LOT No. 127

A 1956 Maserati A6G-2000 Coupe
Coachwork by Carrozzeria Allemano
Registration No. 809 YVN
Chassis No. 2126
Engine No. 2126
Estimate: £200,000 - £250,000.

Sold for £236,700 inc. premium

This early, rare and most attractive Maserati A6G-2000 Berlinetta with coachwork by Carrozzeria Allemano combines in one harmonious blend its beautiful yet purposeful body with the well-balanced A6G-2000 chassis and 2-litre 6-cylinder twin-overhead camshaft engine. This elegant haute couture bodywork is worn by a typically Maserati race-bred chassis frame, and powered by the Modenese company's much-admired 2-litre 6-cylinder twin-overhead camshaft engine,in this case featuring twin-plug ignition and breathing through three single-choke Weber carburettors which in contrast to a twin-choke Weber set-up provides usefully enhanced torque at lower revs.

Through the latter part of 1953 Maserati's design engineers – Gioachino Colombo and Giorgio Bellentani – developed not only the sports-racing A6GCS models and the Formula 2 World Championship-contesting A6GCM/53 single-seaters, but also worked hard upon a more mildly-tuned 6-cylinder design for production car sale. This made its debut in March 1954 at the Geneva Salon in Switzerland.

Probably through his association with the great Vittorio Jano when working as a designer at Alfa Romeo, Gioachino Colombo dispensed with the finger-actuated valve gear of early power units to adopt a screw-in type tappet arrangement with chain-driven twin overhead camshafts for the definitive new production model. The dry-sump lubrication of the purebred racing designs was replaced by a wet-sump system, and an engine developed which would produce a reliable 140bhp-plus for the road. The pure competition counterpart would produce up to 170bhp, with equally effective reliability but a rather shorter time interval required between services and rebuilds.

The original Geneva show car was designated the Maserati A6G-2000 or A6G/54 G.T. and it was displayed as a spacious all-aluminium two-door Coupe, styled and bodied by Pietro Frua. When road tested by Hans Tanner for the British magazine 'Motor Racing', the A6G-2000 was praised for its "instantaneous acceleration, faultless roadholding and excellent handling...".

The Maserati factory contracted Carrozzeria Frua to produce bodies styled in both Coupe and convertible Spider form, which were offered with notable individual variation in their grille treatments. The rival Carrozzeria Zagato also bodied a number of these cars while Carrozzeria Allemano was also successful in bidding for some of the work. This particular example from the Hartley Collection has the Allemano coachwork.

Serafino Allemano founded his coachbuilding company in Turin as early as 1927 under the name Allemano & Trico, Carrozzeria per Automobili. From 1929 it became simply 'Allemano' and Serafino ran the company dynamically until 1965, latterly in conjunction with his nephew Mario Allemano. The company's styling work appeared especially postwar on a broad range of Fiat, Lancia, Renault, Panhard, Ferrari, Maserati and even ATS cars. Allemano would also become one of the first Italian styling houses to work for Japanese motor manufacturers, producing two prototypes for Fuji industries as early as the late 1950s.

As was standard practice in period, Maserati completed the running chassis of these cars, which were then transported to the coachbuilder of choice.

The American 'Motor Trend' magazine commented of the A6G-2000 that its purchase price "Seems like a lot of money to pay for the sake of getting people to stare and ask 'What is that?'. Yet you have something that's as different from the ordinary car as this magazine is from a television soap opera. You have a car in the tradition of the brute sports car but with the blessing of one of the most beautiful bodies ever fitted to any chassis. On top of this it's put together as a piece of quality merchandise should be, it handles superbly, has incomparable vision and gives you a feeling of absolute security on the open road...".

Where the American consumer magazine's tolerance became stretched in period, modern classic car enthusiasm probably starts, as the writer continued "Unless you love mechanical sounds you may not take a liking to the Maserati" – for the crisp 6-cylinder song of that twin-cam engine is well known and has been remarked upon for decades.

These power units were 'over-square' dimensionally, combining a bore diameter of 76.5mm with the short stroke length of 72mm, and it has been rightly said that "A 1955 purchaser got a little jewel of a power plant for his money...".

Variants of the A6G-2000 became the most expensive Maserati production 2-litre at a contemporary $10,450, and Allemano completed its first such Maserati for the American market in January 1956. Its third Allemano Coupe on the A6G-2000 chassis went to the celebrated Swiss racing personality Baron Emmanuel 'Toulo' de Graffenried that March. This particular car now offered here – chassis '2126' – was the tenth of these cars to be bodied by Allemano in their attractive Coupe style. It was finished originally in grey paintwork and was delivered on May 28, 1956, to Ciancarelli in Rome.

The car subsequently found its way into this country, being first UK-registered as '16 ARY' to Danilo Govoni of Leicester in January 1961. Its old-style logbook records its colour at that time as having been blue. Its first UK ownership change was then to the Essex Refrigeration Co Ltd in Romford, Trend Interiors of Richmond, and then to Mr David Victor Shaw of Chinnor, Oxfordshire until 1972. The car was then owned by Maserati enthusiast Mr Ken Painter for some time before he sold it to Mr Hartley who first registered it in his name in March, 1988.

Mr Painter recalled: "This was one of two A6Gs I bought, the second was a Zagato-bodied version that I eventually sold to the Rosso Bianco Collection in Germany. I believe one was bought to act as a 'spares' car for the other. Both were slightly the worse for wear when I bought them...". Mr Painter wrote about the cars in the Maserati Clubs 'Trident' magazine and pointed out that the A6G-2000 had been long under-rated. In comparison to the Aston Martin DB2/4 with its larger engine and less attractive styling, the Maserati was actually faster, while Jaguar achieved the same top speed as the A6G-2000, but only with an engine of nearly double the capacity.

