1956 Maserati A6G-54 Coupe

The Maserati A6G 2000 was a road-going version of the competition A6GCS. The 2-liter A6GCS straight-6 engine was tuned by Vittorio Bellentani to provide better performance. The chassis was constructed by renowned chassis builder Gilco, and between 1954 and 1957 sixty examples were created. Maserati chose to outsource the bodywork and no two cars were alike; each reflected the first customer's design preferences. All the cars were sold as bare chassis to be fitted with bodies from Allemano, Frua, and Vignale, but the most celebrated versions were built by Zagato, who built a total of nineteen different lightweight coupes.

Maserati introduced the A6G54 at the 1954 Paris Auto Show. These were the final evolution of the A6 road cars. Of the 60 examples built, 20 were clothed with alloy berlinetta coachwork by Zagato. These lightweight Maserati's were often used in the two-liter GT class where they earned class wins at Monza and the Mille Miglia.

This example is the 17th of 20 Berlinettas built by Zagato and has recently been the subject of a two-phase restoration. It has dual hood scoops, bumperettes, curved rear fenders, four chrome spears on the front fenders, and a small dashboard arrangement centered on two small primary gauges.

It factory build sheet is dated May 19th of 1956 and was completed in time for the Mille Miglia held 10 days later. At the time it had temporary factory registration, remained unpainted, and was owned by the factory. It was loaned for the Mille Miglia to Mille Miglia to Luigi Fornasari of Verona, Italy. During the race, Fornasari went off the road and was forced to retire. The car returned to Zagato for coachwork repairs where it received body alterations, including a smaller radiator opening and a lower fender line around the headlamps, and was finished in silver paint. It also received strips of alloy trim to its beltline, making it the only A6G Zagato Berlinetta to receive such a treatment.

The car's first owner of record was Roberto Federici of Rome, who acquired the car in June of 1956. It remained with him for a brief time before it was sold to racing driver Gianfranco Peduzzi of Olgiate Comasco in July. In September 1957, the Zagato was driven in the Aosta-Gran San Bernardo Hillclimb by Giacomo Moioli, a dealer from Verona who raced under the name Noris. The car finished 4th in Class at the Pontedecimo-Giovi Hillclimb later that month.

It raced at the Trieste-Opicina Hillclimb by Natale Gotelli in October of 1957, who later acquired the car. Noris raced the car in May at the Bologna-San Luca Hillclimb, where an accident forced an early retirement and another return to Zagato for repairs. While at Zagato in 1958, it was involved in an accident resulting in the coachwork it wears today. Gianni Zagato, the younger brother of Elio Zagato, had been test driving the vehicle when his excessive speed led to a major off-road accident. The new coachwork was completed during June of 1958, and forshadowed the design of the future 3500 GT model.

The new coachwork had a notchback roof, sharper rear fins, and a lower and straighter front-fender line. In this new guise, Gianfranco Bonetto from Alessandria raced 2155 in the Gran Premio della Lotteria in June 1959. Three months later, he raced the car at the Pontedecimo-Giovi Hillclimb, finishing 3rd in Class.

Bonetto purchased the car in October of 1960 and would not be raced any further in period. By August of 1963, it was registered to the corporation Rowita, S.p.A., in Milan. In 1968 it was purchased Enrico Eusebio Bertotto, who is believed to have retained possession through 1993. During his ownership, the car was given a restoration where it received covered headlamps, a Kamm tail, and finished in red with painted wire wheels.

Rino Botteon of Cimadolmo acquired the car in January of 1993. John Bookout Jr. became its next owner in December of 2000. A restoration soon followed and during this process, it was returned to its period splendor, as it had left Carrozzeria Zagato in 1958. After the restoration, the car was displayed at the 2005 Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este and several concours in the US.

Near the close of 2008, the car was purchased by its current caretaker. Since then, the car was display at the 2009 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance where it earned a class award. It was then shown at the 2010 Quail, A Motorsports Gathering in Carmel, California, and at the 2013 Classic Sports Sunday at Mar-a-Lago Club (where it won another class award). In August 2014, the Berlinetta returned to Pebble Beach for Maserati's centennial celebration.