RM AUCTIONS - MONTEREY AUGUST 2013

The sale hosted by RM Auctions included three very important and highly desirable Maseratis; a 1953 Maserati A6G/2000 Spyder by Frua, a 1953 Maserati A6GCS/53 Spyder by Fantuzzi and a 1960 Maserati Tipo 61 'Birdcage'.

Lot 219 - A 1953 Maserati A6G/2000 Spyder by Frua
Chassis no. 2190
Engine no. 2190

Sold for $2,530,000

150 bhp, 1,985 cc double overhead-cam twin-plug inline six-cylinder engine with three Weber 40 DC03 carburetors, five-speed manual transmission, double wishbone front suspension with coil springs and anti-roll bar, live axle rear suspension with quarter-elliptic leaf springs and anti-roll bar, and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes. Wheelbase: 100.4 in.

• The only A6G Frua Spyder with side exhaust
• Best Maserati at Concorso Italiano in 2003
• Two-time Colorado Grand participant

If art is long and life is short, as the Greek philosophers told us, then it is fitting that the vast majority of Pietro Frua’s creations have outlasted his four-decade career as one of Italy’s most renowned coachbuilders. Delightfully diverse in a way that few designers ever are, Frua laid out automobile bodies that were both calm and outrageous, curved and crisp, and stately and sensual. He dressed everything from Ferraris to Rolls-Royces, with the only common cue between his designs being an eye for proportion and a flair for the dramatic, which, ranging from car to car, could be pronounced or delicate.

The spyder bodies Frua designed for the Maserati A6G chassis rank among his loveliest creations. Depending upon the angle from which they are viewed, they appear either crisply tailored or boldly muscular, with subtle creases through the flanks setting off slightly kicked up rear fenders and rounded body sides that seem to flow down and tuck under the chassis. Small bumperettes in the front and rear give the impression of sporty lightness, opening up the deeply scooped grille and cupping the famed Maserati trident. In many ways, the design resembles the famed AC Ace and Shelby Cobra, which it happened to predate it. One has to wonder who inspired whom.

It is believed that three of these Spyders were built, of which one was fitted to A6GCS chassis 2054 and delivered to dealer Guglielmo Dei, of Rome, who delivered it to an American client in early 1954. Importantly, this was the only Frua Spyder mounted to a genuine A6GCS car; the other two were mounted on A6GCS chassis, but they were engineered with the more street-friendly A6G/54 engine. The car was fitted out with a striking chromed side exhaust, emerging like a dragon’s tongue from behind the front wheels and becoming a flicker of silver down the body on the driver’s side. Reminiscent of earlier Maserati racing cars, it added an additional element of drama to the design, the sort of touch that made Frua bodies stand out from the crowd, and it continues to do so today. As a testament to its beauty, chassis 2054 was pictured in Richard Crump and Rob Box’s Maserati Road Cars, with a note stating that “these spyders were most attractive.”

The consignor of this car found the original Frua Spyder body from chassis 2054 in the ownership of noted Maserati enthusiast and Concorso Italiano founder Francis Mandarano, who had acquired it in the American South some time earlier. While the original chassis was long gone—it was converted into a racing car—the body was immaculately complete, aside from a single missing bumper bar, retaining all of its original jewelry-like details, including the original “pFrua” badges, the original instruments, all the door hardware, and unaltered curvaceous lines. In the owner’s words, “I thought of buying it as a somewhat charitable deed: saving from oblivion a beautiful object that would be a shame to let go.”

Accordingly, the body was mounted upon an original A6G/2000 chassis, number 2190, and reportedly fitted from new with an A6GCS engine, which had been restored by Italian automobile expert Nino Epifani, of Berkeley, California; it had its chassis frame shortened appropriately. The bulk of the restoration was completed by renowned specialist Wayne Obry’s Motion Products, of Neenah, Wisconsin, with the goal being to return the car to as near as possible as 2054 had first been when delivered in 1953.