This most attractive Maserati Coupe is today described as being highly original, apart from having been converted from left-hand drive to right-hand drive, which "...is not a big job to do, and which can be easily reversed since the original steering components are still with the car". It is offered here in running order, while the vendor recommends for a new owner that since it has not been used lately, brake inspection would be prudent before it is driven in earnest.

This is, indeed, a mouth-watering classic Italian 6-cylinder Coupe from the truly illustrious Maserati marque, a road-useable potential Concours car with some real competition breeding and muscle, and it is an ideal proposition for the confirmed or budding connoisseur alike...

To sum up his Maseratis, Anthony Hartley says: "Maserati built racing cars to sell racing cars. Alfa built racing cars to sell sports cars. Maseratis are more fun! Ferrari? We won't go there..."

Text and photos courtesy of Bonhams.

This magical Maserati was in period a direct competitor of the smaller-engined, less uncompromisingly race-bred, Alfa Romeo 8C-2300. It should be considered absolutely within the same breath as one of the most illustrious of Italian-made Vintage and Post-Vintage Thoroughbred road racing cars.

This extraordinarily well presented survivor from Maserati's early history is offered here direct from no fewer than 57 years in its current ownership, and from 61 years within the same family. It has been restored, maintained and preserved within Mr Anthony Hartley's supreme Maserati collection and fully reflects his unique combination of admiration for the marque, hands-on engineering capability and deep, deep knowledge of these dynamic machines.

This is one of two 2.5-litre Maserati Tipo 26 cars originally imported into the UK during the winter of 1930-31. The Tipo 26 cars are normally known as 26Ms or 26Bs, but in the case of these two cars built to special British order it appears they were classified as 26s. The pair fulfilled an order placed by well-known British-based racing personality Edgar Fronteras on behalf of Mr Max Morris's RAG Patents Ltd of London, manufacturers of the RAG carburettor – these initials being derived from the name of Irish woman R.A. Garston, who provided Morris's financial backing. The cars were to be equipped with RAG carburettors, and prepared for racing by the motor engineering company of L.C.Rawlence & Company Ltd of The Cut, Lambeth, in central London. They were to be entered by M.C. Morris for top-level British sports car races in 1931.

The two cars were Maserati chassis serials '2516' and '2518', and according to Italian sources they were shipped with radiator cowl, bonnet and scuttle mounted but without the rearward two-thirds of the bodywork. The contention is that this was to be made in England since it had to comply dimensionally with RAC four-seater racing regulations requiring that competing cars of more than 1½-litre capacity should be equipped with four-seater bodies matching minimum standards. Long-term owner Mr Hartley takes a different view on this matter and from his experience of the original bodywork's constructional style believes it to have been Italian made, and not British.

These two British-market cars were described by Italian historian Luigi Orsini in his book 'Maserati – A Complete History' (1980) as the Tipo 26 series' "...only models...considered sports versions...". He went on to relate how the two cars had been purchased "...through the mediation of Edgar Fronteras, a fellow of not very Anglo-Saxon features possibly, but envied by many for the charm of his wife, an ex-nurse. His work as a business procurer for the Maserati (brothers) previously begun with the 26M of (Sir Henry) Birkin, continued until after the war, during the OSCA period...".

The cars' 2.5-litre straight-8 supercharged engines featured twin overhead camshafts and factory records indicate that units '2516' and '2518' were unusual in that double-row roller bearings rather than single-row supported the centre of the lengthy crankshaft. Mr Hartley expands upon this reference, explaining that the crankshaft front and rear bearings are double-row self-aligning ball races. The centre main-bearing on early cars was a split roller-type but on later cars it was replaced by a large bronze casting housing white-metal bearing material.

Both cars had four-seater length frames–150mm longer than those of their two-seat/Grand Prix racing sister cars. For the endurance racing facing them – and particularly the battering that would be meted out by the bumpy bankings of Brooklands Motor Course during the Double-Twelve 24-hour race there - these chassis frames were constructed from 4mm thick steel instead of the 3mm thick stock that Maserati used in their Grand Prix frames. Their chassis side-rail depth was also greater, 120mm amidships compared to only 100mm for the Grand Prix chassis, and the frames were 20mm wider with the bodywork overhanging some 50mm each side. The radiator mounted on top of the chassis instead of down in line with the dumb-iron undersides as on the GP car. For the Double-Twelve the new Maseratis were rigged with full-width windscreens in addition to their individual aero screens for driver and riding mechanic, and hood. The original hood frame survives on '2518' offered here.

These two British-destined frames also featured longer-than-standard front springs, the four-seater racing-regulation bodies and dynamo, starter motor and lighting systems. Engineer R.A. 'Dickie' Oates worked with the Rawlence Company to prepare and run these cars in the Brooklands Double-Twelve race on May 9,1931, followed by the Irish Grand Prix sports car race, in Phoenix Park, Dublin, on July 19,and the RAC Tourist Trophy race at Ards in Ulster on August 22 that year.

In the Brooklands Double-Twelve, Captain George Eyston shared one car – wearing race number '4' - with Italian mechanic/driver Giulio Ramponi, but its back axle reputedly failed on the final lap of the first day's racing. Mr Hartley finds this difficult to believe since it is so robust. Edgar Fronteras and Oates were non-starters in the second car. 'Wilkie' Wilkinson, later famous for his preparation of the Evans family's Bellevue Garage MGs and post-World War 2 of the double Le Mans-winning Ecurie Ecosse Jaguars, worked for L.C. Rawlence at the time.

