The book From Voiturettes to Formula 1 – Maserati 1100cc and 1500cc racing and sports cars from 1931 to 1951 covers in five chapters the five Maserati voiturette models in the order 4CS, 4CM, 6CM, 4CL and 4CLT, the four-cylinder and six-cylinder, 1,100 cc and 1,500 cc sports and racing cars of which Maserati built just over a hundred between 1932 and 1951 (plus 13 spare engines).
For each individual car produced, a description of the chassis is followed by a full list of contemporary race entries and results (usually up to 1955) and profiles (cross-referenced where necessary) of almost all the drivers, owners, entrants, teams and personalities associated with the car.
Among the drivers, ‘Gigi’ Villoresi drove no fewer than 17 different examples of these cars. The first three drivers’ world champions began their careers at the wheel of Maserati voiturettes: Nino Farina, Juan Manuel Fangio and Alberto Ascari. In addition, many of the greatest grand prix drivers also raced 1,500 cc Maserati cars: Tazio Nuvolari, Louis Chiron, Achille Varzi, Luigi Fagioli and Giuseppe Campari. Other top-class grand prix drivers who were successful at the wheel of these cars: José Froilán González, René Dreyfus, Raymond Sommer, Piero Taruffi and Carlo Felice Trossi. Moreover, three of the most important and active privateer drivers on the racing scene after the Second World War owned and drove 1,500 cc Maseratis: Prince Bira, Emmanuel de Graffenried and Reg Parnell.
The following text is an excerpt from the book, the remaining copies of which we were able to acquire exclusively from the publisher. The book is available in our webshop at www.sportfahrer-zentrale.com while stocks last.
The 4CLT ‘Sanremo’ model
A new Maserati grand prix car had long been awaited. The 4CL model, a pre-war project, had enjoyed considerable sporting and commercial success in the immediate post-WWII period having been shown to be the only competitive grand prix car available on the market. Ernesto Maserati, aided by Alberto Massimino, tried various ongoing solutions for improving each new car which was sold.
While the engine and the suspension were kept essentially unchanged with respect to the original specification, changes were made to the chassis. All the improvements which had been devised were combined in the specification of chassis 1583, with the adoption of a tubular ladder frame with elements with circular section, thus completely giving up the traditional chassis with main members in boxed steel and three cross-members in light alloy. This was the last car upon which Ernesto’s hand could be seen, in its engine as well as in the chassis.
When Ernesto’s contract with the firm expired, in early 1947, Massimino took over. The success of the 4CL during the 1946/47 seasons had prompted the management to follow the option of evolving the existing model rather than the more expensive alternative of drawing up a new project with an uncertain outcome, concentrating on the search for increasing engine power by means of adopting two-stage supercharging, as had already been done, though in rather rudimentary fashion, by Scuderia Milan on their own 4CL cars …
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by Adam Ferrington und Alessandro Silva
Photographs: Collection Giovanni Bossi, Archive Adam Ferrington, Fondazione Pirelli, Archive Alessandro Silva