1955 Maserati A6G/54 2000

The Maserati A6 was named for Alfieri Maserati (the 'A'), one of the Maserati brothers who founded the company, and the straight-six engine (the '6'). Introduced at the 1947 Geneva Auto Show and built through 1956, it was built atop an advanced tube-frame chassis, powered by a single-overhead camshaft engine, and the original A6/1500 coupe wore coachwork designed and built by Carrozzeria Pinin Farina. Praised for its excellent road-holding, modern styling, and potent engine, the definitive version of the model appeared in 1948 and ushered in a new era for Maserati, as it was the company's first true production car. A total of 61 examples of the original A6/1500 were built and all but two received aluminum coachwork by Pinin Farina.

Maserati A6 GCS

The Maserati A6 GCS, 'G' for Ghisa (cast-iron block) and 'CS' for Corsa & Sprots, was a two-seater, cycle-winged sporting racing car powered by a 2.0-liter straight-six engine offering 120 horsepower. It was raced at Modena in 1947 by Luigi Villoresi and Alberto Ascari, and won the 1948 Italian Championship by Giovanni Bracco. It remained in production through 1953 with a total of fifteen examples built.

Maserati A6G 2000

The 2000 version of the A6G arrived in 1950 and received an enlarged 1954.3cc (119.3 cubic-inch) engine with a bore of 72 mm and a stroke of 80mm. With triple carburetors, the engine produced as much as 100 horsepower and gave the A6G 2000 a top speed in excess of 100 mph. Semi-elliptic leaf springs were added to the rear axle and nine of the sixteen cars wore coachwork by Pinin Farina. One example wore a design by Giovanni Michelotti and was bodied by Vignale as a coupe, and Frua built five convertibles and one coupe. Pinin Farina ceased collaborating with Maserati in 1952 as its workload with Ferrari increased.

Maserati A6GCS/53

The A6GCS evolved into the A6GCS/53, and was developed by Gioacchino Colombo and inspired by a Formula Two design used in the A6GCM. The 'CS' in the car's name continued to represent 'Corsa Sport' and its tubular chassis generally made by Gilco. The chassis design used a fairly classic design with a triangular front axle and a rigid rear axle with leaf springs.

Alberto Massimino left Maserati in 1953 for Stanguellini, and his departure was filled by Gioacchino Colombo, known for his work at Alfa Romeo, and the future designer of the V12 Ferrari engine that took his name. He perfected the development of the twin-cam, twin-ignition six-cylinder engine adapted for the sports version, and in 'Mille Miglia' guise, the engine developed 170 horsepower. It had seven main bearings by Vandervell, a short-stroke architecture, a nitrided crankshaft, a cast aluminum block with cast-iron cylinder liners, aluminum pistons, dual-plug ignition, and twin overhead camshafts.

The Maserati A6GCS/53 was built between 1953 and 1955 with 52 examples built including 48 as open spyders. Four of them were Berlinettas bodied by Pinin Farina and many of the spyders were clothed by Carrozzeria Fantuzzi.

Marketed as the 'Maserati Sport 2000,' these lightweight cars enjoyed successful hillclimb and road race events, with a class victory in 1953 at the Mille Miglia and third overall in 1954.

Maserati A6G/54 2000

The Maserati A6G 200 Gran Turismo, known as the A6G/54, was introduced in 1954 at the Mondial de l'Automobile in Paris. The double overhead camshaft inline six-cylinder engine had a bore of 76.5mm and stroke of 72mm, resulting in a total displacement size of 1,985.626 cc (121.2 CID). Fed by three twin-choke Weber DCO carburetors, the engine offered 150 horsepower at 6,000 RPM and was paired with a four-speed manual gearbox. Dual ignition was added in 1956 and boosted output to 160 bhp. Hydraulic drum brakes provided the stopping power. The front suspension was independent with wishbones, coil springs, and Houdaille hydraulic shock absorbers. The live rear axle was suspended by quarter-elliptical leaf springs with Houdaille hydraulic shock absorbers.

