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1930 Maserati V4 news, pictures, and information
 |  | View more photos Roadster Coachwork: Zagato |
Officine Alfieri Maserati was founded on December 1, 1914 in Bologna, Italy by Alfieri, Bindo and Ettore. The purpose of this firm was for tuning Isotta racing cars. During the first World War, the company produced spark plugs and worked on Isotta aircraft engines. When the war came to a close, Alfieri opened a garage and soon four-cylinder racer was created. The Maseratis even tried building a straight-eight race car.
In 1926, the Maserati brothers formed their own company in Italy that bore their surname. They selected Neptune's trident as their insignia. The trident was the symbol of Bologna, their town. The cars they produced prior to World War II were built with the intent on racing. A few were considered sport-racers that could be driven both on the track and the road.
In 1929, the Maserati V4 made its racing debut at the Italian Grand Prix. This was a sensational automobile powered by a 16-cylinder engine. The narrow-angle 'V' configuration of the engine had two banks of eight-cylinders. Two Type 26B cylinder blocks and a single crankcase were used. The '4' in the name V4 represented the displacement of 4000ccc.
The V4 would set World Class C speed record with driver Baconin Borzacchinni. The V4 ran the flying 10 kilometers at 246.6 kilometers per hour, setting records and boosting the image and legacy of the Maserati marque. The record was set on September 28th of 1929. It had a velocity of 154 mph and was the fastest car in the world at the time.
The car was entered in the 1930 Indianapolis 500, but without a supercharger it did not have the proper power to contend for overall victory. The four-speed gearbox was replaced with a three-speed unit for the race. With Borzacchini at the wheel, he was one of only two foreign drivers in the 500 mile race. The car completed only seven of the two-hundred laps, finishing in 27th place.
The first victory for the car and the Company was in 1930 at the Grand Prix in Tripoli, again piloted by Borzacchinni.
There were only two example of the Maserati V4 created. The first car was a racing car. The other wore a Zagato body and built in 1930.
This car is the 1930 Maserati V4 Zagato Grand Sport. It is one of the rarest road-going Maserati's in existence. The car was given an extensive two-year restoration and shown at the 2003 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.
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subscribe - RSSAutomobile information, history, and specifications from concept to production. | © 1998-2009 Conceptcarz.com