He was riding mechanic in the Eyston/Ramponi Maserati for the Double-Twelve - his first race –as he later recalled in his autobiography 'Wilkie' (Nelson & Saunders, 1987) as follows: "I would never forget lapping Brooklands with Eyston close on 120mph in that big Maserati. After the 8am start for almost the whole of the first twelve hours, we drove right up at the top of the banking, close to the unprotected rim. To be driven round Brooklands at that speed was at first a terrifying experience. Even after you got used to it, it was still somewhat shattering. (On the rough banking) the cars were most uncomfortable; the Hartford friction-type shock absorbers were locked-up almost solid. The Maserati leaped and crashed over the bumps, slamming into the concrete with bone-jarring force. I was soon aching all over. The racket from the exhaust, even with the compulsory Brooklands silencer, was deafening. The heat from the exhaust on my left was more than equaled by the heat from the gearbox on my right that burned my legs... There was only a tiny aero screen to protect my face. We had no crash helmets, just linen helmets and goggles. The car suffered too: wing stays kept breaking, forcing us to stop and bolt them together again, and put new brackets on. But these were only minor problems; the car went very fast all day, like the proverbial bomb.v"Then, on the very last lap, the crown wheel and pinion failed as Ramponi took it off the Byfleet Banking. The axle made a horrible grinding noise as he pulled off the track. A new axle could have been fitted quite quickly, but none was available...the car was withdrawn".

Both of the British team's 2.5-litre Maseratis '2516' and '2518'were then re-prepared in Lambeth for the trip to Dublin for the Eireann Cup race – an event plainly of great significance to Max Morris' Irish backer, Ms R.A. Garston, which is presumably how they could afford the services of the great Alfa Romeo and Maserati works driver Campari. 'Wilkie' again: "Eyston drove one Rawlence Maserati and Giuseppe Campari travelled from Italy to handle the other."

George Eyston was intrigued to learn how much Campari's Italian riding mechanic was being paid for his work, in contrast to his man Wilkinson. "The answer was twenty Pounds for this one race. For me...", wrote 'Wilkie'; "...that was almost six week's wages". The Captain convinced Rawlence that his man was as capable as any Italian mechanic and must therefore be paid the same. "That twenty Pounds was the biggest sum of money I had ever got in my working life", 'Wilkie' recalled.

The Brooklands back-axle trouble had been traced to a flexing axle casing allowing oil to escape past the seals. "We fixed a grease gun in the cockpit holding at least a pint of oil, and connected it by a long flexible pipe to the rear axle. During the race I was to turn the gun down several turns every lap to keep the axle topped up with oil". While fabricating a refueling funnel, 'Wilkie' then gashed his right hand. The wound turned septic and on race morning Eyston took him to the MO to have the wound drained and bandaged. "In the race we got away to a good start, and I felt confident, despite my numbed hand. Then it started to pour with rain. If Brooklands was tough, this was terrifying. On the fast straight on the back leg of the circuit the Maserati seemed to be going in every direction at once. I remember thinking that Eyston would not crash if he could possibly help it, so we would probably survive it all somehow. If I didn't pump the fuel tank pressure enough, the engine would begin to spit and splutter – 'Pump the damn thing!', Eyston would shout – if I pumped too much the carburettor would flood and the engine lose power. In the terrible conditions Eyston needed clean goggles very frequently – the shout of 'Change!" would come nearly every lap – and he had no spare hands to change them himself. But soon we were in the pits with a misfiring engine; the plug leads were soaked. It seemed to take a long time to change all eight plugs; we fitted softer ones more suited to the slower speeds in the wet.

"Just as I was changing Eyston's goggles yet again I noticed the dynamo, driven off the back of the camshaft, start to vibrate badly. The mounting bracket was broken ..." – Mr Hartley finds this difficult to believe, the casting is very large, he believes the clamp came loose – "...I wedged my right foot on top of the gearbox to keep the dynamo in place. As we came into a corner the car jumped out of gear. Eyston...shouted at me to hold the lever in gear. We, and the other leaders, were lapping at over 80mph." After losing third place due to a late stop for fuel, they finished fourth.

Campari, meanwhile, had absolutely shone in the sister RAG Patents/Rawlence Maserati harrying Sir Henry Birkin's Le Mans Alfa Romeo 8C-2300 for the lead. But while narrowly leading from the Maserati, Birkin had slid wide at Gough Corner, throwing up a shower of mud and stones, one of which had smashed into Campari's goggles, splintering glass into his eye. Ramponi, who had been on refueling duty in the pits, took over Campari's car but was unable to match the opera-singing Italian Champion's former pace. Following emergency treatment by an Irish doctor, Campari was unable to contain his impatience to resume his battle back to Birkin. One account described how there was "...a sudden tremendous commotion in the Maserati pit, where Campari was to be seen almost in the middle of the road, waving down Ramponi; and as he came in the one-eyed giant leaped into the car and set off like a tornado on a desperate bid to catch Birkin...". He just failed, and Campari's Maserati – said to be '2518' now offered here - would finish second to the Alfa Romeo 8C-2300, with the Hon. Brian Lewis's Fox & Nicholl team Talbot 105 third and Eyston's Maserati fourth... These Maserati 26s kept good company.

The RAC Tourist Trophy at Ards then proved even more arduous, Eyston finishing eighth in one Rawlence car while Fronteras had to retire his after just one lap due to an engine problem.

It appears that RAG Patents then failed in the Depression year of 1932, and Dickie Oates assumed ownership of both cars in part payment for fees left owing. Car '2518' was then sold – or possibly rented - to J. Cumming who drove it in 1933 in perhaps five races at Brooklands, finishing second at the Easter meeting. Paul Chivers also drove the car and took a second place in a later Brooklands event. In 1935 Adrian Boyd then appeared in one of these Maseratis – possibly the sister '2516' – while Sir Ronald Gunter sand-raced what may have been '2518' at Southport and Saltburn. Boyd's driving was described at the time as "wild" but he won a minor event at Donington Park. Dickie Oates then reappeared in what is thought to have been '2516' – bored out to a quoted 2,810cc – at Brooklands, the Brighton Speed Trials and the Shelsley Walsh hill-climb in 1935-36. It is also now offered here from the Hartley Collection, and its subsequent career is described under Lot 129, as it was sold into South African ownership in 1937.

