1950 Maserati A6GCS 2000

Officine Alfieri Maserati S.p.A. was founded on December 1st, 1914, in Bologna, Italy, and was named after its founders, the Maserati brothers (Alfieri, Carlo, Bindo, Mario, Ettore, and Ernesto). Of the six surviving Maserati brothers (Alfieri I was only one year old when he died; the next son to be born was also named Alfieri), all except Mario would go on to become motor engineers, but even Mario would make contributions, designing its famous Trident badge, which is said to have been inspired by the statue of Neptune in Bologna, where the factory was situated at Pontevecchio.

The company initially specialized in tuning and repairing Isotta-Fraschini motor cars. After World War I, Alfieri and Ettore were recruited to manage Diatto's racing program. When the company withdrew from competition in 1926, Alfieri, Ettore, and Ernesto established their own racing program, with Alfieri earning a class victory at the 1926 Targa Florio. The hand-built Maseratis were initially very successful, with the first Grand Prix victory earned by Baconin Borzacchini at the Tripoli GP in 1930 at the wheels of the V16-engined 'V4.' As the state-backed Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union teams gained momentum, Maserati and other teams lost their competitive edge. Maserati, instead, turned its attention to the voiturette class, which was not contested by the German manufacturers, enjoying considerable success in that category. The company's first voiturette race was the 1,100cc Tipo 4CM. When Alfieri passed away in 1932, the three other brothers (Bindo, Ernesto, and Ettore) kept the company going. In 1937, they sold their shares in the company to the Adolfo Orsi family, and by 1940, the company headquarters had been relocated to Modena.

The agreement to sell the company to the Orsi family included the stipulation that the brothers would remain with the company for a decade. With solid financial footing and the mechanical ingenuity of the Maserati brothers, a Maserati 8CTF driven by Wilbur Shaw won the 1939 Indianapolis 500. The following year, Shaw drove that same vehicle to victory at Indy, becoming the first driver in the history of the race to win in consecutive years (and his third victory in four years). Additionally, Maserati is the only Italian manufacturer ever to win at the Brickyard.

The Maserati A6

During World War II, Maserati halted automobile production to help with the war effort. When peacetime resumed, the company returned to making cars with the A6 series. The A6 1500 was named for Alfieri (Maserati), and the '1500' was in reference to the 1.5-liter SOHC straight-6 engine. This engine was based on the Maserati 6CM of the pre-war era and initially offered 65 horsepower. When installed with the 2.0-liter engine, it was denoted as 'A6 2000,' or 'A6G 2000,' or '2000 Grand Turismo.' Additional suffixes, such as '53,' reference the year of the introduction. The 2-liter engine retained the single overhead camshaft design but its bore and stroke were enlarged to 72 mm and 80mm, respectively. With three carburetors, output was as high as 100 bhp.

With coachwork provided by an exclusive list of prominent coachbuilders (including Zagato, Vignale, Bertone, Ghia, Frua, and Allemano; the majority supplied by Pinin Farina), coupled with the refined engine and chassis, the A6 1500 gained a reputation for its attention to detail and quality, spritely performance, exclusivity, and elegance.

The Maserati A6GCM
The 'G' in the name represented 'Ghias', an Italian word that means 'cast iron,' in reference to the material used to create the engine's block. The 'CM' was for 'Corsa Monopsoto', referencing its single-seater racing program.

The Maserati Tipo 6CS/46 (A6 Sport)
While most of the company's early development in the World War II era focused on the civilized A6 1500 road car, racing versions soon emerged that paid homage to the company's history and credence to the current road-going product's pedigree. Under the guidance of Ernesto Maserati, engineer Alberto Massimino was tasked with building a new low-slung tubular steel ladder-type frame fitted with a coil-sprung front independent suspension with unequal-length A-arms and Houdaille shock absorbers, along with finned aluminum drum brakes. At least two Barchettas were built for the 1947 season. Power was sourced from the 1,493cc (1.5-liter) straight-six engine.

The Maserati A6GCS

Between April 1947 and November 1950, approximately 14 examples of the first-series A6GCS were built with two-seater sports racing, torpedo style, hand-formed aluminum coachwork by Medardo Fantuzzi, distinguished by grand prix-style cycle wings. Most examples received a large centrally positioned headlamp positioned within the grille, earning the nickname 'Monofaro' (single headlight, although it was flanked on either side by round headlights, for a total of three). As these were hand-built, the designs and specifications varied. Predominantly competing in Formula 2 races, power was sourced from an enlarged 1,978 cubic centimeter, dry-sump, single overhead camshaft version breathing through triple carburetors.

Further development included a lightweight alloy cylinder block and a twin-cam cylinder head.

The Maserati A6GCS/53
The Maserati A6GCS/53 wore enveloping bodies, most in spyder configuration, and was introduced in 1953. Intended to compete in the World Sportscar Championship, a little over fifty examples were eventually built through 1955. Along with the standard Fantuzzi coachwork, Pinin Farina and Frua also created bodies.

The Maserati A6GCS/54
The Maserati A6GCS/54 had double overhead camshafts, and three twin-choke Weber DCO carburetors and developed approximately 150 horsepower. With the addition of dual ignition in 1956, output increased to 160 hp. Approximately sixty examples were built through 1956, with Carrozzeria Allemano building 21 examples to a design by Michelotti. Frua created six coupes and twelve Gran Sport Spyders, and Zagato built a single spider and twenty lightweight fastbacks.

by Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2023