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The Forerunner
After World War II, Maserati wanted to reactivate their previously successful racing ambitions from the 1930s. They had used a single-camshaft engine and were continuing its redesign after the war. Fitted with a straight 6-engine with 1,978 cc and a bore and stroke of 72mm x 81mm and a 4-speed gearbox, the new car, an A6GCS, was a mechanical masterpiece featuring front suspension that was on double wishbones with coil springs and at the rear had a rigid axle on cantilever leaf springs and Houdaille shock absorbers. In order to achieve a low seating position for the driver, the engine was installed at a slight angle to the side. The first A6GCS in 1947, was given a low body with free-standing wheels, which could be covered with fenders. In these two configurations, the car could be used in Grand Prix races but also in sports car events.
Its coachwork had been designed by Medardo Fantuzzi, the long-time coachbuilder for Maserati since the beginning of the company in 1926. The most significant trademark of the new car was the big single headlamp that was positioned within the radiator grill. This specification gave the car its nickname “monofaro”. The well-proportioned and light coachwork was mounted on a simple ladder frame chassis and the driver was sitting deep into the car.
The Maserati A6GCS “monofaro” became the last true car made by the Maserati brothers. In 1947, Ernesto, Bindo and Ettore Maserati, now released from their contract with the Orsi family, left the company they had founded to form OSCA with their sights set on building small but fast racing cars.
In 1948, lead technical engineer Alberto Massimino took over the project to aerodynamically improve the bodies. Now the fenders were only attached to a rod with clamps and could be removed even more easily. In 1949, some models received an aluminum engine block and dry-sump lubrication. On the last two cars, additional and wider front fenders were mounted on the body. The single headlamp was now gone and more aerodynamic headlamps fitted.
Designed with Alberto Massimino, the car was officially called the 2000 Sport. The new A6GCS, now with a one-off coupé coachwork was driven for the first time at the Mille Miglia in 1947 with Luigi Villoresi. The race actually came too early, but Maserati did not want to miss the first Mille Miglia after the war. There was a prompt failure.
But on September 28, 1947, at the sports car race on the Circuito di Modena, Maserati had nominated two cars for Villoresi and his close friend Alberto Ascari. Ferrari had developed the 159S in parallel to the A6GCS. The future archrivals met for the first time in Modena. The two entered Ferraris did not finish the race and Villoresi later had to let Ascari pass because of poor performance.
After Ascari’s victory, the Maserati failed at the Targa Florio and the Mille Miglia. Giovanni Bracco changed from Ferrari to Maserati and won the Coppa d’Oro delle Dolomiti Hillclimb in 1948.
The prototype, #2001, was tested around the hills around Modena in 1947. No fenders were fitted on the car. (Walter Bäumer Collection)
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OPPOSITE: Based on a simple ladder frame chassis the car was light. (Walter Bäumer Collection)
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