 1956 450 S |
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1957 Maserati 450 S news, pictures, and information | ||
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 |  |  | Roadster |
The lightly modified 300S chassis originally provided was not adequate to harness the phenomenal performance of the engine, so a new tubular chassis was built. The 450S won the Sebring 12 Hours and Swedish Grand Prix but had to retire from other races because of mechanical problems. Both works cars crashed in the final 1957 event, the Venezuelan Grand Prix. When a three-liter limit was imposed on 1958 world sport-car competition, Maserati withdrew from motor racing.
 |  |  | Roadster Chassis Num: 4508 Engine Num: 4511 |
In 1998 it was awarded Best of Show at the Le Belle Macchine d'Italia.
By Daniel Vaughan | Jan 2008
 |  |  | Roadster Chassis Num: 4503 |
The 450S was considered ahead of its time. In many races, it was far superior to its competitors but the rush to produce the car led to repeated mechanical failures. Shortly thereafter a three liter limit on engine sizes in competitive races led to the end of the 450S in European racing. However, the 450S would find victory in the SCCA sports car series on more than one occasion.
The 450 S made its first race appearance at the 1957 Argentinean 1000 KM race, driven by Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss. For half of the race there was no one who could keep up with the 450S. Then clutch began to fail and finally the transmission seized, ending the superb effort.
The next race was at Sebring and Fangio would team up with Jean Behra to drive a brand new Maserati 450S. It was a winning combination, as the Fangio/Behra Maserati took the lead on lap 20 and never relinquished it. They would finish with a commanding two lap lead over the next car, a Maserati 300s. Fangio and Behra's victory was the most dominating in Sebring's short history and Fangio became the first driver to win Sebring back-to -back.
 |  |  | Roadster Chassis Num: 4504 |
The 450S was the fastest Maserati sport car ever made. When a three-liter engine limit was imposed on 1958 world sports-car competition, Maserati withdrew from motor racing.
The Maserati 450 S was produced from 1956 through 1958 with only ten examples being produced. The purpose of the 450 S was to challenge the powerful competition such as Ferrari and Jaguar for the World Championship. The 450 S went beyond just a power engine; it featured a chassis that was lightweight, sturdy, and durable. Two engines were constructed, a 3.5 liter six-cylinder engine and a 4.5 liter quad-cam eight-cylinder in 'Vee' configuration. The six-cylinder was placed into the chassis first and prepared for the 1956 Mille Miglia. The result was disappointing. By the close of 1956, the eight-cylinder engine was completed and anxiously installed into the front of the vehicle. With continued testing and development nearly 400 horsepower was achieved, up from an initial 365. The 90-degree eight-cylinder engine with dual-overhead cams and 4-Weber 45 IDM carburetors was matted to a Colotti five-speed manual gearbox and powered the rear wheels. The brakes were further improved to handle the massive power being displaced.
The inaugural race for the 450 S in 1957 was at the Argentinean 1000 km race where it was piloted by Stirling Moss and Juan Manuel Fangio. The 450S immediately proved to be the top contender and easily lead the race for many laps. Unfortunately, due to a a clutch problem the transmission seized and the 450 S was forced to retire from the race. Shortly thereafter, the 450 S made an appearance at Sebring where it was driven by Juan Manuel Fangio and Jean Behra. In the hands of these capable drivers, the Maserati 450 S easily captured its first victory. The 450S was the quickest vehicle on the track. Its shortcomings that would continue to plaque the 450S would prove to be its mechanical failures and poor luck.
Maserati set its sights on the grueling 24 Hours of Lemans. This endurance race features high speed straight stretches and favor vehicles fitted with aerodynamic bodies with reduce drag. These improvements help keep the vehicles stable at speeds. Maserati designed a special body for LeMans and fitted it to a 450S. Even with Sterling Moss at the wheel, the redesigned body suffered greatly from design flaws and had a slower top speed than the 450 S fitted with a roadster body. Moss managed to navigate the 450 S to second place before the vehicle began experiencing problems with the rear axle, ultimately forcing retirement from the race.
With the Maserati 450 S continuing to suffer from mechanical difficulties, the World Championship was still open to contention by other marques. A second victory was achieved by a 450 S at the Swedish Grand Prix, although a sister 450 S car also in the race was forced to retire from the race after suffering from transmission problems.
