Maserati Tipo 6CM

In recent months, many manufacturers look back on their sometimes very impressive brand histories and offer us fans a corresponding insight into past decades. A trend that we really welcome. Now also Maserati joins this field and recalls a great motorsport success, which dates back exactly 80 years. At that time, the factory team joined the legendary Targa Florio in Sicily again. This race, held annually since 1906, was named after entrepreneur Vincenzo Florio from Palermo, who organized this race on the streets of his family. With interruptions during the two World Wars this endurance race took place until 1977. Normally, they used a circuit through the mountains that covered almost the entire island of Sicily on public roads. Only from 1937 to 1940 they moved to a permanent circuit with 5.7 kilometers per lap, called the Parco della Favorita near Palermo.

After Maserati had already dominated the races in 1937 and 1938, they brought the Tipo 6CM monoposto along for a last time in 1939. Ernesto Maserati had developed this race car already back in 1935 in Modena. Despite a relatively conservative design at first glance, at a second glance the car showed its technical superiority. Under the long hood a straight six-cylinder engine is mounted, in which the cylinders are cast into the same block as the head. They are arranged in pairs on the crankcase made of the magnesium alloy electron. Two overhead camshafts, driven by a chain drive, control the two valves per cylinder. In addition, a Rootes volumetric supercharger pressurizes the gasoline-air mixture in the combustion chambers, resulting in 175 hp. Based on a classic ladder frame, the 6CM received an innovative front suspension with torsion bar suspension, which could be adjusted depending on the track profile. This was clearly superior to the competitors from France and the UK. Over the years, Maserati repeatedly changed the body parts to implement new aerodynamic findings.

The Maserati Tipo 6CM was most successful in 1938, when it won against the big competitor ERA from Great Britain and also against the new Alfetta from Alfa Romeo. Altogether, between 1936 and 1939, exactly 27 copies were produced, with which they won on all important racetracks around Europe. Among other things, Maserati scored three victories in a row at the Targa Florio. In 1939, exactly 80 years ago, Piero Taruffi, Guido Franco and Luigi ‘Gigi’ Villoresi took part in the event with a 6CM. The race went on for 40 laps or 228 kilometers. Luigi Villoresi drove the fastest lap in 2:24,6 minutes and an average speed of 141.908 kph. In the end, he won in a total time of 1:40:15,4 hours. Taruffi took second place, Franco arrived the finish line in third place.

Today, a perfectly restored Maserati Tipo 6CM belongs to the Panini Collection in Modena. Every now and then they start the 1.5-liter engine and the power can reach the rear axle via a manual four-speed gearbox. Thanks to the low weight of only 650 kilograms, the 175 hp are enough for a topspeed of 210 to 230 kph, depending on the gear ratio.

Images: Maserati