The Maserati 6C 34 is a 750 kg

open-wheel 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 ...

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, designed, developed and built 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 ...

from 1934 to 1935.

Racing history

The 6C 34 was equipped with an in-line six-cylinder engine that was 30 hp more powerful, and 13 kg lighter, compared to the eight-cylinder installed on the 8CM. Only five days after the completion of the engine tests on the dyno, the 6C 34 made its racing debut at the 1934 Italian Grand Prix where, due to brake problems, the car did not perform well. At the following Grand Prix, on the Masaryk Circuit, the 6C 34 driven by Tazio Nuvolari finished third, surpassed by the elusive Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union, but ahead of the Alfa Romeo P3. In 1935 adjustments were made to the chassis to stiffen it, and new suspensions were tested, which were now independent wheels and with the Parisi system. The experience of the 6C 34 in racing ended as a semi-official car for the Scuderia Subalpina, driven by Achille Varzi, Pietro Ghersi, and Eugenio Siena, achieving important placings but no victory.

Design

The ignition was single with a Spark or Bosch magnet. The feeding was forced with a Roots-type compressor and a Weber-type 55AS1 carburetor, the latter mounted upstream of the compressor itself. The distribution was with two valves per cylinder arranged in a 90 ° V, and a double overhead camshaft. Lubrication was forced with delivery and recovery pumps. The cooling system was a water circulation with centrifugal pumps. The engine was six cylinders in line and had a displacement of 3724.1 cm³. The bore and stroke were 84 and 112 mm respectively, while the compression ratio was 6.4:1. This engine produced a power of 270 hp at 5300 rpm. The brakes were drum brakes on the wheels with hydraulic control, while the suspensions consisted of leaf springs, friction shock absorbers, and a stabilizer bar, subsequently implemented with independent wheels and with the Parisi system. The steering was a worm screw and toothed sector, while the transmission consisted of a four-speed gearbox plus reverse. The bodywork was single-seater in aluminum, while the chassis was made up of two side members and cross members in steel profiles. The “6C 34” reached a top speed of 250 km/h.

Technical Data

References

{{Maserati 6C 34 Grand Prix cars Open wheel racing cars 1930s cars