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1950 Maserati A6/1500

The post-War Maseratis were much different than the pre-War examples, as the company was no longer family-owned and its focus shifted from solely building racing cars to road-going examples built for high-end clientele. By the time the racing firm was sold to Italian industrialist Commendatore Adolfi Orsi in 1937, the seven Maserati brothers had dwindled to just three, with Bindo, Ettore, and Ernesto remaining on hand for another decade. The Maserati brothers had sold their shares in the company in 1937, and despite the growing grievances with management, Fratelli Maserati developed a sophisticated new six-cylinder engine in 1942.

Under their guidance, the first road-going Maserati prototype was constructed, the A6 1500 TR (Testa Riportata). As World War II continued to escalate, the project was put on hold. During the war, the Maserati factory (now located in Modena) was largely spared the devastation experienced by many other manufacturers. They suspended automobile production to build components for the Italian war effort.

When peacetime resumed, Maserati returned to making cars with the A6 series. Alberto Massimino, a former Fiat engineer with both Ferrari and Alfa Romeo experience, was hired to oversee the design of all racing models for the next decade. He was joined by engineers Giulio Alfieri, Vittorio Bellentani, and Gioacchino Colombo. This team worked on several projects including the 4CLT, A6 series, 8CLT, and the A6GCS. The Maserati brothers continued their decade-long contract with Maserati, leaving when in 1947 to form O.S.C.A.

The A6 was named in remembrance of a Maserati brother who had passed away, Alfieri (the 'A'), while the 6 was in reference to the number of cylinders. The design initially used a fixed cylinder head which was quickly abandoned due to its complexity. It was given a displacement of 1,488 cubic centimeters, a single overhead camshaft design, and rockers were used to actuate the valves, allowing for easy valve adjustments. The engine was installed in an oval-tube frame that used Houdaille hydraulic shock absorbers, a live rear axle, and an independent coil-sprung setup at the front. The first example was clothed by Pinin Farina, and the second by Zagato.

The 1500 Gran Turismo wearing coachwork by Pinin Farina Berlinetta was introduced in 1947 at the Geneva Motorshow. A year later, another example was shown at the Turin Show and would form the basis of the production cars. The design was elegant, daring, and more rounded than pre-war Italian design, built from lightweight - and scarce (in the late 1940s) - aluminum, which resulted in a curb weight of about 950 kilograms. The interior had a full complement of Jaeger gauges, a three-spoke steering wheel, and a floor-mounted four-speed gear shift.

Most of the six-cylinder engines received a single Weber carburetor, but many cars were later retrofitted with a triple setup that added additional power. The single Weber versions delivered 65 brake horsepower which was more than adequate for the lightweight sports car on the Italian roads of the era.

Some of the 61 A6 1500s were designed for competition use, with five examples being entered for the 1951 Coppa Inter-Europa race.

At the close of 1950, the 1.5-liter A6 was replaced by a larger and more powerful 2-liter version.

by Dan Vaughan

Berlinetta
Chassis number: 0101

This Maserati A6 1500 Pininfarina Coupe is one of the last ten A6 1500s built, out of 60 total, and one of very few without semaphores. In March 1950, this car was delivered as a rolling chassis to Carrozzeria Pininfarina in Turin. Three months later the car's body was completed and delivered to Maserati's Rome agency, Gugliemo Dei before the end of 1950. In 1951 it was sold to Catullo del Monte of Rome, but he only owned it for a short time. It was sold to an American in 1952 who was living in Rome and then exported to the United States a few years later and has had several owners over the years. It is powered by a straight-six long-stroke engine with a single overhead camshaft and a single carburetor producing 65 horsepower from a 1.5-liter power plant. Performance ranged from 146 to 154 kph (91 to 96 mph), depending on the reduction ratio. The first prototype sported a strikingly modern two-seat coupe body designed by Pininfarina which was toned down only slightly by the coachbuilder for the start of the actual production run. Styling evolved from early two-seat notchback coupes, with an optional Plexiglas sunroof, to 2+2 fastback versions and a convertible.

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