grand tourer
A grand tourer (GT) is a type of car that is designed for high speed and long-distance driving, due to a combination of performance and luxury attributes. The most common format is a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive two-door coupé with either ...
s, racing
sports cars
A sports car is a car designed with an emphasis on dynamic performance, such as handling, acceleration, top speed, the thrill of driving and racing capability. Sports cars originated in Europe in the early 1900s and are currently produced by ...
and
single seater
An open-wheel single-seater (often known as formula car) is a car with the wheels outside the car's main body, and usually having only one seat. Open-wheel cars contrast with street cars, sports cars, stock cars, and touring cars, which have thei ...
s made by
Maserati
Maserati S.p.A. () is an Italian luxury vehicle manufacturer. Established on 1 December 1914, in Bologna, Italy, the company's headquarters are now in Modena, and its emblem is a trident. The company has been owned by Stellantis since 2021. Ma ...
of
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
between 1947 and 1956. They were named for
Alfieri Maserati
Alfieri Maserati (23 September 1887 – 3 March 1932) was an Italian automotive engineer, known for establishing and leading the Maserati racing car manufacturer with the other Maserati Brothers.
Maserati was born in Voghera. In 1903 he and his ...
Maserati
Maserati S.p.A. () is an Italian luxury vehicle manufacturer. Established on 1 December 1914, in Bologna, Italy, the company's headquarters are now in Modena, and its emblem is a trident. The company has been owned by Stellantis since 2021. Ma ...
) and for their
straight-six engine
The straight-six engine (also referred to as an inline-six engine; abbreviated I6 or L6) is a piston engine with six cylinders arranged in a straight line along the crankshaft. A straight-six engine has perfect primary and secondary engine bala ...
.
The 1.5-litre
straight-six
The straight-six engine (also referred to as an inline-six engine; abbreviated I6 or L6) is a piston engine with six cylinders arranged in a straight line along the crankshaft. A straight-six engine has perfect primary and secondary engine balan ...
was named ''A6 TR'' (''Testa Riportata'' for its detachable cylinder head), and was based on the pre-war
Maserati 6CM
The Maserati 6CM is an Italian single-seater racing car, made by Maserati of Modena from 1936 to 1940 for the Voiturette racing class. Twenty-seven were built on the Maserati 4CM frame, with front suspension as on the Maserati V8RI, and had a ...
; . It first appeared in the A6 Sport or Tipo 6CS/46, a
barchetta
Barchetta () is an Italian word commonly translated into English as "little boat". The term originally referred to a small skiff used for recreational purposes. It is also applied to some items of clothing, as well as being used in automobile styli ...
prototype, developed by
Ernesto Maserati
Ernesto Maserati (4 August 1898 – 1 December 1975) was an Italian automotive engineer and racer, with Maserati of Modena since its inception in Bologna on 14 December 1914, together with his brothers Alfieri Maserati (leader), Ettore Maserati ...
and
Alberto Massimino
Alberto Massimino (5 January 1895 – 27 November 1975) was an Italian automotive engineer.
Biography
Born in Turin, he studied mechanical engineering in Switzerland and worked for FIAT (1924–28), where he followed Vittorio Jano who had left fo ...
. This became the A6 1500
Pinin Farina
Pininfarina S.p.A. (short for Carrozzeria Pininfarina) is an Italian car design firm and coachbuilder, with headquarters in Cambiano, Turin, Italy. The company was founded by Battista "Pinin" Farina in 1930.
On 14 December 2015, the Indian mu ...
-designed two-door
berlinetta
A berlinetta (from it, berlinetta; ) is a sports coupé, typically with two seats but also including 2+2 cars. The original meaning for ''berlinetta'' in Italian is “little saloon”. Introduced in the 1930s, the term was popularised by Ferr ...
, first shown at the 1947
Salon International de l'Auto
The Geneva International Motor Show is an annual auto show held in March in the Swiss city of Geneva. The show is hosted at the Palexpo, a convention centre located next to the Geneva Cointrin International Airport. The Salon is organised by the ...
in
Geneva
Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...
(59 made) and the
spider
Spiders ( order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species ...
shown at the 1948
Salone dell'automobile di Torino
The Turin Motor Show ( it, Salone dell'Automobile di Torino) was an auto show held annually in Turin, Italy. The first official show took place between 21 and 24 April 1900, at the Castle of Valentino, becoming a permanent fixture in Turin from 1 ...
