1957 Maserati 200 SI Spyder

Introduced in 1955, the 200SI was the successor to the A6GCS and Maserati's answer to Ferrari's Lampredi-powered four-cylinder cars in the two-liter Sport Internazionale class.

This particular example was ordered in May, 1957 by Maserati USA, and delivered to John Fitch and Vincent Andrus. At its debut race, at Lime Rock, John Fitch scored the first of six class victories out of eleven races in which it was entered. The car finished as high as second overall at Montgomery, Nassau and Lime Rock.

The car was sold at the end of the 1958 season through Carroll Shelby Sports Cars and continued to be actively raced in SCCA events through the 1962 season by drivers including John Packo, Arch Means and Jack Brewer. Racing great John Fitch said this Maserati 200SI was 'one of the best handling racing cars from that period....a pleasure to drive.'

This Maserati with Spyder coachwork by Fantuzzi is one of 28 examples of the 200 SI-specification chassis built - fewer still were bodied by Fantuzzi.

Maserati introduced its 200SI in 1955 as the successor to the aging A6GCS and as an answer to Ferrari's Lampredi-powered four-cylinder models. Both the new Maserati 150S (Tipo 53) and 200S (Tipo 52) shared similar conventional tubular chassis, along with 1.5- and 2-liter versions of the same all-new. twin-plug four-cylinder engine. Suspensions were similar with conventional double wishbones and coil springs, although the 200S (initially) had a live rear axle and the 150S employed a De Dion tube and transverse leaf-spring arrangement. Subsequent 200S models were configured like that of their smaller sibling.

Plagued by transmission problems, the success of the 200S was limited. Jean Behra scored victories during the 1956 season at the Gran Premio di Bari and Gran Premio di Roma, and Stirling Moss and Cesare Perdisa's placed second in that year's Supercortemaggiore at Monza.

The 1957 season was run under Appendix C regulations resulting in the car's transformation into 200SI, or Sport Internazionale - which added two functioning doors, a full-width windscreen, a makeshift fabric top, and provision for a spare wheel.

This particular example is one of 20 examples of the 200SI. It was completed at Maserati's Modena works on August 9th, 1957, and is one of approximately five 200S/SI chassis fitted with Fantuzzi coachwork. Additionally, it received Jaeger instruments, Cibie headlights, and Pirelli-shod Borrani wire wheels.

Chassis number 2427 was sent to the United States by Maserati Corporation of America on behalf of its first owner, New York-based Vincent Dyckman Andrus. It was primarily driven by John Fitch in East Coast SCCA events. The inaugural outing was in the Queen Catherine Cup at Watkins Glen on September 21st of 1957 where he finished 4th overall and 1st in class. A week later, both Fitch and Maserati traveled to Bridgehampton, where they finished the 25-lap SCCA feature race in 5th position overall and another class victory. It raced at the International Bahamas Speed Week in December 1957 where it wore a new white-with-blue-underbelly color scheme in place of its previous red. It placed 2nd overall and 1st in class in the preliminary five-lap heat for the Governor's Trophy race, followed by a retirement in the feature race. The following day, it competed in the Nassau Memorial Trophy race where Fitch drove it to a 3rd overall finish and 1st in class.

The 200SI raced in April of 1958 at Lime Rock Park, Connecticut where Fitch placed 2nd overall and 2nd in class. It returned in June with Fitch placing 4th overall and 1st in class in the feature 40-lap Sports Car Race. Fitch's final outing with the car was at the July SCCA meeting at Lime Rock where he placed 3rd overall and first in class.

The car was advertised for sale by Carroll Shelby Sports Cars Inc. in September 1958 and purchased shortly thereafter by Floridian John J. Packo. The original red paint scheme was returned to the vehicle and it is believed that it was raced only once by Mr. Packo, at Boca Raton in March 1959, where he finished 2nd in the Preliminary race and 3rd in the feature race.

In February 1960, the car was lent to the Camoradi team where it was driven by Dan Gurney but failed to finish the race.

In 1963, the car was sold to Carl Bross of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan and after he passed away in 1971, much of his collection was sold to Anthony Bamford of Rocester, United Kingdom, before joining the collection of Ray Fielding in 1978. It was displayed in the Doune Motor Museum near Falkirk, Scotland for many years and retained by the Fielding family for almost three decades. Anton Bilton, of London, became the car's next custodian in July 2007, who soon entrusted the car to GPS Classic of Soragna, Italy to overhaul the chassis, numbers-matching engine, and gearbox in preparation for vintage racing. The restoration of the original bodywork was entrusted to Quality Cars of Padova.

This Maserati made its post-restoration debut in 2008 at the Mille Miglia Storica. It was then sold to Dr. Wolf Zweifler of Munich, Germany in July 2008, who campaigned the car extensively over the next few years, including several participations in the Ferrari Maserati Challenge, 2009 Mille Miglia Storica, and the 2010 Le Mans Classic, before selling the car.

Oscar Davis acquired the Maserati in 2012 and had it sent to Leydon Restorations of Lahaska, Pennsylvania for a mechanical and cosmetic restoration. The work entailed bringing the car back to its original specification, fitting its original components, and removing previously added safety materials.

By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2022