolutely, it does.” Khamsin, and again, just saw an ad in the cams, to US spec, and recovered the low Quattroporte, and, of course, a lot of that “You don’t ever worry about, you know, paper, and it was in San Jose, another re­ end torque. information was usable for the other V8 en­ a car sliding on the gravel or even on ice. I possessed car, by the way. And it had all “And, actually, that was the first Maserati gines, because basically, the Quattroporte mean, you know instantly what to do kinds of title problems and, well, car prob­ engine that I rebuilt. engine is very similar to the Khamsin or the when you run on dirt.” lems. I mean, the car wouldn’t run. They “What did you find as far as the quality Ghibli engine. “Absolutely. That’s incredible. So, con­ told me that before it bought it. construction of materials when you got “Um­hmm. And what did you think sequently, getting the Masers, then, was “But, at the time, this was ’84 I think, into this? about the Khamsin itself? Now that chassis no great mystery. You immediately were the car was only like eight years old. But, “Well, you know, once you get the heads layout was, what, a transaxle in the back?” diving into them with a wrench in hand.” it sat outside in the sun for three or four off of a four­cam engine, they really aren’t “Actually the Khamsin has, the rear end “Right. Yeah, I mean, that’s, it was not a years, so the paint was all checked and that different than the other engines. I in the Khamsin is basically the same as on big deal. But, you know, certainly, cracked. And the guy had melted a pis­ mean, the Maserati engine was an alloy an XKE Jaguar. In fact, the parts are even Maserati engines were different than ton, so there was one cylinder that had block with cast iron liners that you have to interchangeable. The differential and the Chevys, Fords, and Oldsmobiles. So it zero compression. shrink into the block. I mean, it’s certainly axles and the U­joints and, I mean, all of took me some time to learn how to work “Anyway, I bought it and brought it different than anything that was being built those parts are basically interchangeable

118 119 with Jaguar XKE, so that’s basically, and land, both, like I said, the frontend sus­ the same with the front end. The front pension parts and the rear differential end suspension and all those parts were and, you know, they all had Girling all currently being used on Jaguars, either brakes. And most of the brakes are inter­ on not necessarily an XKE but usually on changeable with something in England, the Mark III or Mark IV sedans that they either, you know, an Aston Martin or a were building. Jensen or something like that. I mean, “Now when you say that, are you say­ sometimes, Jaguar, but the brakes were ing that basically it was the same supply usually interchangeable with some other source that was providing the suspen­ car in England, not necessarily Jaguar. sion pieces?” “That’s interesting. So you found your­ “Yes. It was the same supply stores out self able, then, to, or were you, to refer­ of England that was making the differen­ ence the Jag shop manuals for any kind of tial, which is, oh, heck, I can’t remember suspension issues, front or rear.” the name of the company, but it’s, today, “Right. Exactly. I actually bought parts that same basic differential is being used from Jaguar, because they were, one, in Chryslers and Ford trucks and, oh, I available, and, I mean, even if they were don’t know why I can’t think of that name, available from Maserati, they were four or but,” five times the price. So, you know, actu­ “Was it ZF out of Germany?” ally getting the parts from Jaguar, they “...no, it was out of England, and the were readily available, and, you know, at differential was basically out of England. much lower cost.” And, again, it was the one in the 3500 and “So if you were getting them from the Mistral and the Sebring, they were all Maserati, they were actually being trans­ solid axles like the early Jaguars, but, basi­ shipped from England to Italy and then cally, Maserati didn’t build them. You shipped to you from Italy? know, they just bought parts from various “Oh, absolutely, yes.” people. The company was Salsbury which “So it was much easier to go to a Jag is now Dana. dealer and just buy the bits?” “I mean, you’re right. They used ZF for “Right, yeah.” their transmissions and some of the steer­ (laughter) ing boxes were ZF, but, actually, most of “When I had it painted, I sent you a the parts, apparently, came out of Eng­ photo just before, I painted it metallic