Obry’s hard work resulted in glass-like light silver-blue paint, a crisply tailored blue leather interior with royal blue carpets, and deep chrome; the dashboard is elegant in its smooth simplicity, with clear, easy-to-read Jaeger instruments, ideal for the sporting driver. The car recalls the best of the coachbuilt classics and the bare, elemental fury of the 1950s sporting barchetta at the same glorious time.

This spectacular finish earned the prestigious honors of Best Maserati at the 2003 Concorso Italiano, one of the world’s foremost gatherings of important Italian automobiles. The Maserati appeared again at the concours d’elegance at the Cavallino Classic XIV in Palm Beach in 2005.

Given its connoisseur-owner’s philosophy that cars are best admired not only when standing on a show field, but also when moving against the various backdrops provided by nature, the car has completed two Colorado Grands, as well as the California Mille, performing effortlessly. The owner describes it as “an excellent and spirited driving car.” To better suit modern rallying purposes, a five-speed manual transmission from an Alfa Romeo was installed; the owner retains the Maserati transmission correct to this chassis and will supply it to the new owner upon request. Accompanying the car are photocopies of photographs of chassis 2054 as original, photos of the body as-found, and correspondence with the previous owner, testifying to its remarkably complete and intact condition, as well as historical information relating to this car and model.

French philosopher Simone Weil wrote that “art is the symbol of the two noblest human efforts: to construct and to refrain from destruction.” The coachwork that Pietro Frua created, as one of the masters of the Italian carrozzeria, stood as artful as anything else on wheels during the golden age of the European sports car. Here is one of the finest examples of his functional fine art to have survived; it is presented, through careful preservation and restoration that saved it from destruction, with all the beauty in motion that it possessed in 1953.

Lot 235 - A 1953 Maserati A6GCS/53 Spyder by Fantuzzi
Chassis no. 2053
Engine no. 2067

High Bid of $2,200,000

170 hp, 1,985 cc inline six-cylinder engine with three Weber dual-choke carburetors, four-speed manual gearbox, independent front suspension with upper and lower wishbones, coil springs, and Houdaille shocks, rear suspension with rigid axle, semi-elliptic springs, and Houdaille shocks, and four-wheel drum brakes. Wheelbase: 90.9 in.

• Continuous ownership history, documented by John de Boer
• Includes FIA and FIVA certification
• One of the most beautiful sports racing Maseratis
• Period-correct engine fitted; additional spare engine included
• Eligible for every leading international event

By the early 1950s, business was improving for Maserati with the introduction of exciting and successful new cars for both road and track. Their new post-war models, which featured the A6 1,500-cubic centimeter six-cylinder and the A6G two-liter six-cylinder engines designed by Alberto Massimino, produced sprightly performance, but more power would be necessary to win races.

Enter the A6GCS, which evolved into the A6GCS/53. This new car used an updated version of the Maserati two-liter, which was developed by Gioacchino Colombo and inspired by a Formula Two design used in the A6GCM. The new engine featured a cast aluminum block fitted with cast-iron cylinder liners for new aluminum pistons and twin overhead camshafts with dual-plug ignition. This short-stroke architecture with seven main bearings by Vandervell, which is supported by a nitrided crankshaft, produced a prodigious 170 horsepower in the catalogued “Mille Miglia” tune.

The competition-oriented A6GCS/53 created a sensation for Maserati from its launch. The CS, for “Corsa Sport,” featured a tubular chassis generally made by Gilco, who also supplied Ferrari and other specialty builders of the time. In total, a mere 52 examples were built between 1953 and 1955, with 48 of them being open spyders and four of them built with the berlinetta body by Pinin Farina. Of the spyders, Carrozzeria Fantuzzi provided the most sinuously shapely bodies, which were crafted from lightweight aluminum.

Now appropriately re-engineered, the A6GCS/53 achieved remarkable results in international competition. Among its victories were the 1953 Mille Miglia, where it achieved 3rd overall and 1st and 2nd in class, battling Mercedes-Benz and Ferrari teams. It was well campaigned in Europe and the UK, South America, and especially in the U.S. Through subsequent years, the A6GCS/53 remained competitive, and as a result, many of them underwent multiple engine changes and other modifications. Quite often, as with other Italian racing cars of the period that raced in the U.S. and South America, strong, reliable, and readily available American powerplants were used to replace worn or destroyed Maserati units.