Meanwhile, back in England, R.F. Oates sold '2518', advertising it for £350 in the monthly magazine 'Speed'. It is evident that at some stage in his stewardship of both cars that the engines were swopped between the two chassis. This car's engine, gearbox and back axle had already been sold to South Africa as spares for the sister car. Many years later, most of these components were retrieved from South African ownership by Mr Hartley, who found that – for example – the brackets from the retrieved oil cooler supplied pre-war amongst spares for '2516' actually matched holes drilled in his always British-domiciled chassis '2518'.

It appears that in 1937 this Maserati '2518' was sold by Oates to F. Ivan Carr, who then had the misfortune to break a con-rod during a road journey, damaging the crankcase. The engine was rebuilt and the car sold to the Winter Garden Garages, of London WC1 who then advertised it for sale through 1938-39. One E.D Saddington owned the car upon the return of peace in 1945. It was then offered for sale by the Rootes Brothers' dealership in Maidstone, Kent, and sold in 1946 to J.H. Rosslyn Smith. He had it throw another con-rod and tried to return it to Rootes. The engine was apparently discarded at that time and in 1949 the car was advertised, without engine, by racing driver George Abecassis's famous company, H.W. Motors of Walton-on-Thames.

It was bought by Maserati 8C-3000 Grand Prix car owner Roland Dutt as a source of spares. In 1964 he wrote to leading Maserati researcher Ken Stewart, describing this Tipo 26 as: "...the Campari car, (with a) stepped chassis reinforced members from front to just rear of the rear engine mounting. It had quickly detachable mudguards, headlights etc and a 2.9 engine. Just after the war it was owned by someone living in Southen. This exuberant gentleman put a rod through the side (I bet he did it in first gear). The car, less engine, went to George Abecassis at Walton-on-Thames (HWM). I then bought it for spares. What was left after I removed gearbox, torque tube, back axle etc was given to my mechanic. I have no idea whether he finally built it up into anything. An interesting point is that the torque tube was approximately 6-inches longer than that on my car..." – indicative of the Tipo 26's specially long wheelbase compared to the two-seat GP model – "...and had to be shortened".

By 1950 the old Maserati had been revived with 3-litre Riley V8 engine and gearbox and was advertised for re-sale by John Staveley. A Mr E. Pedley of Harrow, North London, re-advertised it in 1951 less engine and gearbox, and the car was bought later that year by Anthony Hartley's older brother, Michael, of Horsham, Sussex. He was told that it was "...the remains of the ex-Campari car and had been imported for the Tourist Trophy race".

On July 7, 1952, Michael Hartley road-registered the car 'NPX 126'and by 1954 had rebuilt it into running order using a Ford V8 engine and driveline. The car was then purchased from him by his brother Anthony, who has owned it ever since – through no fewer than 57 long years - and who has completely restored it to the fine as-original specification in which it is offered here.

In a 1960s letter, in light of his knowledge at the time, Mr Hartley wrote of it to Peter Hull of the Vintage Sports Car Club: "The chassis number although not stamped on the chassis as far as I have been able to see is '2513'. This number is given in the log book which is not original (as up to this time the car had never been registered as had only been used for racing) as my brother had to register the car when he put it on the road in 1954 with no original guts to it, but he assures me he obtained this number from a plate on the front chassis cross member and I feel he could not have made this number up as he had no idea at this time about what form Maserati chassis numbers took. But when the chassis frame was finally completely stripped, a patch of differently-shaped metal was noticed. This proved to be lead filling, and once removed it revealed the clear stamping '2518' beneath". Plainly an indistinct stamping of '2518' had once been misread as '2513'.

As offered here, '2518' embodies its original chassis – now boxed-in for enhanced rigidity - highly-original bodywork "...apart from the seats, rear undertray, floorboards, rear lights and canvas" and highly original running gear while Mr Hartley has crafted many new mechanical components to original specification to ensure useable reliability. The engine features its original cylinder head and exhaust (apart from the silencer), original RAG carburettor body. The original upper crankcase half and block are included with this Lot, the starter, dynamo and magneto are original, the gearbox re-made, the torque tube original, the majority of the braking system is also original, as are the axle tubes.

Amongst Maserati 8C cars this is absolutely one of the most original survivors. It is an extremely rare, classical straight-8 supercharged four-seat sports car, offered here in great order from one remarkably long-term, extraordinarily capable ownership. It has excellent provenance, it is accompanied by a comprehensive documentation file plus technical restoration and running notes...and it has that extra cachet of the Giuseppe Campari racing history. The vendor says it all when he declares "I have driven an Alfa Romeo 8C and in contrast to my Maserati...it's so easy it's boring!" We commend this wonderful survivor to you for the closest inspection and consideration.

Text and photos courtesy of Bonhams.

Here we offer the sister car to Lot 128, offered here direct from the Hartley Collection of Maseratis. It has been revived and rebuilt to running order by Mr Anthony Hartley himself after many years of hunting down original components from this much raced supercharged straight-8. For the origination and early racing exploits of this Maserati Tipo26, and of both chassis '2516' and its sister '2518', please see the description for the latter under Lot 128.

After the original purchasing company, RAG Patents Limited, failed to survive the Depression year of 1932, and R.F. 'Dickie' Oates assumed ownership of both cars in lieu of professional fees left owing, he appears not to have used the second chassis '2516' until 1935. However, in 1934-35 two Maserati Tipo 26 cars competed in British events, driven by J. Cumming and by Sir Ronald Gunter who competed in the Southport and Saltburn beach races. Gunter also appeared in his car in 1936, when he raced concurrently with Oates' sister Maserati. It seems therefore that if Oates' 1936 car was '2516' then Gunter's must have been '2518'. Spooling back, Adrian Boyd had raced concurrently with Gunter in 1934 inferring that his car was '2516'. By 1935 Dickie Oates had revived the car by fitting a new cylinder block which served to enlarge the rebuilt engine's capacity to just over 2.8-litres.