The Venezuelan Grand Prix was the final race of the season. More importantly, it was the deciding race on who would be crowned the World Championship. Maserati entered three cars, one was a 300S and two were 450 S. One 450S was destroyed when a collision occurred with an AC Bristol. The other 450S caught on fire during re-fueling. The fire was controlled, but not before burning Moss and Behra. The burned 450S was put back onto the track and Schell took the helm. The vehicle was brought up to speed and began passing Bonnier and his 300S. The 300S blew and Bonnier could not control his car, driving it right into the 450S. This was the final nail in the coffin for Maserati and its quest for World Championship for 1957.
Rules changes in 1958 meant the 450S was ineligible to race. Most of the remaining 450 S were sent to the United States where they were raced with mild success.
The Maserati 450 S was the fastest vehicle on the track during the 1957 season. In the hands of capable drivers, there were no other vehicles that could contend for the World Championship. As luck would have it, the 450 S's mechanical problems would be its biggest competition and the elusive World Championship title evaded Maserati in 1957. It is unfortunate that rule changes in 1958 made the 450 S ineligible to compete. After all the growing pains that the 450 S endured, it is a wonder of what might have transpired in 1958.
By Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2008
The inaugural race for the 450 S in 1957 was at the Argentinean 1000 km race where it was piloted by Stirling Moss and Juan Manuel Fangio. The 450S immediately proved to be the top contender and easily lead the race for many laps. Unfortunately, due to a a clutch problem the transmission seized and the 450 S was forced to retire from the race. Shortly thereafter, the 450 S made an appearance at Sebring where it was driven by Juan Manuel Fangio and Jean Behra. In the hands of these capable drivers, the Maserati 450 S easily captured its first victory. The 450S was the quickest vehicle on the track. Its shortcomings that would continue to plaque the 450S would prove to be its mechanical failures and poor luck.
Maserati set its sights on the grueling 24 Hours of Lemans. This endurance race features high speed straight stretches and favor vehicles fitted with aerodynamic bodies with reduce drag. These improvements help keep the vehicles stable at speeds. Maserati designed a special body for LeMans and fitted it to a 450S. Even with Sterling Moss at the wheel, the redesigned body suffered greatly from design flaws and had a slower top speed than the 450 S fitted with a roadster body. Moss managed to navigate the 450 S to second place before the vehicle began experiencing problems with the rear axle, ultimately forcing retirement from the race.
With the Maserati 450 S continuing to suffer from mechanical difficulties, the World Championship was still open to contention by other marques. A second victory was achieved by a 450 S at the Swedish Grand Prix, although a sister 450 S car also in the race was forced to retire from the race after suffering from transmission problems.
The Venezuelan Grand Prix was the final race of the season. More importantly, it was the deciding race on who would be crowned the World Championship. Maserati entered three cars, one was a 300S and two were 450 S. One 450S was destroyed when a collision occurred with an AC Bristol. The other 450S caught on fire during re-fueling. The fire was controlled, but not before burning Moss and Behra. The burned 450S was put back onto the track and Schell took the helm. The vehicle was brought up to speed and began passing Bonnier and his 300S. The 300S blew and Bonnier could not control his car, driving it right into the 450S. This was the final nail in the coffin for Maserati and its quest for World Championship for 1957.
Rules changes in 1958 meant the 450S was ineligible to race. Most of the remaining 450 S were sent to the United States where they were raced with mild success.
The Maserati 450 S was the fastest vehicle on the track during the 1957 season. In the hands of capable drivers, there were no other vehicles that could contend for the World Championship. As luck would have it, the 450 S's mechanical problems would be its biggest competition and the elusive World Championship title evaded Maserati in 1957. It is unfortunate that rule changes in 1958 made the 450 S ineligible to compete. After all the growing pains that the 450 S endured, it is a wonder of what might have transpired in 1958.
By Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2008
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 1957
Maserati
models |
| Maserati 150 S |
| Maserati 200 SI |
| Maserati 250F |
| Maserati 300 S |
| Maserati 3500 GT |
| Maserati 450S Costin-Zagato Coupe | 1957 Maserati Concepts |
| Maserati 150 GT |
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| 1956 450 S |
