1928 Maserati Tipo 26B M 8C 2800 Grand Prix

Carlos Maserati was the first of the Maserati brothers to show a true interest in racing. He began his career with Fiat and later went to work for Cesare Isotta and Vincenzo Fraschini.

By the early 1920s, the brothers were offered a deal by Diatto Works in an effort to compete against the Fiat's and Alfa Romeos. Though the relationship between Maserati and Diatto would be brief, the knowledge gained working with superchargers and the straight-eight engine would be monumental.

The Maserati Tipo 26 made its debut on April 25, 1926, at the Targa Florio where it was successfully driven by Alfieri Maserati to a ninth-place finish and a class victory in the Grand Prix formula class.

During the Italian Grand Prix, two lightweight Tipo 26's were forced to retire due to lubrication and carburetion problems. The issue was addressed and by 1927 the engine had been upgraded with new carburetion and engine lubrication system.

1927 would be the final year for Grand Prix Formula racing which meant that the 1.5 liter Maserati Tipo 26 would be an obsolete racer. Maserati enlarged the engine to a bore of 62 mm and a stroke of 82 mm resulting in a two-liter engine size making it eligible to compete.

The Maserati Tipo 26B was produced for only a short time during the close of the 1920's with only seven ever being constructed. It came about on the heels of the highly successful and competitive 1.5 liter engined Tipo 26 which had proven its capabilities at the Mille Miglia in 1926 and many other races.

The powerful supercharged engine produced over 150 horsepower and with its aluminum body and steel frame was capable of speeds over 150. Power was sent to the rear wheels through a four-speed manual gearbox which stopping power was courtesy of mechanical drum brakes. This is a true testament to the mechanical genius of the five Maserati brothers: Carlo, Bindo, Alfieri, Ettore, and Ernesto.

The Tipo 26 continued to evolve over the years and thus the specifications and performance of each vehicle vary. The racing variants were often given highly tuned engines and lightweight bodies while the road-going versions were often constructed with a three-speed Diatto transmission.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jun 2006