He also raced the car at Brooklands in 1936 before selling it in 1937, as the "ex-Eyston/Cumming" Maserati, to Steve Chiappini, a visiting owner/driver from South Africa. Before Mr Chiappini took delivery, he had Oates shorten the chassis by some 150mm to match the standard Maserati 8C Grand Prix car length. The RAC sports car-regulation four-seater body was also scrapped and replaced by sleekly aerodynamic single-seat racing car paneling by Bertelli, giving the car a very much more modern appearance.

Steve Chiappini then raced this re-bodied, GP-length chassised Maserati in South Africa until its straight-8 cylinder supercharged engine suffered a major failure. The power unit was sold to a gentlemen who planned to repair it for use in a motor boat, while Chiappini installed a replacement Chevrolet power unit in the Maserati chassis.

Steve Chiappini was very friendly with contemporary racing drivers Pat Fairfield and Cyril Paul with whom he had spent much time when he was in England in 1937. At Donington Park he had also got to know Maserati's star young driver, and later expert author of the book 'The Technique of Motor Racing', Piero Taruffi.

In South Africa for the international race series there of 1937-38, Taruffi drove Chiapinni around the Pollsmoor and East London circuits in a Lancia, recommending cut-off points and racing lines. Steve Chiappini then drove Maserati Tipo 26 '2516' to finish third in the South African Grand Prix at East London and also competed with it in Cape Trials and hill-climbs, winning several Cape Town events.

In 1964, Mr Chiappini wrote to South African Maserati researcher Ken Stewart, recalling: "The Big Mas was a very difficult car to handle, the road-holding was really tricky. It was a car which went magnificently, but it was very temperamental. Bought this car in England in 1937 from R.F. Oates who had raced the car. I understood from him that Nuvolari had also raced the car at one time. It was a 2.4 or 2.9-litre supercharged straight-8 twin-overhead camshaft. I bought it with a 2-seat body, but Bertelli's, at Feltham in England, built a single-seater racing body, allowing for oil tank on the left-hand side by the transmission, as dry sump lubrication necessitating large oil supply, which circulated from oil tank to sump via oil-cooler, and back to tank. 4-speed gear lever; reverse lever was separate lever mounted on side of gearbox. I think the engine No was 14" (incorrect). "One of the first cars to have tubular con rods, which in the early days gave a lot of trouble; these were later modified and thickened. Straight front axle made this car's road-holding very tricky. (Mr Hartley counters this misty memory since straight-axled '2518' "...is a dream to drive") Drove in practice at Brooklands and entered for race at Donington, but car unfortunately not finished in time. Drove at East London where had fastest standing lap of 108. Temperamental car. I sold it after the war, having converted into a sports car, fitting P100 headlights."

Post-war the car was acquired by South African enthusiast Hugh Linton, who fitted another Chevrolet engine, and christened the result a 'Chevrolati', which he subsequently passed on to future South African champion driver (and Porsche exponent) Ian Fraser Jones. Ultimately it seems that the car was completely dismantled, its mechanical parts being offered for sale while the obsolete chassis frame became part of a children's playground climbing frame somewhere in the Johannesburg area. Its removed mechanical parts were located and acquired by local Vintage car enthusiast Dr Hugh Gearing, who collected together as many as he could find, including finally the surviving original Maserati straight-8 engine.

Seeking information upon the car, in 1966, Dr Gearing contacted the Vintage Sports Car Club in England. Dudley Gahagan there advised him of the existence, in Anthony Hartley's ownership, of the sister Tipo 26, and put the two owners in contact whereupon it became apparent that each wanted to buy the other's Maserati material.

A hand-written letter from Dr Gearing to Mr Hartley survives in the comprehensive document file accompanying these cars. It is dated June 22, 1966, and tells how: "The motor I have here is an 8C-2500 supercharged sports car engine - No '2516'. It came out of the ex-Oates Brooklands car which was bought by Chiappini...It passed through many hands. It eventually blew up and was replaced (the motor) by a Chevrolet - the original motor then being sold to a motor boat racing enthusiast, who went to a lot of trouble getting spares from England to rebuild it. Subsequently it was only bench run and did one outing in his boat before being replaced by a huge supercharged Yank motor. It then stood for many years in his garage before I obtained it from him. The motor is complete with all accessories. The only bits missing being some parts from the carburettor. Being the sports car motor it has the starter motor and generator plus magneto. I also got the Brooklands silencer, and oil tank (scuttle) and oil cooler from him... There is also a spare top half of crankcase and a box of bits and pieces comprising valves, springs, a few connecting rods and pistons, and spark plugs...".

He related how: "I've been trying to locate the car for some time and only recently traced it to the North Cape Province. Since when I've managed to acquire the clutch, gearbox and back axle from some hair brained individual who took them out of the chassis but left the rest. Now I'm trying to find what happened to the rest of it..."

Into 1967 the situation in South Africa changed, as Dr Gearing had discovered that the original chassis frame had finally been scrapped, barely a month before he had located its whereabouts.. On February 27 he wrote again to Mr Hartley, having agreed to sell his collection of Maserati parts to him: "I hope you will have fun rebuilding your car. At least now there will be one original car of this type. At one stage it looked like I would be able to find all of my car, and I was very disappointed when I heard the chassis had indeed been scrapped. Anyway...I have enjoyed the chase...it has taken me four years to find what I've got."