(2 made).
A 2-litre
straight-six
The straight-six engine (also referred to as an inline-six engine; abbreviated I6 or L6) is a piston engine with six cylinders arranged in a straight line along the crankshaft. A straight-six engine has perfect primary and secondary engine balan ...
(120 bhp) was used in the A6 GCS two-seater, «G» denoting ''Ghisa'', cast iron block, and «CS» denoting ''Corsa & Sports''. Also called ''monofaro'', the 580 kg single-seater and cycle-winged racing version first appeared at Modena 1947 by
Luigi Villoresi
Luigi Villoresi (16 May 1909 – 24 August 1997) was an Italian Grand Prix motor racing driver who continued racing on the Formula One circuit at the time of its inception.
Biography
Born in Milan, Lombardy, and nicknamed "Gigi", he was the older ...
and
Alberto Ascari
Alberto Ascari (; 13 July 1918 – 26 May 1955) was an Italian racing driver and a two time Formula One World Champion. He was a multitalented racer who competed in motorcycle racing before switching to cars. Ascari won consecutive world titles ...
, and won the 1948 Italian Championship by
Giovanni Bracco
Giovanni Bracco (6 June 1908 at Biella – 7 August 1968 at Biella) was an Italian racing car driver.
He lived in Biella, home town of other racing aces such as Mario Porrino and Lamberto Grolla. Before and after World War II he had been racing ...
. Fifteen cars were made 1947-1953, of these being two-seaters (630 kg).
The A6G were a series of two-door coupe and spyders by
Zagato
Zagato is an independent coachbuilding company and total design centre located northwest of Milan in Terrazzano, a small village near Rho, Lombardy, Italy. The company's premises occupies an area of 23,000 square metres (250,000 sq ft)- 11,000 of ...
,
Pinin Farina
Pininfarina S.p.A. (short for Carrozzeria Pininfarina) is an Italian car design firm and coachbuilder, with headquarters in Cambiano, Turin, Italy. The company was founded by Battista "Pinin" Farina in 1930.
On 14 December 2015, the Indian mu ...
,
Pietro Frua
Pietro Frua (2 May 1913 - 28 June 1983) was one of the leading Italian coachbuilders and car designers during the 1950s and 1960s.
Early years
Frua was born in Turin, the centre of coachbuilding in northern Italy. He was the fourth son of Angela, ...
,
Ghia
Carrozzeria Ghia SpA (established 1916 in Turin) is an Italian automobile design and coachbuilding firm, established by Giacinto Ghia and Gariglio as "Carrozzeria Ghia & Gariglio". The headquarters are located at Corso Guglielmo Marconi, 4, Turin ...
,
Bertone Bertone is an Italian surname meaning "descendant of Roberto". Notable people with the surname include:
* Alicia Bertone, American academic, researcher, and veterinary surgeon
* Catherine Bertone (born 1972), Turkish-born female Italian marathon r ...
,
Carrozzeria Allemano Carrozzeria Allemano (established 1928, discontinued 1965) was an automobile coachbuilder in Turin, Italy, owned by Serafino Allemano.
Allemano made various cars based on their own designs. They also built externally designed vehicles, such as th ...
and
Vignale
Vignale is the luxury car sub-brand of Ford Motor Company used in automobiles sold in Europe.
engine block
In an internal combustion engine, the engine block is the structure which contains the cylinders and other components. In an early automotive engine, the engine block consisted of just the cylinder block, to which a separate crankcase was atta ...
material.
* CS: «Corsa Sport», for racing sports car.
* CM: «Corsa
Monoposto
An open-wheel single-seater (often known as formula car) is a car with the wheels outside the car's main body, and usually having only one seat. Open-wheel cars contrast with street cars, sports cars, stock cars, and touring cars, which have thei ...
», for
single seater
An open-wheel single-seater (often known as formula car) is a car with the wheels outside the car's main body, and usually having only one seat. Open-wheel cars contrast with street cars, sports cars, stock cars, and touring cars, which have thei ...
racing car.
«1500» or «2000» indicate the rounded up total
engine displacement
Engine displacement is the measure of the cylinder volume swept by all of the pistons of a piston engine, excluding the combustion chambers. It is commonly used as an expression of an engine's size, and by extension as a loose indicator of the ...
in
cubic centimetre
A cubic centimetre (or cubic centimeter in US English) (SI unit symbol: cm3; non-SI abbreviations: cc and ccm) is a commonly used unit of volume that corresponds to the volume of a cube that measures 1 cm × 1 cm × 1 cm. One cu ...
s; while suffixes such as «53» denote the year of the type's introduction.