Carrozzeria Allemano bodied twenty-one coupes to a design penned by Michelotti. Frua bodied six coupes and twelve Gran Sport Spyders, and Zagato created a single spyder and twenty competition-oriented fastbacks. The Zagato Spider, chassis number 2101, was displayed at the Geneva Auto Show in 1955.

Produced between 1954 to 1956, a total of sixty examples of the Maserati A6G/54 2000 were built. Derived directly from competition, they helped Maserati transition from the race track to the road. The A6G/54 was followed in 1957 by the 3500 GT, the first comfortable Maserati Gran Turismo.

by Dan Vaughan

Berlinetta by Zagato
Chassis number: 2105
Engine number: 2105

There were just 60 examples of the Maserati A6G/54 models of all types produced between 1954 and 1957. These sports cars were given coachwork from some of the finest Italian carrozzerie of the day, including Allemano, Frua, Pinin Farina and Zagato. Each coachbuilder had their own distinct flair and highly individual interpretation of the A6G. 21 examples were bodied by Zagato and each were essentially a one-off design.

This car is chassis number 2105 and was among the earliest Zagato-bodied A6G/54 model produced. It was constructed in the first group of six chassis sent to the coachbuilder. It was the third Zagato-bodied A6G/54 completed and was finished in jet black livery with a white nose and roof stripe. It is believed to be the first Zagato-bodied A6G/54 Berlinetta to be exhibited at a motor show. It sat alongside its sister, chassis 2103, a Frua-bodied Berlinetta, also finished in black, at the 1955 Turin Motor Show.

The car was sold to Kenneth Simpson of Santa Barbara, California for the sum of $7,300. After Mr. Simpson's ownership, it is believed that the car spent time with owners in Georgia and Texas, and at some point it was in the care of Stan Nowak. Mr. Nowak sold the car in 1977 to Paul Kunkel. The current owner purchased the car in December of 2001 as a restoration project. After the work was completed, the car was finished in the original black and white color combination. The correct full-width aluminum bumpers were also fitted. It has the correct black vinyl seats with cream piping. The dashboard and door panels are finished in a contrasting cream color and accented with black trim, stunning black-faced Jaeger instruments, a period-correct radio and jewel-like hardware. There is a wood-rimmed three-spoke steering wheel, and exposed shift gate. The car rides on outside-laced Borrani wire wheels with period-correct tires, and Marchal headlamps.

After the completion of the restoration work, the car was invited to Zagato's 85th Anniversary exhibition at Villa Erba in Cernobbio, Italy, and was subsequently displayed at the factory showroom in Modena during Maserati's 90th anniversary celebration.

In 2010, the car was offered for sale at the Gooding & Company auction held in Pebble Beach, CA. It had an estimated value of $1,400,000 - $1,800,000. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for the sum of $1,595,000, inclusive of buyer's premium.

by Dan Vaughan

Berlinetta by Frua
Chassis number: 2114
Engine number: 2114/2

Carrozzeria Frua completed fewer than 20 bodies for Maserati's A6G/2000 chassis, with production of spiders far outweighing that of berlinettas. Pietro Frua's designed A6G/2000 Berlinetta were notable for their rear-quarter window treatment, graceful propritons and handcrafted details. Unlike Zagato and Allemano, who only built closed bodies for the A6G/2000 chassis, Frua fashion both berlinettas and spiders. In total, it is belived that just four berlinettas in this style were completed.

This particular example, chassis number 2114, was completed by Gilco - the company assembling bare chassis frames for Maserati and Ferrari - in mid-1955 and later delivered to the Maserati works in Modena, Italy, where it was mated with the twin-plug, dual overhead camshaft engine. It came equipped with high-performance accessories, including Marelli coils, Weber carburetors, outside-lace Ruote Borrani wire wheels, Abarth exhaust and Pirelli Stelvio tires.

The completed chassis was delivered to Carrozzeria Frua in Torino. It was finished in black and the interior upholstered in nocciola (hazel) leather. It was given fashionable continental accessories, including a Smiths heater to Jaeger instruments and Cibie headlights.

The car made its public debut on November 6th of 1955 at the 42nd Annual Paris Auto Salon. It was displayed alongside two other A6G/200s, 2113 (Zagato Berlinetta) and 2111 (Allemano Coupe).