In considering the history of a vintage race car, the necessity to pursue diligent research and to consider the level of record keeping common for racing teams during the period in which the car was driven competitively is very important. Italian automotive historian and authority John de Boer prepared an extensive history of chassis 2053 in 2008. This portrait of the Maserati’s provenance was compiled over several years and reflected interviews and conversations of more than a score of people with close ties to the world of Maserati, including both racing and blue-chip collector cars. (The history also notes that de Boer worked on this car when it was in the shop of Epifani Restorations, of Berkeley, California, during the 1990s.)

Chassis 2053 was delivered by the Maserati factory to U.S. Maserati distributor and team owner Tony Pompeo, through his entity, P. Ducati Motors, in 1953. Fascinatingly, 2053 was photographed doing some demonstration laps during the SCCA Nationals at Thompson Raceway on December 12, 1953, in the hands of Juan Manuel Fangio himself, in the famous and familiar drift position. During its display at the International Motor Sports Show, in New York, Pompeo sold the car to its first “civilian” owner, Don McKnought, early in 1954, whereupon he entered it into the Sebring 12 Hours. However, he DNF’d after 67 laps.

Extensively raced since, it suffered an accident at the Brynfan Tyddyn Road Races in Pennsylvania and was sold to Fritz Koster in 1955. Koster also owned A6GCS/53 chassis 2039 and, therefore, raced 2053 very little. In 1958, he sold 2053 to James and Ben Diaz. These brothers, after racing it briefly in its original configuration, refurbished the car, sold engine 2053 to Karl Ludvigsen, installed a Chevrolet V-8 engine, and returned the Maserati to the race track for a few events, where the car did well. In this configuration, it was purchased by Gus Buscham in 1961, who, in turn, sold it to Louis Casazza three years later.

Casazza retained ownership of the car for almost 25 years, before selling it to noted Maserati expert and owner of MIE International, Frank Mandarano, in 1989. Mandarano commissioned the creation of a reproduction Maserati engine with high performance specification, which was stamped 2053 to match the chassis. Mandarano also endeavored to return the car back to its original look by removing a faired-in headrest that it had acquired along the way, as well as restoring other features.

Japanese collector Hiroshi Kobayashi bought the A6GCS/53 in 1995, where it joined his impressive stable. It was next moved into the ownership of Dr. Julio Palmaz, at which point it returned to the U.S. in 1999. Dr. Palmaz engaged famed Italian car restorer Nino Epifani, of Berkeley, California, to re-restore the car to original cosmetic and mechanical condition, at a cost said to be in excess of $200,000. The car was next acquired by Peter Hosmer in 2003, and it joined the current owner’s collection in 2006.

The sleek and purposeful body is finished beautifully and appropriately in red. Inside, the flat silver paint and simple pleated-red-leatherette seats are set off by lovely bright teal instrument faces, as they would have been fitted by Maserati. Details abound and include the correct fuel pumps in the passenger foot well, which were located, restored, and fitted by Epifani. The car sits on painted Borrani wire wheels with nearly new tires. As lovely as the body and interior are finished, so is the undercarriage, rear stowage area, and engine bay. True to original in all respects, they are also fully detailed to show standards. Most importantly, a correct and original A6GCS engine, number 2067, was located and rebuilt with correct components and accessories. It was also strengthened and uprated to racing specification, with 202 horsepower at 7,600 rpm and an impressive 197 foot-pounds of torque. This engine is now fitted into chassis 2053 and renders the entire package period-authentic to its history.

This car’s impeccable cosmetic condition has been proven by it winning Best in Class and Most Desirable at the New Hampshire International Speedway Concours d’Elegance in 2004, under Hosmer’s ownership. Later that year, it was also shown in California at the Hillsborough Concours and won the Sid Colberg Award. Its bona fides on the track, while fitted with the powerful period-correct engine, were established at Infineon Raceway, taking a class win in the 2009 season of the Shell Historic Ferrari Challenge, plus a 2nd overall at the Monterey Historic Automobile Races at Laguna Seca the same year. The Maserati qualified on the front row and distinguished itself with dignity in a field of well-prepared and historically significant race cars, including another Maserati A6GCS/53.