A6 Sport
The Tipo 6CS/46, also called A6 Sport, were two prototype
barchetta
Barchetta () is an Italian word commonly translated into English as "little boat". The term originally referred to a small skiff used for recreational purposes. It is also applied to some items of clothing, as well as being used in automobile styli ...
s made early 1947 by Ernesto Maserati and Alberto Massimino. They used the 1.5-litre
straight-six
The straight-six engine (also referred to as an inline-six engine; abbreviated I6 or L6) is a piston engine with six cylinders arranged in a straight line along the crankshaft. A straight-six engine has perfect primary and secondary engine balan ...
engines from the pre-war
Maserati 6CM
The Maserati 6CM is an Italian single-seater racing car, made by Maserati of Modena from 1936 to 1940 for the Voiturette racing class. Twenty-seven were built on the Maserati 4CM frame, with front suspension as on the Maserati V8RI, and had a ...
. These took the first two places at Circuito di Piacenza on 11 May 1947, driven by Giulio Barbieri and Mario Angiolini.
A6GCS
In 1947 Maserati developed a two-seater sports racing car powered by a 2.0-litre engine called A6GCS. At first it produced 120 hp but was further upgraded in 1952.
A6 1500
The A6 1500 (officially 1500 Gran Turismo) grand tourer was Maserati's first production road car. Development was started in 1941 by the Maserati brothers, but it was halted as priority shifted to wartime production, and was completed after the war.
The first chassis, bodied by
Pinin Farina
Pininfarina S.p.A. (short for Carrozzeria Pininfarina) is an Italian car design firm and coachbuilder, with headquarters in Cambiano, Turin, Italy. The company was founded by Battista "Pinin" Farina in 1930.
On 14 December 2015, the Indian mu ...
, debuted at the Geneva
Salon International de l'Auto
The Geneva International Motor Show is an annual auto show held in March in the Swiss city of Geneva. The show is hosted at the Palexpo, a convention centre located next to the Geneva Cointrin International Airport. The Salon is organised by the ...
in March 1947. This first prototype was a two-door, two-seat, three window
berlinetta
A berlinetta (from it, berlinetta; ) is a sports coupé, typically with two seats but also including 2+2 cars. The original meaning for ''berlinetta'' in Italian is “little saloon”. Introduced in the 1930s, the term was popularised by Ferr ...
with triple square portholes on its fully integrated front wings, a tapered cabin and futuristic
hidden headlamps
Hidden headlamps, also commonly known as pop-up headlamps, pop-up headlights, flip-eye headlamps, or hideaway headlights, are a form of automotive lighting and an automotive styling feature that conceals an automobile's headlamps when they are not ...
. The car was put into low volume production, and most received Pinin Farina coachwork. For production Pinin Farina toned down the prototype's design, switching to conventional headlamps; soon after a second side window was added. Later cars received a different
2+2
Two Two (투투) was a Korea
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern ...
fastback
A fastback is an automotive styling feature, defined by the rear of the car having a single slope from the roof to the tail. The kammback is a type of fastback style.
Some models, such as the Ford Mustang, have been specifically marketed as ...
body style. A Pinin Farina Convertibile was shown at the 1948
Salone dell'automobile di Torino
The Turin Motor Show ( it, Salone dell'Automobile di Torino) was an auto show held annually in Turin, Italy. The first official show took place between 21 and 24 April 1900, at the Castle of Valentino, becoming a permanent fixture in Turin from 1 ...
, and two were made; one car was also given a distinctive
coupé
A coupe or coupé (, ) is a passenger car with a sloping or truncated rear roofline and two doors.
The term ''coupé'' was first applied to horse-drawn carriages for two passengers without rear-facing seats. It comes from the French past parti ...
Panoramica body by
Zagato
Zagato is an independent coachbuilding company and total design centre located northwest of Milan in Terrazzano, a small village near Rho, Lombardy, Italy. The company's premises occupies an area of 23,000 square metres (250,000 sq ft)- 11,000 of ...
in 1949, featuring an extended
greenhouse
A greenhouse (also called a glasshouse, or, if with sufficient heating, a hothouse) is a structure with walls and roof made chiefly of Transparent ceramics, transparent material, such as glass, in which plants requiring regulated climatic condit ...
