The Maserati story - racing and sports cars, nothing else mattered

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The Maserati story - racing and sports cars, nothing else mattered

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Created on September 1, 1973

Text:

Richard von Frankenberg

Photos:

Archiv Daimler AG

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Archiv Essen Motor Show

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Maserati

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Buch "Der Maserati 3015 - Seine Geschichte"

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AR-Archiv

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Archiv Hermann Schwarz

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Archiv

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Maserati 8C 2800 (1933) - Luigi Fagioli at the start of the Gaisberg race in 1933

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Mario Borzacchini together with the Maserati Tipo V4 (1929)

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Maserati Tipo 26 (1931) - classic front-engined racing car with in-line eight-cylinder engine

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Maserati Tipo V4 (1929) - there were only three of these 16-cylinder racing cars, the engine alone had 4300 parts

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Maserati Tipo 4 CM-1500 (1935) - 230 km/h fast

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Mercedes Benz SSK (1929) - Start of the 1929 Monza Grand Prix against tough competition from Maserati

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Alfa Romeo Monza, Maserati 8CM 3.0 L and Mercedes Benz W 25 on the front row of the grid at the German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring on July 15, 1934

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Maserati 8 CM (1933) - a race in Budapest in 1957, the 8 CM is significantly faster - picture from the book "The Maserati 3015 - Its History"

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Maserati Tipo 8 CM (1934) - with in-line eight-cylinder engine

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Mercedes Benz W 25 (1935) - Luigi Fagioli wins the Monaco Grand Prix on April 22, 1935 and overtakes Soffietti on a Maserati 8CM shortly before the Gasometer curve

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Maserati Tipo 8VRi (1934) - exceptionally with V8 engine

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Maserati 4CL (1940) - at the wheel none other than Gigi Villoresi - victory ahead!

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Maserati (1946) - Villoresi with his crew - they finish a good seventh in the 1946 Indy 500

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Maserati (1939) - 3-liter Maserati engine with two superchargers, used by Wilbur Shaw in Indianapolis - Race car show - Geneva Motor Show 1966

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Maserati Tipo 4 CLT (1948) - with four-cylinder, four-valve engine

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Maserati A6 1500 Pinin Farina (1947) - only the prototype had the flap-covered headlights

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Maserati A6 1500 Pinin Farina (1947) - Prototype in front of the factory in Modena

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Maserati A6 2000 Pinin Farina (1950) - already with the two-liter engine and 1954cc, 90 hp

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Maserati (1957) - Chassis ready for Argentina

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Maserati 1500 (1955) - 1st version of the new racing sports car

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Maserati 1500 (1955) - 1st version of the new racing sports car

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Maserati 1500 (1955) - Used at the Nürburgring in 1955

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Maserati 1500 (1956) - Sthe version from 1956

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Maserati 1500 (1956) - at the Mille Miglia '56, Pagliarini's car

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Maserati A6G 2000 GT Zagato (1956) - elegant coupé

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Maserati A6G54 Alemano Coupé (1956) - elegant 2+2 coupé

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Maserati 2000 GT Zagato (1955) - Coupé with lightweight bodywork

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Maserati 2 Liter (1955) - Presentation of the racing sports car at the 1955 Turin Motor Show

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Maserati 2 Liter (1956) - Zagato coupé based on the Maserati at the 1956 Turin Motor Show

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Maserati 200 SI (1957) - flat Barchetta from Modena

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Maserati 2000 GT Alemano (1956) - with coupé bodywork

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Maserati 2000 GT (1955) - Road and racing versions at the 1955 Geneva Motor Show

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Maserati 2000 touring sports car (1955) - Chassis

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Maserati 2000 touring car (1955) - in-line engine with two overhead camshafts

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Maserati 250 F (1956) - E. Grece in 1983

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Maserati 3000 (1955) - Jenny at the St. Ursanne-Les Rangier hill climb 1955

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Maserati A6G 2000 Coupé, Pininfarina (1951) - exhibited at the 1951 Paris Motor Show

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Maserati A6G 2000 GT Zagato (1956) - Coupé with lightweight bodywork

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Maserati A6G54 GT 2000 Spyder Zagato (1955) - single ignition, rear rigid axle

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Maserati A6GCS Coupé Alemano (1956) - two-liter coupé

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Maserati A6GCS Coupé Alemano (1956) - at a Concours d'Elégance

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Maserati A6GCS Coupé Alemano (1956) - elegant coupé body, seen at the Geneva Motor Show 1956

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Maserati A6GCS Coupé Pininfarina (1954) - at the 1954 Turin Motor Show

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Maserati prototype 'Le Mans' (1962) - aerodynamically boarded coupé for the 24-hour race

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Summary

The trident may originate from Bologna, but the cradle of Maserati actually lies in Voghera. It was from there that six brothers came to bear the Maserati name, five of whom were in the car business. Enthusiastic about fast cars and racing, together they created an automotive myth whose beginnings are not so well known.

This article contains the following chapters

Maserati at Bianchi
The breakthrough
The gray eminence and the trident
Great successes with small cylinders
The zenith has been passed
Later glory: Indianapolis

Estimated reading time: 11min

Preview (beginning of the article)

Voghera is not a very pretty industrial town. Today (1973) it has 40,000 inhabitants and lies roughly halfway between Milan and Piacenza. However, Voghera was the birthplace of the brothers Carlo, Bindo, Alfieri, Mario, Ettore and Ernesto Maserati. They were born in this order, the sons of a railroad engineer. It is astonishing that five of the six brothers had the same career aspirations. Only Mario didn't want to know anything about cars - he was an artist. And nobody spoke of him later. Carlo, the eldest, was apprenticed to a local bicycle factory and built a small steam engine on the side, which apparently worked, and then wanted to build a petrol engine. He also found a patron to support him - Count Carcano di Anzano del Parco. With his help, Carlo Maserati built his first explosion engine and a motorcycle, which was given the name Carcano. And wherever there was a competition for such vehicles, Carlo was involved.

Welcome to Zwischengas!

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