In 1968 Mr Hartley wrote to Peter Hull of the Vintage Sports Car Club, announcing that: "You are quite right, I have now got engine, gearbox and rear axle (engine no '2516') and the top half of the crankcase of '2518', these parts came from South Africa and I am deeply indebted to Dr Gearing who showed the true spirit of the VSCC by selling them to me rather than selling them off as spares. It was Dr Gearing's intention to rebuild '2516' and he located all these parts, but unfortunately the chassis and body had been broken up, and he then decided it would be better to sell to me to enable at least one car (to) be rebuilt.

"The rad cowl was chromium plated, cable brakes, oil tank fitted in bulkhead, oil cooler mounted on front cross members, interesting as the oil cooler came from South Africa complete with some rather original brackets fitted. The bolt holes lined up with those already drilled in cross member..." – evidently from Dickie Oates's tenure parts of both '2516' and '2518' had done duty in both chassis, and once in Mr Hartley's ownership the two cars could be fully revived as individuals with one – '2516' offered here – requiring a replacement chassis and body.

Now as offered here, '2516' has been rebuilt by Mr Hartley around a replacement chassis made to the original drawings – 150mm longer, 120mm deep side members, all in 4mm thick stock - by leading specialist Gino Hoskins, with two-seater aluminium bodywork to original Maserati drawings, hand-built by Mr Hartley himself. This well-presented car's engine has not been totally rebuilt. It incorporates its original hard-used crankcase – stamped number '2516' – original cambox and timing case containing original gears. At some time in its life the bell housing has been welded back into place, while – probably when adapted for marine use – a section of it had been cut out. The power unit features a new cylinder head, cylinder block – with 69mm bore instead of the original 65mm, plus new high-compression pistons - and supercharger, with original crankshaft and connecting rods. Also original are the gearbox, front and rear axles (except the torque tube), brakes and brake shoes. This is a mouth-watering straight-8 supercharged road racing two-seater which will surely provide a new owner with an entry ticket to all the world's leading classic and Historic car events, and which promises many miles of thoroughly enjoyable Vintage-style Maserati motoring.

Text and photos courtesy of Bonhams.

Back in the mid-1960s Peter Coltrin, the American-born honorary Modenese who was very much the most sage observer of the Italian racing and high-performance car scene, made us aware of a critical difference between Italy's leading postwar marques, Ferrari and Maserati. "While Ferrari", he declared, "...is a one-man dictatorship with Enzo playing tunes his clients must dance to, Maserati is more like a family or a club. If they recognise you as a kindred spirit, you're in...".

For decades Maserati really did present the warm, engaging and thoroughly friendly face of the Italian commercial racing car industry, and through changing ownerships the marque achieved a remarkable consistency in its personnel – many of whom grew-up, lived, worked and indeed died as, to the core, Maserati people.

Perhaps this distinctive 'family' feel which the company enjoyed and demonstrated for at least its first four decades was inevitable, given the unique family ties of its creators – the brothers Maserati themselves.

Rodolfo Maserati had been a mechanically-minded 19th century artisan – an engine driver on the Italian railways. He and his wife Carolina (nee Losi) lived in Piacenza. They had seven sons, Carlo (born 1881), Bindo (1883), Alfieri (born 1885 but quickly died, this son's name then being given to the fourth born, in 1887), followed by Mario (1890), Ettore (1894) and Ernesto (1898).

Amongst them all the second son, Alfieri, and kid brother Ernesto, would prove to be the brightest and shrewdest, the natural leaders. But the oldest boy, Carlo, had already shown them how. With the exception of Mario – who became an accomplished painter – they all followed Papa into the world of mechanics and engineering. At just 17, Carlo - apprenticed to a bicycle manufacturer outside Milan - conceived a single-cylinder motor-cycle engine, which attracted a sponsor in the Marchese Carcano, and at 19 Carlo Maserati was winning his class in local events astride a Carcano machine of largely his own design.

He moved to Fiat, then to Isotta-Fraschini as engineer/test driver, followed – in 1908 – by Bianchi, where he became General Manager. But in 1919 he died.

During his time with Isotta he had secured places there for brothers Alfieri – aged just 16 – Bindo and Ettore. Alfieri progressed rapidly from gopher to tester, then service engineer. He and Ettore were despatched to Isotta Argentina for a time, then London before settling in Bologna to run customer service. Alfieri chafed under direction from Milan, and on December 14, 1914, he founded the Societa Anonima Officine Alfieri Maserati in tiny rented premises in Bologna's Via de' Popoli. Tempering his independence with the security of a major client umbrella, Alfieri was to specialise in race-preparing Isotta engines. Twenty-year old Ettore and 16-year old Ernesto joined their 27-year old big brother, and five mechanics, in the new business.

Ernesto kept it afloat while his elder brothers served in World War 1. Alfieri celebrated 'demob' by founding a spark-plug business in Milan, which he moved to Bologna in 1919 as the family reunited, taking a larger workshop in the Alemanni district, or Ponte Vecchio. While Bindo would stay with Isotta for 20 years, Alfieri developed some very quick Isotta specials which he raced with flair and success, 1920-22. His exploits won him a consultancy with Diatto who loaned him one of their cars to develop and race, alongside a ferocious Hispano-Suiza V8-engined special of his own.

Diatto eventually commissioned Alfieri to build a supercharged 2-litre straight-8 Grand Prix car for 1925, probably designed by their in-house Chief Engineer Giuseppe Coda, but they ran out of finance. Using the GP Diatto experience, Alfieri then led his brothers in constructing the first Maserati - the Tipo 26 - for 1926.

The artist brother – Mario – was probably responsible for their chosen badge, the trident inspired by the statue of Neptune adorning Bologna's Piazza Nettuno. Customers who had previously had Isottas prepared by the boys were now exhorted to buy new Tipo 26s. For 1927 a 2-litre Tipo 26B was developed. Alfieri drove it to 3rd overall and a class win upon its public debut, in the Targa Florio. Maserati ended 1927 as Italian Champion Manufacturer in their class.