120 121 black, with the red interior it looked really sages going to the head. The Sebring had that when you say the ’57 3500 engines money to do a major redesign, reengineer, good. I also changed over from the US internal oil passages. with the external oil pipes, in that setup, recasting, manufacturing process through­ spec bumpers and tail lights to the Euro­ “Cast into the block itself?” then, that was exactly how they ran as the put to produce a road car engine.” pean setup. Looks much better. “Yeah, right.” 350S’s.” “That’s correct, yeah. They didn’t build a “And, other things I did to the Khamsin, “Now this implies a dramatic evolution “Yes, I mean, the 350 or 350S engine was special engine just for road cars. I mean, over the years, I replaced the hydraulic between the 3500’s engine and the Se­ where they derived the 3500 engine. And, I they basically just took the racing engines pump and accumulators. Also, let’s see, bring’s 3500 engine.” mean, it looks like the only major differ­ and modified them and detuned them, the steering bearing in the idler arm, I re­ “Well, it’s not dramatic. Actually there ence between a 350S engine and a 3500 was lowered the compression ratio and put on placed those, water was seeping into the was an early 3500 engine, you know, in they went from a magneto to a distributor, distributors, like I said, and cam chain. But bearings. And, well, also the water pump, the ’57, ’58 range that, see, it actually had which was a lot more user�friendly on the the basic engine is very similar to the race and the carburetors accelerator pumps, I an external cam chain tensioner and exter­ street, and they had gear­driven cams in engine. replaced. And, one thing I did, a couple of nal oil pump on the engine, which is dif­ the 350S. So they went to a chain­driven “So now what happened? Now you got years ago, was install a MSD ignition, I ferent from the, then they went to an cam system rather than a gear­driven cam that Khamsin and the Mistral. Now that’s had been having trouble passing smog, internal chain tensioner and internal oil system, again, because it’s a lot quieter and not the same Khamsin you have now, is it? and it made a great difference, with, you pump in ’59 or ’60. more street friendly, if you will, for a street “Well, I sold it about three years ago, but, know, low speed emissions. “Then in ’61 or ’62 they started building car. yes, that was the same Khamsin.” “So, the Khamsin V8 is essentially an the fuel injection engines as well. And you “And the engine architecture, the chain “Really?” Italian wet­liner engine.” could get carburetors in engines clear up setup was still very much like the gear “In fact, yeah, I owned it for, you know, “Right. Yeah, it’s very similar to, you to ’64, but they started building the fuel setup, was it not, and the heads?” 25 years, right?” know, the technology used in an Alfa injected engines in 1961, ’62. So I don’t “Well, yeah, it’s pretty easy to see how “I didn’t know that. For some reason I Romeo, for example, which, I mean, they know if it was coincidental, or exactly they used the same castings, really, for the thought you had acquired that Khamsin re­ only had four­cylinder cars or and some what all the details are, but as I said, they gear setup. It’s just they modified it and cently when I saw it. I donʹt know what six�cylinder cars at the time. But, I mean, went from the external oil lubrication for didn’t have the bearings and shafts in there gave me that impression, but I . . .” yeah, the technology is very similar to the heads to the internal oil passage cast for the gears and, you know, went to the “No, I had had that since, like I said, what Alfa Romeo uses.” into the block. chains just because it was quieter and a lit­ 1984 “Yeah, it’s got the oil passages cast in “Now does . . .” tle more durable and and probably a lot “And why did you sell it? What pos­ the block going up to the heads with the “And it started at 3500 and then, you less costly too. sessed you to sell it?” cylinders sitting in the soup.” know, the 3700 engine in the Mistral or the “Because that’s the kind of answers, and “Oh, I don’t know, just, one of those “Right. Well, you know, the early four­liter engine in the Mistral, you know, that’s the kind of stories I was looking for­ times, kind of like now, where I thought I Maserati engines actually had external oil was basically the same type of engine ward to getting was the close association of had too many cars and, not enough time to pipes going up to the head. I mean, later with, but just bigger bore and stroke.” the road car engines to the racing engines take care of everything. And because I on they moved them internal. But, like “Now one of the things that I’ve always, being a result of the small industrial foot­ think at the time I had six, older, vintage the Vignale Spyder has external oil pas­ that I certainly wanted to explore here is print that they had. They really hadn’t the Maseratis. I had a 3500 coupe, and the two