.
Sixty-one A6 1500s were built between 1947 and 1950, when it began to be gradually replaced by the A6G 2000.
The A6 1500 was powered by a inline six (bore 66 mm, stroke 72.5 mm), with a single
overhead camshaft
An overhead camshaft (OHC) engine is a piston engine where the camshaft is located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier overhead valve engines (OHV), where the camshaft is located below the combustion c ...
and a single
Weber
Weber (, or ; German: ) is a surname of German origin, derived from the noun meaning " weaver". In some cases, following migration to English-speaking countries, it has been anglicised to the English surname 'Webber' or even 'Weaver'.
Notable pe ...
carburettor
A carburetor (also spelled carburettor) is a device used by an internal combustion engine to control and mix air and fuel entering the engine. The primary method of adding fuel to the intake air is through the venturi tube in the main meterin ...
, producing ; starting from 1949 some cars were fitted with triple carburettors. Top speed varied from . The chassis was built out of tubular and sheet
steel
Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...
sections. Suspension was by
double wishbone
A double wishbone suspension is an independent suspension design for automobiles using two (occasionally parallel) wishbone-shaped arms to locate the wheel. Each wishbone or arm has two mounting points to the chassis and one joint at the knuckle ...
s at the front and
solid axle
Solid is one of the four fundamental states of matter (the others being liquid, gas, and plasma). The molecules in a solid are closely packed together and contain the least amount of kinetic energy. A solid is characterized by structural ri ...
coil springs
A selection of conical coil springs
The most common type of spring is the coil spring, which is made out of a long piece of metal that is wound around itself.
Coil springs were in use in Roman times, evidence of this can be found in bronze Fib ...
on all four corners.
File:1947MaseratiA61500PrototipoNo1Ginevra.jpg, First prototype by Pinin Farina
File:1947 Maserati A6 rr.jpg, Rear view, early Pinin Farina body style.
File:110 ans de l'automobile au Grand Palais - Maserati A6 1500 Coupé - 1949 - 006.jpg, Late Pinin Farina
2+2
Two Two (투투) was a Korea
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern ...
fastback
A fastback is an automotive styling feature, defined by the rear of the car having a single slope from the roof to the tail. The kammback is a type of fastback style.
Some models, such as the Ford Mustang, have been specifically marketed as ...
The improved A6G 2000 (officially 2000 Gran Turismo) began to replace the A6 1500 from 1950. The A6 engine was enlarged, precisely to with a bore and stroke of 72x80 mm; it retained the single overhead camshaft. Also thanks to triple carburettors, output was between and top speed . The chassis retained the same measurements of the A6 1500, but the rear axle was now sprung on semi elliptic leaf springs.
The model debuted at the 1950 Turin Motor Show, wearing Pinin Farina coachwork. Just sixteen cars were built, all between 1950 and 1951. Nine received 2+2 fastback bodies by Pinin Farina; Frua built five convertibles and one coupé; lastly one got
Vignale
Vignale is the luxury car sub-brand of Ford Motor Company used in automobiles sold in Europe.Giovanni Michelotti
Giovanni Michelotti (6 October 1921 – 23 January 1980) was one of the most prolific designers of sports cars in the 20th century. His notable contributions were for Ferrari, Lancia, Maserati and Triumph marques. He was also associated with ...
Maserati A6GCM (1951–53) were twelve 2-litre single-seater («M» for ''
monoposto
An open-wheel single-seater (often known as formula car) is a car with the wheels outside the car's main body, and usually having only one seat. Open-wheel cars contrast with street cars, sports cars, stock cars, and touring cars, which have thei ...
'') racing cars (160-190 bhp), developed by
Gioacchino Colombo Gioachino Colombo (1903–1988) was an Italian automobile engine designer. Colombo was born in Legnano. He began work as an apprentice to Vittorio Jano at Alfa Romeo.
In 1937, Colombo designed the 158 engine for the Alfetta and caught the attentio ...
and built by
Medardo Fantuzzi
Medardo Fantuzzi (1906–1986) was an Italian automotive engineer, known for his Carrozzeria Fantuzzi body workshop.
Life
Fantuzzi was born in Bologna in 1906 and died in Modena in 1986.
Automotive engineer
He and his brother, Gino Fantuzzi we ...