Offered today with a correct A6GCS/53 engine and possessing an FIA Heritage Certificate and FIVA Passport, the historical continuity of this presentation has been greatly enhanced. This model is not only one of Maserati’s most historically significant sports cars, it is also one of the most attractive, with its exquisite Fantuzzi Spyder coachwork. With interest in historic sports racing cars at an all-time high, ownership of a car such as this captivating Maserati is certain to be an exciting experience. A vehicle such as this Maserati is an alluring ticket to participation in leading events around the world, from concours to rallies to vintage racing, at the highest levels.

Lot 242 - A 1960 Maserati Tipo 61 'Birdcage'
Chassis no. 2461

Sold for $2,090,000

250 bhp, 2,890 cc dual overhead-camshaft inline four-cylinder engine with twin Weber 48 DCO/A3 carburetors, five-speed manual transaxle, independent front suspension with coil springs, de Dion rear axle with transverse leaf springs, four-wheel hydraulic disc brakes, and a tubular trellis frame. Wheelbase: 86.6 in. (2,200 mm)

•The most celebrated competition record of any Birdcage Maserati
•Campaigned by the factory-supported Camoradi team
•Winner of the 1960 Nürburgring 1000 km (Moss/Gurney)
•A 1960 24 Hours of Le Mans entrant
•A 2006 restoration by Reilly & Company
•Proven vintage racing podium contender; eligible for all FIA events
•Continuous history, with known ownership from new

By the late 1950s, the bulk of Maserati’s impressive racing history lay behind it, as the manufacturer struggled to reconcile the expense of competition development with profitability. Yet, despite withdrawing from factory-sponsored motorsports in 1957, one last hurrah remained on the horizon for the Modena automaker, a fitting exclamation point to its stellar competition pedigree.

Beset by the cost of engineering a brand-new engine, or building expensive V-12-based cars in any number, Maserati continued developing the sturdy two-liter inline four-cylinder unit from the 200S sports racer. This motor was not prohibitively costly to manufacture, and it would allow them to create a new sports car for privateers. Maserati engineer Giulio Alfieri designed an innovative new chassis, employing a lattice frame of small-diameter tubing, which ensured rigidity with minimal weight (an astonishingly nominal 66 pounds). Though designated initially as the Type 60, the novel chassis was nicknamed the “Birdcage,” for the obvious resemblance, and the evocative moniker has resonated ever since. Alfieri mounted voluptuous factory bodywork over the cutting-edge space frame, and, with the engine canted at a 45-degree angle to lower height, it revolutionized the exterior appearance of sports racers of the period, proving to be highly influential in the years to come and iconic today, as it is among the last to feature the traditional front-engined configuration.

The prototype Type 60, chassis number 2451, debuted with factory sponsorship at the Coupe Delamare Debauteville on July 12, 1959, with none other than Stirling Moss at the wheel. In its very first contest, the Birdcage took 1st place overall, setting the stage for a remarkable run. Maserati soon began experimenting with a version of the engine that had a larger displacement, resulting in the three-liter Tipo 61 cars, which began delivery to customers in November 1959. At least one Tipo 60 example was eventually upgraded to Tipo 61 specification, and, as with many such race cars, the two models have essentially come to be regarded almost interchangeably, with 22 total examples collectively produced between 1959 and early 1961.

Chassis 2461 was the 11th Birdcage example produced, and it is believed to be the first Type 61 equipped with the larger 14-inch front brake discs. Of particular significance underpinning the model’s competition record is its original ownership by one of the central figures in the Birdcage legend, Lloyd “Lucky” Casner. As a dashing pilot and car dealer based in Miami, Mr. Casner became an early proponent of the Birdcage, buying the used factory prototype (chassis number 2451) for his new racing squad, the Casner Motor Racing Division (abbreviated with Italian flair as the Camoradi team). Entered at the Nassau Speed Week in early December 1959, and driven by Carroll Shelby, 2451 retired early, but Gaston Andrey’s strong performance in s/n 2455 sufficiently impressed Casner to order three more cars, chassis numbers 2458, 2461, and 2464.