122 123 Mistrals, and I had the Sebring. And so, I thing, but I knew I wanted a 3500 Vignale mean, I actually sold the Sebring first, in Spyder at the time, because I had certainly 2005, and then I sold the Mistral, a couple seen a lot of pictures of them, and I had years later. So but I still have too many seen a couple of them at a couple of cars. It seems like it just keeps happening, Maserati meets that I had gone to, so I you know. knew what the car looked like. “Right, and one of the great parts de­ “And, like I said, he lived in Reno. In partments as well.” fact, at one time, he, probably ten years “Right. (laughter) Yeah, well, that’s before this, he was actually the mayor of how you keep them running, right?” Reno. But he’s a real car nut and still is. “So tell me about getting the 3500.” So I went to Reno and picked the car up. I “Well, I had gone to an auction in Fre­ mean, it was running, but, again, he had mont, you know, an automobile auction, started to disassemble the car and strip because they had a Khamsin advertised. the paint off, but he was doing it by hand. So I went down there to look at it and “So, he was grinding it down with a draft a bid on it and then maybe own a grinder, and it looked, it was about ten second one. different shades, because the car was pur­ “It turned out this guy from Reno ple when he had it. And before it was bought it, who was Sam Dibitonto. So he purple, it was red. Before it was red, it bought the car, and the car wouldn’t start was black. Before it was black, it was the and run. And since I already had one, and original silver. So it had all these shades knew the basics about getting them start­ of paint on it that showed through after he ing and running, I helped him get it started grinding down. So, I towed that started and running. And, again, it was home. I didn’t drive it home. But the car the fuel filter was plugged up, and so it was runable, but there were just so many wasn’t a big deal. But once we got that pieces I couldn’t get them all in the car. squared away, it ran pretty good. So, I borrowed a trailer and went up and “Then we were talking. He says, well, towed the car home.” now I’ve got this 3500 Vignale Spyder I’ve “So was the 3500 your first major got to get rid of, because I don’t have restoration project from kind of a ground- enough room for all these cars. And I up situation?” said, okay, I’ll buy it. You know, I never “Well, not really. I mean, they all were, saw it, never looked at it, never did any­ you know, except the Sebring. The Mistral

124 was disassembled and stripped of paint got more work done then than I do now completely. I mean, the Sebring was my when I don’t have anything else to do but driver at the time. But, the Mistral and the work on cars, play golf, and go fishing, Khamsin and the 3500 were all restoration right? projects.” (laughter) “When you brought the 3500 home, what “Yeah, well, it’s hard to repair the cars state were the other cars in?” when you’re in a stream looking for steel­ “Well, they were in the state of being re­ head.” conditioned, right? Like I said, I had the “Right. That’s right.” engine out of the Khamsin, at the time, re­ “So along the way, did you take any pic­ building it. I had also taken the body down tures of these works in progress as you to get it painted. I think at the same time, I were doing them?” probably had the Mistral painted within six “Yeah, I’ve got, I don’t have a lot of pic­ months to a year of the Khamsin. So both tures, but I have pictures of the cars, as I of these cars were repainted, you know, 25, got them, if you will, before I started work 28 years ago. on them. I don’t have many pictures along “And, you had all the trim and the wind­ the way. I have a few, but not very many. shields off and everything?” That never was my thing to take a lot of “Right. Yeah, I had disassembled them pictures, and, you know, at the time, in fact, all. it still isn’t. I mean, even with the age of “What year did you get the 3500? Now digital cameras and all that stuff, I don’t what year are we up to? take near enough pictures. When I’m “I think that was 1985, 1986, in that working on a project, I just spend my time range. I think, I still think it was 1986, so,” getting the project done, you know. “Pretty close to when you got the Mis­ “But I do have pictures of the Vignale tral.” Spyder as I got it and the Khamsin and, I’m “...yeah, I got the Mistral maybe six or sure, the Sebring and the Mistral. I think I eight months before I got the 3500.” have pictures of all the cars as I first bought “Gene, you were on a rave!” them. And they were all projects . . . except “Yeah,” the Sebring. The Sebring actually ran and (laughter) drove and did require very little work to “And I had a full­time job besides, but make it look decent. But, you know, actu­ somehow I was able to do it. It seems like I ally, it was the last car of the four that I re­

