Photos -- A6G

Text and Photos by Francis G. Mandarano or courtesy of the MIE Collection.

In the late 1940s and early 1950s, Maserati produced a limited run of GT cars known as the A6G series. Perhaps no more than 140 A6GCS cars were made over a seven-year period. The early A6Gs had single-cam, 6-cylinder engines, and a definite sporty flair and feel. During this period the Italian coach building industry, centered in and around Torino, was blossoming and gaining worldwide recognition for producing gorgeous body styling.

For their road cars, Maserati always used outside designers, including such famous names as Pininfarina, Bertone, Zagato, Frua, Allemano, Vignale and Touring. Maserati, therefore, produced some very beautiful and collectible cars. The evolution of the A6G series in the mid-1950s included the addition of dual overhead cams, twin ignition and triple Weber side-draft carburetors, all of which substantially increased the horsepower.

A few highly-collectible A6G series cars left the factory equipped with the A6GCS racing engine, with gear cam drive instead of chains, and dual distributors.

But alas, the company's overhead was too much and their income not enough. The racing department was spending an enormous amount of money on research and development to introduce new models to meet the ever-changing racing rules. The coup de grace came at Caracas, Venezuela, in 1958 when five factory team cars were crashed in competition. Simultaneously, Argentina defaulted on payments to Maserati for purchased machine tools. The decision was made to quit racing altogether.

The Orsis decided to concentrate on a new GT car that could be produced in mass quantities, by Italian standards at least, and sold to the sporting enthusiasts of the day. They felt this would solve their financial problems.

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