The 1928 Mille Miglia saw a memorable drive by Mario Umberto 'Baconin' Borzacchini/Ernesto Maserati whose 26B led the favoured Alfas and Bugattis. Maserati cars were more literally handbuilt than most rival manufacturers'.

Alfieri then increased the pressures upon himself, his brothers and their men by forcing through completion of a fantastic new Grand Prix car – the Maserati V4. This was the prototype Maserati Sedici Cilindri–V16 – employing two 26B straight-8 blocks side-by side in a 12.5-degree vee on a unit crankcase – 4-litres, 280bhp and around 2,250lbs weight. In this projectile, Alfieri was rocket fast at Monza lapping at 124.2mph , a circuit record which survived until 1954.

On September 28 at Cremona, 'Baconin' Borzacchini raised the 10-mile International Class C World Speed Record tono less than 246.069km/h – 152.93mph. To achieve such an average speed over such a distance was reported by the British magazine 'The Motor' as demonstrating "...a speed which would have beaten the Land Speed Record itself if established five years before...".

The young company's feat with 'V4' attracted banner headlines, fresh capital was injected – up to L1-million from Alfieri's original L50,000 – and early in 1930 with 1-2 domination of the Tripoli GP – Borzacchini scoring the first-ever major-league Maserati Grand Prix victory in V4 from Luigi Arcangeli's 2100 – the new marque's cup runneth over...

Its wealthy sporting clientele and generous new funding enabled Maserati to weather the depths of the Great Depression. Alfieri's latest 26M model with 2.5-litre straight-8 supercharged engine delivering a reliable 180-190bhp emerged in both Gran Premio and Sports trim. One led the Mille Miglia again, driven by the irrepressible Arcangeli, 'til it broke. Then he won the Premio Reale at Rome's Littorio circuit, where Alfieri debuted the new 1,100cc Maserati Tipo 26C Vetturetta – and won his class. Win on Sunday – sell on Monday. Maserati was in demand...

Borzacchini's trip to the Indianapolis '500' with V4 proved abortive, but Maserati's stock was still rising fast beyond Italy's borders as the great Achille Varzi – estranged from Alfa Romeo – drove a 26M to victory in the San Sebastian GP. Maserati had earned its second Italian Manufacturers' Championship title. The company was regarded purely as a racing car manufacturer, until the 1931 Milan Salone saw a touring 26M-based Castagna-bodied Gran Sport displayed, Zagato built a 26M Spider and Castagna a Cabriolet.

Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, himself a racing enthusiast, effectively knighted Alfieri with the Fascist title Cavaliere. But having lost a kidney following a racing accident at Messina, Alfieri's remaining kidney began to fail and he died under surgery on March 3, 1932, aged just 44.

Brother Bindo now left Isotta Fraschini to join Ettore and young Ernesto as President of the Bologna business – and seven weeks after Alfieri's death a new V5 5-litre Sedici Cilindri demolished all opposition upon its debut to win Rome's Premio Reale, in the hands of Luigi Fagioli. By that time Maserati was a name truly to be conjured with, and its two successive V16-cylinder racing designs had proved themselves the world's fastest cars.

Anthony Hartley was inspired by seeing fellow British enthusiast John Howell's ongoing restoration work upon the original Maserati V4 Sedici Cilindri. One day he collected the power-boat 'V5' V16-cylinder engine crankcase No '5002' on Mr Howell's behalf, and while he had it he prepared drawings from it "just out of interest". Subsequently, studying the drawing, he began to consider building himself a reproduction of it because the V16's cylinder blocks, heads and most of the internals were pure Maserati Tipo 26B, of which he had already accumulated immense knowledge, and numerous parts.

This amazing recreation has taken some 20,000 hours work to complete. Anthony Hartley himself hand-made most of the components. The two 2-litre blocks are mounted each at 12.5-degrees on the common crankcase, in which the two individual crankshafts rotate clockwise, driving a central power-take-off gear which rotates anti-clockwise. This dictates that the crown-wheel and pinion are mounted the opposite way to normal.

This stupendous mechanical assembly includes two crankshafts, 16 connecting rods and pistons, 32 valves, 64 valve springs, 55 ball races, 29 gears – plus eight in the oil pumps – two superchargers, four oil pumps, two water pumps, four camshafts and in all some 3,500 individual component parts. Just the crankshafts alone started out as 220lb steel billets. Anthony Hartley removed some 140lbs of that metal while hand-crafting them to shape on his lathe. All castings are in aluminium, whereas the originals were in magnesium apart from cast-iron heads and blocks.

A note written by Mr Hartley within the documentation file provided with this Lot, declares simply: "For the record my 'V4' is a replica built around an original 8C-3000 clutch...in fifty years' time someone will be saying it was found in a shed in Bologna in the '90s...". He confirms that the chassis frame, made for him by specialist Gino Hoskins, is 150mm longer than the original so as to accomodate a longer legged driver, while main castings are in aluminium instead of the original short-life magnesium; the front axle was made to an original 'V5' drawing; the drum brakes are 'V5'-type 400mm diameter drums with twin-circuit hydraulic actuation, Mr Hartley explaining: "So it stops, since the original V4 brakes were much smaller and cable-operated!". The engine cylinder heads and blocks – all patterned and machined by Mr Hartley himself are cast in aluminium instead of cast iron.

Throughout the project, the car has benefited from its constructor's accumulated decades of Maserati knowledge, experience, factory drawings and parts that could be copied or inspected for further information. Today this car is offered for sale accompanied by a comprehensive file including drawings and photographs, while top and lower crankcase halves, patterns and core boxes are also included, along with the wooden buck used to create the car's aluminium nose cowl.