127 stored, and then I didn’t paint that until gine looked excellent, so I didn’t replace some time in the ‘90s.” the bearings or rings or anything. I did the “So it, essentially, was the driver that was valves and, the seats, because as long as inspiration for the other cars?” you’ve got the head off, that’s too easy a “Right. Exactly, yeah.” thing to do. But there was really nothing (laughter) wrong with anything. “ The one you can put down the wrench “It was just a matter of checking all the and go out for a drive in.” bearings, make sure the clearances were “ Well, I mean, I soon had all the cars to­ right, and, you know, examining all the gether and running. I think 1988 was the parts. I magnafluxed the crank to make first year that the vintage races in Monterey sure there were no cracks or anything. But, honored Maserati. That year I took six vin­ really, there was nothing wrong with the tage Maseratis and they all drove home. So engine. It was just the guy that had assem­ I felt that was a record.” bled the engine for Sam didn’t put the rear “Tell me about finally getting 3500 to­ main seal in right. In fact, you have to heat gether? But you were doing them all si­ it up in hot oil to about three hundred de­ multaneously, though, weren’t you?” grees so it’s soft and pliable, because it’s a “Exactly. Like I said, I had done the split seal. And then you have to open it up Khamsin and the Mistral. Actually, I had about 2­1/2” to slip it around the crank­ them almost completed by the time I got shaft. And the only way you can do that is the 3500 Vignale Spyder. So when I got it it if it’s really soft and pliable. needed all the interior and the top. I never “So it was obvious the guy didn’t do that, pulled the engine on the Vignale Spyder, because when I took the seal out, it had a because Sam had always told me that he bubble on the bottom, which you could see had just rebuilt the engine, and he had all where he’d, you know, the rubber had the receipts. stretched and didn’t go back to shape, so it “So the engine, basically, well, it ran never made a good seal on the oil pan. good, and it drove good. In fact, I drove “That was a problem with the engine. the car for 25 years, and never really had a But, like I said, I’ve got the engine back in problem from the engine except the rear now. I haven’t got it running, I’m probably main oil seal leaked. I just pulled the en­ only eight hours away from being able to gine last year and took it apart to fix the start and run the engine again. rear main seal. Everything inside the en­ “So you’d been driving with a little bit of

131 weeping oil on the backend of that for a that car, so the body work wasn’t major. It alwork was very, very good. You know, the panels and make sure they fit as opposed decade or more.” was mainly getting the old paint off and seams between of the panels was excellent, to a lot of original Ferraris, which kind of “For 20 years. I just did the cosmetics putting on new primer and sanding that which, certainly, isn’t the case with, a lot of look like they just threw them together, on it. I had the body stripped. Actually I flat and getting it repainted . . .” had the body sandblasted at the time, be­ “Now one of the things that’s been re­ cause the technology wasn’t available, re­ peated several times is the fine work that

ally, for bead blasting. And, like I said, it Vignale did as far as his lightweight steel­ had four or five layers of paint on it. There work on those bodies. How did you find wasn’t any bondo on it. There was some the quality of the construction and the rust that I had to cut out and weld in new steel on the 3500?” Ferraris. I mean, it really does seem like and they were more interested in getting panels, but it was really pretty minimal on “Yeah, I thought the quality of the met­ Maserati did a lot better job of matching them on the track than they were having

