...a real classic Maserati!

hi - a Maserati 4 CL/CM #1555 S4 super was owned by my partners late father Peter Lovett during the 1950-60s . He entered #1555 in the Gp of Australia at Lowood , 12 June 1960 but did not start. It changed hands soon after. I have a photo of it circa mid 90s after a full restoration. I believe this car is still in Melbourne , Australia.

 

Was it originally a taxi in Madrid ?
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What were some of the 40 different specifications/options that make this car unique?

 

Halda Tripmaster was not introduced until the 1960s: http://www.specialstage.com/forums/showthread.php?39804-Rally-instruments.

Maybe it was a taxi meter instead . . .

 

Historic views of the same car. Copyright Photo Sala, Adolfo Orsi Archive
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The factory has a tremendous detailed file on the car and was made available to the present owner by Adolfo Orsi. An unbelievable amount of letters and telegrams between Maserati, Allemano and mr Cicurel, living in Paris, describing every modification in detail. The car was indeed built to rally specifications.
After finally taking delivery of the car, Cicurel did participate in some rally's. Mr Cicurel had a passion for cars and women, he married 7 or 8 times!?! One of the two passions broke him up...and he sold the car back to Maserati. That is when it got re-numbered. Typical Maserati attitude of these days.
During the restoration Ermanno Cozza quoted that if they had built more cars like this one Maserati would have gone bust!
The present owner restored the car in a no expense spared way. Even the unique tapestry in the boot / trunk was rewoven after a sample found during the restoration.
The engine mounted in the car comes from a A6G2000 Frua Spider and discussion took place to do a triangle swap to get the right engines in the right cars. After investigating the condition of the #2147's original engine this initiative was cancelled because of the very poor state of it.
The owner was even tempted to get a new engine from Capricorn but then decided that the Frua engine would still be more original...
It is a unique car restored to top level and runs like a dream. Took part in Villa d'Este and as an old statement every car changes hands every 25 years, this one a little quicker....
Ciao,
Bart

 

For sale in Austria: A6 1500 #078: Maserati A6 1500 -

 

I spoke with Richard Cicurel a few years ago. My goal was to learn more about his Siata 208S spider (BS*501*) but we spoke of his Maserati A6G Allemano as well.

He was living and working in Paris at the time of his purchase of the Maserati. He remembered ordering the car at the Salon Geneve of 1956. That would have been late March or early April. He picked the finished car (No. 2144) up in July. “It used as much oil as it did gasoline and the engine was obviously quite used.” The car had a variety of problems. He called it “a disaster”. Finally, in December he gave up on it and returned it to Maserati in the dead of night (he said it was early AM) with a note to sell it for whatever it would bring. He bought a used Fiat Balilla the next day and returned to Paris. It seems that Maserati may have agreed with his assessment of the engine ... since they built a new one? All subsequent history was made under the chassis number "2147".

 

Thank you for posting this. This car has been on the market for a while, but there are some new photos (and a few from a Lamborghini mixed in). It was mentioned previously at posts #607 - 614 in this thread.

Unfortunately the more I see, the more disappointed I am. This car was in Massachusetts in a near-original state with one owner for at least 30 years and possibly since the mid-1950s. It would have been an encyclopedia for a responsible restorer, but now all evidence of originality has been lost, and the finishes and many details now are assuredly not authentic.

Here are some photos of the interior before "restoration".
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This is the rolling chassis drawing of the Tipo A6 from July 15, 1946 I didn't see here before.
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Walter,

My disappointment must be taken in context. To my knowledge, #078 was until several years ago the best preserved original example of an A6 1500, and this can be seen in the photos I posted. In my opinion particular care and effort to document and duplicate its original condition was warranted. Especially with such simple older cars, the whole impression can be lost through insensitivity to original materials and finishes.

Aside from a few added signal lights the exterior seems to be generally as built. But it is very difficult to look past the red corduroy in the interior. It gives a very modern color-coordinated effect, along with the soft modern vat-dyed leather (instead of stiffer surface-finished leather as original). The shift boot is too long. The turn-signal switch handle is not correct, although it has been with the car for many years.

The big modern fan visible behind the grill is surprising, and it seems to have displaced the radiator shutters. I don't understand why this was necessary, as cooling system performance is generally more than adequate.

The engine compartment photos are new to me. The gold carburetor and modern braided fuel line catch the eye like red corduroy. I would also respectfully take issue with the distributor cap, ignition wires and harness, plug leads, hose clamps, battery hold-down, connection of the temperature sending unit to the radiator, wiring sheaths, steering shaft color and collar. The coil and fusebox are not visible, but I anticipate issues there as well.

Compared with most of the other surviving A6 1500s, #078 is among the most original and authentic. But considering how well it had survived and the information available to the restorer, I find it disappointing.

Don

 

Again thank you. Here is the title block in greater resolution.
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What an incredibly modern looking engine!

Regarding the chassis drawing you posted a few posts later, what locates the rear axle for sideways location?
Pete

 

The engine is actually a single cam derivative of the 6CM competition engine of 1936, de-tuned for pump gas available at the time. The cam cover and oil pan are magnesium !

The chassis drawing omits a Panhard rod, visible in the attached photo.
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Thanks. Very modern live rear axle setup too ... great cars!
Pete

 

I do have a high resolution version of the drawing. If people would be interested just give me a PM.