1938 Maserati 8CTF Monoposto

This example is one of three 8C TFs built, and the only one surviving in original condition. The car has a straight-eight engine with twin overhead cams and twin superchargers. It is presented here as it was prepared by the factory for Grand Prix racing, in Maserati team colors. This car was one of the factory works cars entered in the 1938 Grand Prix season, where it was driven by Count Felice Trossi. It led every Grand Prix it contested in 1938, or set fastest lap. In 1939, the car was loaned to Paul Peitsch, who led most of the German Grand Prix before finishing third. The car was sold in August of 1939, to Parisian resident Lucy O'Reilly Schell, the first American woman ever to own a Grand Prix car. She brought the car to Indianapolis in 1940 for Rene Dreyfus to drive in the Indy 500. The car was at Indy again in 1941, when Maury Rose qualified it to start from the pole position. It ran each year at Indy through 1953. Recently, the car has returned to the race circuit, competing in historic races throughout the country.