132 133 the car look good. But, yeah, Vignale did much as whether it was somebody saying, port the aluminum, if you will, like around in a temperate climate and not a hot and a good job with building the bodies.” hey, this is what we’re going to pay you to the fenders and they used thin seal tubing dry climate, so the leather survived real “And, basically, at the time, it was a case build the body. to actually form the peripheral of the alu­ well. where Maserati was sending the chassis, “Because, yeah, Pinin built the top­line minum, because it’s so soft that, it needs “And, of course, you know, I always take the rolling chassis to Turin and having the Ferrari bodies.” that extra support. care to make sure the leather gets treat­ body and the interior and everything built “Right.” “Who do you think was making the inte­ ment, whether it’s my, street cars that I’m up at Vignale, were they not?” “…and a lot of the designs that have riors for, say, the Mistral? Do you think driving every day or the vintage cars. I “That’s correct, yeah. Yeah, that’s kind been put forward by Pinin were built at Frua was doing that?” mean, like I said, I can, you can tell that a of the way the car started, you’re right. I Scaglietti’s place. So, that was one thing I “Yeah, I don’t really know. I could prob­ little bit of leather treatment goes a long mean, Maserati actually built the chassis, was curious about, whether you had ably do a little research and find that out, way to preserving leather. and then they sent them to, you know, ei­ found everything that has ever been said but I don’t really know. I mean, in fact, my “Yeah, it does. As always, a little care ther Vignale or Turin or Frua, whoever the about Vignale being the absolutely a mas­ Mistral has what is called pigskin, but I goes a long way.” body maker was, and had the body put ter of steelwork and that his steelwork don’t think it’s really pigskin. I think it’s “Yeah, exactly.” on. And from what I understand, some­ was just superb.” textured cowhide that looks like pigskin. (laughter) times the bodybuilder also did the inte­ “Right.” But the fact of the matter is, my Mistral has rior, but sometimes not. You know, “What did you think of the quality of the original interior in both the carpets and sometimes all they did was the metal­ Frua’s work on the Mistral?” the seats. There are no tears or rips in any­ work, and then sent it back in that fashion, “Well, the Mistral, of course, is all alloy thing. There’s a little shrinkage in a few and they would use somebody else to do body as opposed to steel. But, again, I places, but, the car is 40 years old, so . . .” the interior work on them.” thought the quality of the bodywork was “Really, go figure.” “And you found that basically the rule, excellent on the Mistral. Aluminum is cer­ “Yeah.” though, with all the Masers that you’ve tainly a different metal to work with. But, (laughter) had is the fact that the fit and finish, the you know, the two bodies are put together “You know, a lot of leather is pretty de­ quality of the fit and finish, you found to very similar where the panels were all pendent on how it’s been cared for over the be superior to the Ferraris that you’ve . . .” hand hammered out and then hammer years. I mean, it will go ten, fifteen, twenty “Oh, yeah, no question.” welded together, whether it was alu­ years without any care if it’s not exposed to “That’s interesting. And I wonder if minum or steel. So, I mean, Frua used the extreme temperatures. But, a little bit of that’s a case of if it’s the Scaglietti Ferraris same technology, if you will, for, putting hide food every four or five years does or if it’s the Pinin Ferraris as well, in com­ the bodies together that Vignale did for wonders for leather. I mean the Mistral ac­ parison, because . . .” the steel bodies. tually was in Italy for what, until, oh, prob­ “Well, I think Pininfarina built parts for “The same substructure method?” ably 1975, when this doctor bought it. He Maserati as well, a few, not a lot. But I “Right. Yeah, I mean, with aluminum, was in the Army, bought it in Italy and don’t know if it was the bodybuilder so you have to build a different frame to sup­ brought it back here. So it had always been

134 135 “ And, it all started with a blind auction.” “Yeah.” (laughter) Chapter Four