. The A6 SSG (1953) was a GCM-revision pointing to the
Maserati 250F
The Maserati 250F was a racing car made by Maserati of Italy used in '2.5 litre' Formula One racing between January 1954 and November 1960. Twenty-six examples were made.
Mechanical details
The 250F principally used the SSG 220 bhp (@ 7400 rpm) 2 ...
.A6GCM Specification from maserati.org.au. It won the
1953 Italian Grand Prix
The 1953 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula Two race held on 13 September 1953 at Monza. It was the ninth and final race in the 1953 World Championship of Drivers, which was run to Formula Two rules in 1952 and 1953, rather than the Formula One regul ...
driven by
Juan Manuel Fangio
Juan Manuel Fangio (American Spanish: , ; 24 June 1911 – 17 July 1995), nicknamed ''El Chueco'' ("the bowlegged" or "bandy legged one") or ''El Maestro'' ("The Master" or "The Teacher"), was an Argentine racing car driver. He dominated t ...
.
A6GCS/53
To compete in the
World Sportscar Championship
The World Sportscar Championship was the world series run for sports car racing by the FIA from 1953 to 1992.
The championship evolved from a small collection of the most important sportscar, endurance, and road racing events in Europe and No ...
, the A6GCS/53 (1953–55) was developed (170 bhp),
spiders
Spiders ( order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species dive ...
initially designed by Colombo and refined by
Medardo Fantuzzi
Medardo Fantuzzi (1906–1986) was an Italian automotive engineer, known for his Carrozzeria Fantuzzi body workshop.
Life
Fantuzzi was born in Bologna in 1906 and died in Modena in 1986.
Automotive engineer
He and his brother, Gino Fantuzzi we ...
and Celestino Fiandri. Fifty-two were made. That number included four
berlinetta
A berlinetta (from it, berlinetta; ) is a sports coupé, typically with two seats but also including 2+2 cars. The original meaning for ''berlinetta'' in Italian is “little saloon”. Introduced in the 1930s, the term was popularised by Ferr ...
s designed by
Aldo Brovarone
Aldo Brovarone (24 June 1926 – 12 October 2020) was an Italian automobile designer and the chief stylist with Carrozzeria Pininfarina (1974-1988) – widely known for a prominent range of work including the Dino 206 GT, Lancia Gamma Coup ...
at
Pinin Farina
Pininfarina S.p.A. (short for Carrozzeria Pininfarina) is an Italian car design firm and coachbuilder, with headquarters in Cambiano, Turin, Italy. The company was founded by Battista "Pinin" Farina in 1930.
On 14 December 2015, the Indian mu ...
and one spider, their final design of a Maserati for the next five decades, on a commission by Rome dealer Guglielmo Dei who had acquired six chassis.
Vignale
Vignale is the luxury car sub-brand of Ford Motor Company used in automobiles sold in Europe.Kazunori Yamauchi
, nicknamed "Kaz", is a Japanese game designer and professional racing driver. He is CEO of Polyphony Digital and producer of the '' Gran Turismo'' video game series.
Polyphony Digital
He became the president of Polyphony Digital after designin ...
, creator of Gran Turismo game series) at the
Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance
The Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance is an automotive charitable event held each year on the Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, California. It is widely considered the pinnacle event of its kind and one of the most prestigious car events in ...
in 2014 and has been featured in the 2013 mobile game ''
CSR Classics
CSR Classics is a free-to-play drag-racing game by Boss Alien in collaboration with Mad Atom Games and published by NaturalMotion Games. In the game, the player takes the role of a new racer looking to make a name for themselves in a city rese ...
'' ,2016 game ''
Forza Horizon 3
''Forza Horizon 3'' is a 2016 racing video game developed by Playground Games and published by Microsoft Studios for the Xbox One and Windows. It is the ninth instalment in the ''Forza'' series and the third instalment in its spinoff ''Forza ...
'' as a special barn-find car, as well as the 2017 game ''
Forza Motorsport 7
''Forza Motorsport 7'' is a 2017 racing video game developed by Turn 10 Studios and published by Microsoft Studios, serving as the tenth installment in the ''Forza'' series. It was released on Windows 10 and the Xbox One family of consoles on Oct ...
'' and 2018 game ''
Forza Horizon 4
''Forza Horizon 4'' is a 2018 racing video game developed by Playground Games and published by Microsoft Studios. It was released on 2 October 2018 for Windows and Xbox One after being announced at Xbox's E3 2018 conference. An enhanced version ...
''.