After the car's show duties were completed, the car returned to Maserati, where it was prepared for delivery to its first owner. On December 9th of 1955, it was invoiced to official Maserati importer Simone & Thepenier at Garage Mirabeau in Paris. By the close of the year, the car had been sold to its first owner, Grueder Stebon. Mr. Stebon retained the car for approximately 25 years, transferring into the ownership of his son Andre in 1975.

In 1980, the car was purchased by Italian car dealer Richard Crump. Four years later, it was sold to Anthony MacLean, a Swiss collector. Shortly after acquiring the car, Mr. MacLean commissioned a comprehensive mechanical rebuild. During the restoration process, the car was traded to Mr. Pas. For more than a decade, the car remained in static storage. In 1999, UK collector Andrew Green became the car's next owner. Between 2000 and 2002, the car underwent a restoration in Hertfordshire, England. When the restoration process began, the car displayed just 23,000 km. Over the years, the coachwork had been repainted red and the interior re-trimmed and the grille modified. When the red paint was stripped away, a single layer of black was revealed. After the restoration work was completed, the car was finished in correct brush-painted black underseal and the coachwork painted in black cellulose.

Several subtle improvements were added during the restoration to ensure reliable performance and increased flexibility. The list includes a new crankshaft and connecting rods along with custom-made valve guides and re-profiled camshafts. The engine block - presumed to be an original factory replacement unit - did not display a serial number. So it was stamped with 2114/2.

The restoration process took two years to complete. When completed, it was awarded a well-deserved First Prize at the Maserati Club Annual Concours d'Elegance at Stanford Hall on May 26th of 2002. In 2003, it was displayed at Goodwood and the Maserati Club UK's exhibition at the Classic car Show at Birmingham's NEC, where it was awarded the Special Prize.

In 2011, the car was sold to Jason 'Jay' Kay.

In 2012, the car was offered for sale at Gooding & Company's Pebble Beach Concours auction. The car was estimated to sell for $1,500,000 - $2,000,000. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for the sum of $1,650,000, inclusive of buyer's premium.

by Dan Vaughan

Berlinetta by Zagato

This is one of 19 Zagato bodied cars on the two liter Maserati chassis. This car is an early car and was the 3rd example built. The current owner is the 4th owner. Although several cars like this participated in the Mille Miglia in period, this car did not.

In 2012, the car went back to Italy and ran the retrospective Mille Miglia. The car finished the run with no problems.

These lightweight bodied cars were built for amateur racers and were very competitive in their day.

Coupe
Chassis number: 2107

Purchased in 1993 and completely restored after careful research of other A6G Zagato's to insure it was correctly done. This car was on the Maserati stand at the Paris Auto Show in 1955. Among the 19 Zagatos built on this chassis, each of those having slight or many differences making them all unique.

Berlinetta by Zagato
Chassis number: 2106

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.

This A6G/54 was among the first group of six chassis sent to Zagato to be bodied and was the fourth A6G/54 Zagato completed.

Coupe

The Maserati A6G 2000 was a road-going version of the competition A6GCS. The 2-liter straight-6 engine was tuned by Vittorio Bellentani to provide better performance and the chassis was constructed by renowned chassis builder Gilco. Between 1954 and 1957 sixty examples were built by Maserati and no two cars are alike. 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 21 A6G 2000s. The Zagatos were lightweight cars designed for racing in Italy where amateur races and hill climbs were popular in the 1950s and were the playground of the A6G 2000 Zagato, often competing against Otto Vu Fiats, Siatas and Alfas.

Berlinetta by Frua
Chassis number: 2103

Only a handful of Maserati A6G/54 coupes were graced with Frua coachwork. This example was displayed at the Turin Auto Show, to showcase Maserati's new 2.0-liter coupe, with the double overhead cam, inline-six engine, derived from Maserati racing engines and delivering a top speed of 130 mph. The Berlinetta was sold new to Juan Claudio Abreu, a wealthy gentleman driver in Geneva, and featured on the cover of the inaugural issue of the Italian magazine Quattroruote. After a spell with Italian singer Domenico Modugno, the car was owned by various enthusiasts in Europe, Canada, and the United States, but returned to Modena, Italy, in 2000 for restoration under Maserati historian Dr. Adolfo Orsi.