Looking Backto the begining

Back there, on page 34, in the 1931 col­ began undermining the sport. The public umn, there’s a notation. It tells how Ric­ wanted their favorite drivers piloting cars cardo Galeazzi ordered a Type V4, chassis of heroic proportion, at great speed. So number 4002. 4002 being a rolling chassis the formula moved from the manufactur­ of the inimitable sedici cilindro series, and ers’ competition of engineering directed by sent it over to Zagato’s. While the 26M the French Auto Club to a drivers’ compe­ had preceded it, with lights and fenders, tition. Cars of all manner and fashion this was to be, arguably perhaps, the first filled the grids. Left overs from the super­ customer ordered road car. It was an ec­ charged 2­liter formula, bored out and centric selection. blown, new unclassified cars like the The V16 was a product of the collapse of Bugatti T­35B of 2300cc, the Porsche de­ the 1.5 liter Grand Prix formula. A for­ signed Mercedes SSKs, with their 7­liters mula ironically from which Alfieri and the and long wheelbase. It was a mechanical brother’s brought forth the company. free for all, formalized and appropriately Where the two­liter GP formula of 1922 titled as Formula Libre. to 1925 saw great support, by the factories The brothers saw opportunity. and the public, the 1.5 formula witnessed So in the ingenious method of the super empty grids and grandstands. Just as rac­ tuner’s they were at heart, they took a cou­ ing was reaching a zenith of popularity for ple of their 26B straight eights, mated the spectators and the promoters, the less them at the crank, and created the 4 liter, than intense competitions of 1926 to 1929 dual roots blower – one for each crank ­

138 V16. Though by definition only a four ance engineering and manufacture on liter, or 3961cc, it was a monster for the three continents. The long­term effect time. In its first appearances it stunned, being a stable growth of the firm’s bread the brothers, the drivers and the public. It and butter income, engineering & manu­ also brought into uncomfortable focus a facture of competition cars, and support of couple of evolving aspects of automobile privateers who bought their one to three engineering, tire technology, or lack of it, liter cars for the sixty­three annual races in and the speed retarding subtly of cable Italy, and the dozen’s more throughout Eu­ brakes. rope. First developed in 1929, the two 2­liter The year before they had been a race straight eight blocks and heads were shop known for limited production capa­ dropped into an Electron crankcase, of bilities within a small circle of enthusiasts. some width, crank­gear mated and given By year’s end their reputation as a high the series number 4001. It (they?) put out performance manufacturer was estab­ 280 horsepower at 5500 acoustically in­ lished in the public mind. Perhaps the lat­ tense revs. ter was greater than the sum of the parts, As part of the Cremona race, there were but it was made evident in practice by an held formal speed trials. The traditional order from Rome for a road car of impres­ two way run was the format, to be held on sive distinction. the 10k stretch between Gadesco and San Once the Zagato body, of some visual el­ Antonio. Best of two runs recorded a egance, was mounted upon that chassis, speed of 245.069 (152.278mph) with Borza­ leathered and instrumented, what the chini at the controls, or firmly holding brothers, with an assist by Ugo Zagato, onto the wood rim so as not to be sucked, had created was a muscle car. It was a or bounced, out of the cockpit. straight­line runner of intense response, The uneven results gained from the V4 and like the muscle cars to follow, corner­ can be aptly illustrated by two races run in ing was not its strong suit, and stopping 1930: Borzachini’s win at the Tunis GP and required planning. An unpaved road with the ignominious journey to Indy. a loose texture of gravel, native conditions Though seemingly poles apart in out­ of the period and region, and you have a come, these two events achieved very sim­ driving experience of heart stopping po­ experience of competition is realized in one and retold, in as many social settings as the ilar results. The name of the brothers firm tential. intimately visceral moment, to be shared enthusiasm of the listeners encourage. was now synonymous with high perform­ For the civilian beyond the circuit, the over numerous glasses of wine, to be told So are reputations made.

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