The Maserati Tipo 26M was a model of

Grand Prix Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to: Arts and entertainment ...

race car Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. Auto racing has existed since the invention of the automobile. Races of various sorts were organi ...

produced by Italian manufacturer

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 ...

Bologna Bologna (, , ; egl, label= Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nat ...

, for a total of 13 units, between 1930 and 1932. Before the Tipo 26M, the original Tipo 26 from 1926 had evolved into version such as 26B, 26C and 26R. Based on these, the Tipo 26M was designed in 1930 as mostly single-seaters (''M'' meaning ''

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 ...

'') and also referred to as ''8C 2500'' (8 cylinder, 2500 cc). Six of the 26M were made into Tipo 26M Sport for long endurance purposes. Special two-seaters for road use, were the ''26M Grand Sport'' by

Carrozzeria Castagna Carrozzeria Castagna is an Italian coachbuilding company based in Milan, Italy. History The company history began in 1849 when Carlo Castagna bought the Ferrari coachbuilding business. Carrozzeria Castagna built the first coach automobile with a ...

, and the ''Sport Tipo 1000 Miglia'' by

Ugo Zagato Ugo Zagato (25 June 1890, in Gavello – 31 October 1968) was an Italian automobile designer, known for establishing and running the Zagato coachbuilder, famous for its lightweight designs. He had five brothers and lost his father (1905), forcing ...

. Two four-seaters were later referred to as the company's first attempt at non-racing cars. The Tipo 26M dominated the

1930 Grand Prix season The 1930 Grand Prix season continued the malaise that had taken over the sport. Although there was little technical advance more privateer teams were forming, getting some factory support. The AIACR continued to mandate its fuel-regulated Formula ...

having its debut at VI Premio Reale di Roma (

Luigi Arcangeli Luigi Arcangeli (1902 - 23 May 1931) was an Italian motorcycle and car racer. Biography Arcangeli was born at Forlì in 1894. A factory rider for Sarolea, Sunbeam, Bianchi and Moto Guzzi, he turned to four wheels in the wake of his friend Tazi ...

won, 25 May 1930), IV Coppa Ciano (

Luigi Fagioli Luigi Cristiano Fagioli (; 9 June 1898 – 20 June 1952), nicknamed "the Abruzzi robber", was an Italian motor racing driver. Having won his last race at 53 years old, Fagioli holds the record for the oldest Formula One driver to win a race, and ...

won, 21 July 1930), VI Coppa Acerbo (

Achille Varzi Achille Varzi (8 August 1904 – 1 July 1948) was an Italian Grand Prix driver. Career Born in Galliate, province of Novara (Piedmont), Achille Varzi was the son of a textile manufacturer. As a young man, he was a successful motorcycle ra ...

won, Ernesto Maserati second, 17 August 1930), III Gran Premio di Monza (Varzi won, Arcangeli second, 7 September 1930) and VII Gran Premio de España (Varzi won,

Aymo Maggi Aymo Maggi (30 July 1903 – 23 October 1961) was an Italian racing car driver from Brescia. He was the ''conte di Gradella'' based in Pandino outside Cremona. Maggi started automobile racing in 1922 and had his first important victory in his hom ...

second, 5 October 1930). In the first half of the

1931 Grand Prix season The 1931 Grand Prix season was a watershed year, with the advent of the AIACR European Championship. After several years of Grand Prix racing in the doldrums with little technical development, 1931 saw new models come from all three main manufac ...

it lost to Alfa Romeo 8C and Bugatti T51. A higher bore engine with carburetors from Edoardo Weber of

, became the 8C 2800 that won at the Monza Grand Prix, IV Gran Premio di Monza (

, 6 September 1931) and Brooklands, I Mountains Championship at Brooklands (Tim Birkin, 17 October 1931). Other drivers of 26M this year were Clemente Biondetti, Luigi Parenti, George Eyston, Pietro Ghersi, Umberto Klinger and René Dreyfus. Later victories were with Tim Birkin's 26M, Brooklands, III Mountains Championship (Whitney Straight, 21 October 1933) and as an ''8C'' at Circuit d'Albi GP (Buddy Featherstonhaugh, 22 July 1934).

References

{{Maserati Maserati vehicles, Tipo 26M Grand Prix cars