Of these three examples, 2461 proved to be the most effective, spearheading Casner’s win at the first of the two major Sports Car Championship races, which would establish the Birdcage’s credentials for a generation of competitors. Delivered on March 20, 1960, chassis 2461 was to debut for the Camoradi team at the 12 Hours of Sebring, but, unfortunately, driver Jim Rathmann blew the engine during practice before the race. Fortuitously, the motor was replaced in time for the Nürburgring 1000 km on May 22, 1960.

Driven by Stirling Moss and Dan Gurney, two of motorsports’ true legends, 2461 led one of the most dramatic comebacks in racing history after a broken oil pipe prompted a five-minute pit stop during lap 20. Having relinquished the lead, the Birdcage reentered the race in 4th place, with Gurney facing thick mist and drizzle. At one stage, the visibility was so poor that spectators had difficulty seeing across the track. In a dazzling and epic performance, which included overcoming cracked goggles that were smashed by a flying stone, Gurney heroically regained 30 seconds per lap and took the lead by the time he next pitted, firmly establishing him into the top rank of sports car racers. Moss was then able to maintain 1st place after resuming driving duties, propelling 2461 to its initial major victory, and one of two that would indelibly connect Lucky Casner to the success of the Birdcage Maserati. The triumph was celebrated with the feature appearance of 2461 on the cover of the May 27, 1960, issue of Autosport magazine.

Next, 2461 was one of three Birdcages entered at the 1960 24 Hours of Le Mans, and one of at least two that featured a longer, modified tail, intended to improve aerodynamics at speed. All three cars were forced to retire early with mechanical issues. Chassis 2461 experienced one more race of note with the Camoradi team, placing 2nd overall at the Swedish Grand Prix on August 7, 1960, driven by Joakim Bonnier. Soon afterwards, the car was sold from the Camoradi stable to an American privateer.

Interestingly enough, Lucky Casner went on to win the Nürburgring 1000 km again in 1961, this time piloting chassis 2472 (the final Birdcage, which had, by then, been rebodied by Drogo) with Masten Gregory. This second Nürburgring victory cemented the Birdcage’s status as a Sports Car Championship contender of note. Sadly, Casner, for all his glory under the badge of the Trident, died tragically in a crash while driving a Maserati Tipo 151 during the 1965 Le Mans test weekend.

In September 1960, chassis 2461, along with 2464, was purchased from Camoradi by Alan Connell, of Fort Worth, Texas, who was the 1959 champion of the SCCA’s Modified Sports Car Class. Mr. Connell entered 2461 in no fewer than five different races over the next four months, placing 1st overall at the USAC Consolation Race at Riverside (part of the Times Grand Prix) on October 16 and 5th overall at the SCCA event at Daytona on November 13.

Following the end of the 1960 season, to remain competitive, Mr. Connell’s mechanic, John Miller, installed a Ferrari 250 TR V-12 engine (sourced from Ferrari chassis number 0724TR). This measure was not an altogether unusual step for a Birdcage at the time, as several owners were installing V-8s of various types. Strong results followed, with a 1st overall finish at Mansfield, Louisiana, on September 4, 1961, and another checkered flag at the Muskogee, Oklahoma, Grand Prix on October 29. Sometime in 1962, Mr. Connell sold 2461 to a fellow Texan, Richard McGuire, who continued to race the car through 1965, after which it was exhibited for a period of time at the Texas Speed Museum.

By the early 1970s, the Birdcage has been acquired by the Honorable Patrick Lindsay, of the United Kingdom. Mr. Lindsay treated the car to a much-needed restoration after the vigorous campaigns of Mr. Connell, installing a replacement Tipo 61engine rebuilt from a block by Steve Hart with an original cylinder head and ancillaries, including the water pump and oil pump, as well as period-correct Weber carburetors that are stamped sequentially with very low numbers.