Even though the company was not in financial difficulty, the Maserati brothers sold their shares of the company to the Orsi family from Modena in 1937. The headquarters were moved from Bologna to Modena. When they sold the company, the brothers had agreed to stay with Maserati for another ten years performing duties as chief engineers. In 1948, after their ten-year agreement was satisfied, they left the company and formed OSCA.

With the chief engineers gone, the company was positioned for failure, but the company did have a strong history and more importantly, they had a newly developed straight-six engine, courtesy of the Maserati brothers. The engine produced by Maserati brothers was nothing spectacular; the 1.5-liter power-plant produced 65 horsepower. It was, however, a good starting point and would prove to be very tunable in the years to come. The primary intention for the engine was competition, but Orsi understood that money needed to be made so that it could be spent. So Orsi commissioned a sports road car that could be produced for exclusive clientele.

In 1947 Maserati introduced the Maserati A6 with custom coachwork by Pinin Farina. Under the hood was the 1.5-liter single overhead camshaft engine matted to a four-speed gearbox. The steel tubular frame was suspended by a live rear axle and a front wishbone suspension. Even though Pinin Farina is noted for its elegant styling, its design of the A6 was not well received. Coupled with poor performance, the vehicle was not well received.

Modifications were performed on the engine resulting in an increase to 2 liters and 100 horsepower. Three updated versions of the A6 were displayed at the 1951 Paris Motorshow. The Berlina body styles were created by Pinin Farina and were the standard style; the Spider variants were created by Frua, and the Coupe was courtesy of Vignale. With all the mechanical improvements and body style options available, the two-liter A6 was poised for success. With only 16 examples created, the A6 proved it needed more work.

The famous Gioacchino Colombo, known for his work with Ferrari, joined Maserati in 1953. His first task was to modify the A6GCM to include a DOHC valve train, dual-spark ignition, and more. Horsepower rose to nearly 200. The success of Maserati in racing was heightened with the new engine and new drivers such as Fangio, Gonzalez, Marimon, Bonetto, and de Graffenried. Fangio had won the 1953 Italian Grand Prix driving a Ferrari.

The third iteration of the A6 occurred in 1954, dubbed the A6G/54. This was the same year for the introduction of the Maserati 250F, which, in the hands of the capable Fangio won the Argentine Grand Prix on its debut. The A6G/54 was outfitted with a competitive engine and wonderful styling from Frua and Zagato. Production lasted until 1954 with multiple types of body styles being created. One of the most memorable body styles was the 19 lightweight Zagato bodies which could often be seen at race tracks. All of the Zagato hand-formed body styles were unique, even the interior.

The Maserati A6GCS was produced from 1953 through 1955 with a total of 52 examples being constructed. Four where Berlinetta bodies by Pininfarina while 48 were in Spyder configuration and bodied by Fantuzi. The A6GCS was very important to Maserati and scored many victories for the marque. In 1953 the A6GCs won its class at the Mille Miglia in its inaugural debut.

The Maserati A6G/2000 was produced from 1954 through 1957 with 60 examples being created, all receiving custom bodywork from prestigious coachbuilders such as Zagato, Pinin Farina, Vignale, and others. Serafino Allemano constructed twenty-one examples of the A6G/2000. All of these cars were equipped with the DOHC engines. The A6G/2000 is sometimes referred to as the A6G/54. These second series cars used many mechanical components from its predecessor, such as its twin parallel tube design. The engine, however, had been modified which resulted in an increase in horsepower.

The A6G/54 was replaced by the 3500 GT. The A6 endured many growing pains but by the final iteration, the A6 variants were respectable and stylish machines. With the mechanical prowess of Colombo and the driving talent of Fangio and others, Maserati could continue to provide competition on the race track. While back at home, the A6 provided the bread-and-butter to continue racing and further development.

by Dan Vaughan