Amongst the documentation, some letters speak volumes about this remarkable recreation's imposingly charismatic qualities. One from a fellow Maserati enthusiast in 2006 declares:"What a pleasure it was to see you at Dunsfold with all 16 cylinders chiming merrily. I wish there were words of praise suitable to your achievement in replicating the original car so beautifully. Many pundits in the VSCC voiced the opinion that it could never be achieved, but to see you rocketing down the straight at Dunsfold and to hear the heady sound of 16 pots singing together, made my day...". Mr Hartley recalls that "According to the rev counter at Dunsfold that day it reached about 140mph – I was a bit concerned it would end up in Guildford..."

In period the Sedici Cilindri Maserati V4 was absolutely the fastest road racing car in the world. Enthusiastic crowds flocked to see it race at Monza, at Littorio and in Tripoli while it was also a rousing sight – and sound – howling around the brick-paved American Speedway at Indianapolis. Right now this wonderfully reconstructed, intricate and immensely powerful reproduction V16 is poised and ready to do the same again...

Text and photos courtesy of Bonhams.

Despite numerous racetrack successes that included Juan Manuel Fangio's fifth World Championship - at the wheel of a 250F - and runner-up spot in the World Sports Car Championship with the fabulous 450S - both in 1957, the marque's most successful season - Maserati was by that time facing a bleak future. Its parent company's financial difficulties forced a withdrawal from racing and Maserati's survival strategy for the 1960s centred on establishing the company as a producer of road cars.

The Modena marque's new era began in 1957 with the launch of the Touring-bodied 3500 GT, its first road car built in significant numbers. A luxury '2+2', the 3500 GT drew heavily on Maserati's competition experience, employing a tubular chassis frame and an engine derived from the 350S competition sports car unit of 1956. Suspension was independent at the front by wishbones and coil springs while at the back there was a conventional live axle/semi-elliptic arrangement. The 3500 GT's designer was none other than Giulio Alfieri, creator of the immortal Tipo 60/61 'Birdcage' sports-racer and the man responsible for developing the 250F into a World Championship winner. The twin-overhead-camshaft, six-cylinder engine was a close relative of that used in the 250F and developed around 220bhp initially on carburettors, later examples producing 235bhp on Lucas mechanical fuel injection. Built initially with drum brakes and four-speed transmission, the 3500GT was progressively updated, gaining five speeds, front disc brakes and, finally, all-disc braking before production ceased in 1964.

Chassis number '1020' is one of only 40 right-hand drive cars built, of which it is estimated that fewer than half survive worldwide. A matching numbers example, it boasts arguably the most desirable specification, combining the 'Series 1' cars' purity of line with triple Weber carburettors, a ZF five-speed gearbox and disc brakes. A factory email confirms that '1020' was originally red with black interior as it is today; and that it was supplied new to dealers Murray Motors of Fleetwood, UK. Mr Lyle Emms is recorded as owner in the (copy) 1973 old green logbook while a list of subsequent owners since the 1980s includes: Vartivar Melkonian, Jeremy Coton, Patrick Martin, Captain James May, Daniel Nash, John Saunders and the current vendor, who acquired the 35000GT from marque specialists Bill McGrath Ltd in August 2010.

The car had always been in road-going trim but was in need of some rectification. Initial plans to create a semi-competition car were shelved in favour of a conventional rebuild for road use and for sporting road events. Written for AutoItalia magazine and running to some 1,600 words, the owner's detailed account of the restoration is too lengthy to reproduce here but is available for inspection. Works carried out included altering the 'Series 2' front panel to correct 'Series 1' specification, making various body repairs, deleting the sunroof and changing the interior from tan to its original colour of black. At the same time the opportunity was taken to fit inertia reel seat belts. The existing paint was flatted back and re-sprayed, and new Lucas lights fitted all round. Unobtainable as genuine spares, the chromed trim around the front and rear windscreens, and the bonnet moustache were fabricated and plated. Brand new stainless steel bumpers and a new stainless front grille were also fitted. The running gear was in good condition, merely requiring a new brake servo, one rear brake drum and new front disc pads. Koni Sport adjustable dampers were already on the car and it was decided to replace the inadequate front anti-roll bar with a slightly thicker item, which has reduced excessive roll and sharpened the handling.

Already dismantled, the engine needed rebuilding, the gearbox needed replacement, and the radiator was missing, The engine was rebuilt with new valve guides, 'lead-free' valve seats, honed cylinder bores, lightweight forged pistons, new crankshaft bearings, lightened flywheel, new upgraded diaphragm clutch, reconditioned water pump and much more. The crankshaft was machined, as were the con-rods, and everything balanced. A previous owner had upgraded the oil filter housing to take a modern spin-on filter. A new oil cooler was fitted together with a new water radiator and new thermostat. The new radiator also included a thermostatic switch to control a powerful 14" electric fan. In addition, the carburettors were rebuilt while the ignition system received new HT leads, plugs, plug caps, points and condensers.

The four-speed ZF gearbox was found to be worn out so a reconditioned five-speed ZF 'box was supplied by Bill McGrath Ltd, as was the vast majority of components used in the rebuild (see bills on file). 1960 was the changeover year from four to five speeds, so fitting a five-speed 'box seemed the sensible thing to do. A completely new prop-shaft was fitted also.

Following its completion, the 3500GT attended the Maserati Club's summer concours at the Stanford Hall Auto Italia day in 2012 and the subsequent outing to Goodwood Motor Circuit, where it completed many laps with the vendor's wife at the wheel, looking majestic and performing superbly. Only sold to help finance other projects, this understated all-weather classic is offered with the aforementioned restoration invoices, current road fund licence, MoT to April 2013 and Swansea V5C registration document.

Text courtesy of Bonhams.