A renowned aviator who piloted his own Spitfire fighter plane, Mr. Lindsay frequently raced the Birdcage in various British events, until an accident at Silverstone in 1972 sidelined the car with damage to the chassis and front bodywork. A new chassis by Frank Coltman was commissioned, which started the endeavor to salvage as much of the original componentry as possible, including the front and rear de Dion suspension, the supporting frame uprights (exhibiting the welded 2461 chassis tag), the cowl, the steering box, the brakes, the prop shaft housing, and the transaxle components. Unassembled, the project was assumed by well-known American collector Dieter Holtersbosch, who properly finished the rebuild, including the bodywork, and restored the original short tail design from its Nürburgring triumph.

The Birdcage is accompanied by its FIA Historic Vehicle Identification Form from 1989, attesting without equivocation to the correct specification of all major elements, including the chassis, suspension, engine, and body configuration.

In 1986, chassis 2461 was purchased by Hartmut Ibing, of Germany. Joining a high-level collection, this perfectionist owner re-restored the car to a high standard. In this faithful presentation, the car was loaned for display at the Nürburgring’s Rennsport Museum for a period, and occasionally, it was raced at historic events. For the 1995 competition season, the car was driven by Peter Hannen, at the conclusion of which he was crowned the winner of the Historic European Championship in Spain. In 1999, the Birdcage was sold to Phillippe Marcq, of Belgium, who continued to campaign the car over the next few years in events such as the Shell Ferrari-Maserati Historic Challenge at Le Mans, the Ferrari Days at Spa, and the Goodwood Revival and Festival of Speed.

In 2005, this historically significant Birdcage was acquired by the consignor, who soon retained respected restorers of vintage sports cars Phil Reilly and Ivan Zaremba, of Reilly & Company in Corte Madera, California, to recondition 2461 from the ground up. All frame and chassis parts were comprehensively inspected and renovated as necessary. The engine was disassembled and rebuilt with new rods, pistons, valves, and valve train. The de Dion rear suspension was re-aligned, and the transaxle, brakes, and suspension were properly rebuilt to contemporary high standards of race preparation. The bodywork was evaluated and massaged as needed, with an exceptional bare-metal repaint and graphics, duplicating its Nürburgring-winning livery.

In August 2006, the freshly restored 2461 debuted at the Monterey Historic races, receiving the Rolex Award for Presentation and Performance. The following July, the car was presented at the Vanderbilt Concours d’Elegance in Newport, Rhode Island, where it contributed to an official celebration of the accomplishments of Dan Gurney and Sir Stirling Moss. Winning First in Class and the Founder’s Award, the Birdcage was autographed by its two most legendary drivers, adding a special degree of provenance and authenticity to its impressive racing history. Chassis 2461 has run consecutively each year since at the Monterey Historics, with one exception, when it was invited for display there on the occasion of their Dan Gurney tribute, where the crowd was treated to exhibition laps with IndyCar sensation Dario Franchitti behind the wheel. In 2012, chassis 2461 once again received the Rolex Award for Excellence at the Monterey Motorsports Reunion, also finishing 2nd overall against a full field of stiff competition.

Featured on the cover of several notable automotive magazines, including Vintage Motorsport and Vintage Racecar, as well as appearing in Automobile Quarterly, 2461 is celebrated as one of the most important Birdcages in existence, with the most distinguished competition record of all. An original Tipo 61 engine block (damaged) accompanies the sale, as well as an option to acquire an impressively detailed, large-scale model of the innovative birdcage frame of 2461. (Please see an RM specialist for details.)

Still exhibiting the many qualities of the painstaking Reilly & Company restoration, 2461 would make a fantastic entrant for ongoing vintage competition, as it is a well-known veteran of such prestigious circuits as Laguna Seca and Goodwood. Indeed, the car has been track-tested as recently as April 2013. As an immaculate specimen of one of the most significant Birdcages ever constructed, 2461 is equally important as a historical piece, worthy of display at the finest international concours or museum exhibits. It remains, without exaggeration, a true benchmark of 1960s sports racers and an essential exemplar of the Maserati legend.

All images and text courtesy of RM Auctions.