File:Maserati A6 CGS 1953 blue vr TCE.jpg, 1953 A6GCS/53 spider-bodied by Fantuzzi
File:Maserati A6GCS 1.jpg, Maserati A6GCS
File:1954 Maserati A6GCS Berlinetta.jpg, 1954 Maserati A6GCS Berlinetta at the
Goodwood Festival of Speed
The Goodwood Festival of Speed is an annual motorsports festival featuring modern and historic motor racing vehicles taking part in a hillclimbing, hill climb and other events, held in the grounds of Goodwood House, West Sussex, England, in l ...
File:1954 Maserati A6 GCS.jpg, 1954 Maserati A6 GCS at the 2011
Mille Miglia
The Mille Miglia (, ''Thousand Miles'') was an open-road, motorsport endurance race established in 1927 by the young Counts Francesco Mazzotti and Aymo Maggi, which took place in Italy twenty-four times from 1927 to 1957 (thirteen before World ...
File:Maserati A6GCS-53 rear.jpg, Rear view at the Umberto Panini museum
File:Maserati A6GCS-53 front side.jpg, A6GCS/53 Spider at the Museo Mille Miglia
File:Maserati A6GCS-53 front.jpg, Front of A6GCS/53 Spider at the Museo Mille Miglia
File:Maserati A6 GCS-53 Fiandri Spyder - 52216723838.jpg, alt=, A6GCS/53 Fiandri Spyder at the 2022 Le Mans Classic
File:Maserati A6 GCS-53 Fiandri Spyder rear.jpg, alt=, Rear view of the A6GCS/53 Fiandri Spyder
A6G/54
After a two-year hiatus at the 1954
Mondial de l'Automobile
The Paris Motor Show (french: Mondial de l'Automobile) is a biennial auto show in Paris. Held during October, it is one of the most important auto shows, often with many new production automobile and concept car debuts. The show presently take ...
in Paris Maserati launched a new grand tourer, the A6G 2000 Gran Turismo—commonly known as A6G/54 to distinguish it from its predecessor. It was powered by a new
double overhead camshaft
An overhead camshaft (OHC) engine is a piston engine where the camshaft is located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier overhead valve engines (OHV), where the camshaft is located below the combustion cha ...
inline-six, derived from the racing engines of A6GCS and A6GCM, with a bore and stroke of 76.5x72 mm for a total displacement of . Fed by three twin-choke Weber DCO carburettors it put out at 6000 rpm, which gave these cars a top speed between .
Dual ignition
Dual Ignition is a system for spark-ignition engines, whereby critical ignition components, such as spark plugs and magnetos, are duplicated. Dual ignition is most commonly employed on aero engines,Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms ...
added in 1956 increased power to .
Four body styles were offered: a three-box
Carrozzeria Allemano Carrozzeria Allemano (established 1928, discontinued 1965) was an automobile coachbuilder in Turin, Italy, owned by Serafino Allemano.
Allemano made various cars based on their own designs. They also built externally designed vehicles, such as th ...
coupé (21 made, designed by Michelotti), a coupé and a Gran Sport Spyder by Frua (respectively 6 and 12 made); and a competition-oriented fastback by
Zagato
Zagato is an independent coachbuilding company and total design centre located northwest of Milan in Terrazzano, a small village near Rho, Lombardy, Italy. The company's premises occupies an area of 23,000 square metres (250,000 sq ft)- 11,000 of ...
(20 made) with a single Zagato spider, chassis 2101, presented in 1955 at Geneva. Total production between 1954 and 1956 amounted to 60 units. An A6G/54 Zagato chassis 2155 received a unique coupé bodystyle, after being crashed on a test drive by Gianni Zagato. Distinguished by non-fastback rear-end and 'eyelids' over the headlights. It is also one of only two with a 'double bubble' roof.
File:1956 Maserati A6G 2000 Allemano Coupe - fvl1.jpg, 1956 A6G/54 Allemano coupé
File:1956 Maserati A6G 2000 Allemano Coupe - eng (4643303247).jpg, The engine from the same car, showing dual ignition.
File:Jay Kay's 1955 Maserati A6G 54 (6005376187).jpg, 1955 A6G/54 with Frua coupé coachwork
File:Maserati A6G54-Cabriolet-Frua Frontview.JPG, 1956 A6G/54 Gran Sport Frua Spyder
File:Maserati A6G 2000 Zagato r.jpg, 1956 A6G/54 Zagato