Between 1951 and 1953 Maserati built 12 A6GCM’s (Alfieri, 6 Cylinder, Ghisa – Iron Block, Corsa – Racing, Monoposto – Single seaters).

The 2 litre / 122 cui twin cam motors were initially developed by Alberto Massimino and Vittorio Bellentani to produce 160hp and by 1953 with further development by Gioacchino Colombo the motors are said to have produced 197hp.

The chassis design featuring a rigid rear axle with leaf springs, coil springs for the independent front suspension and hydraulic brakes is credited to Medardo Fantuzzi.

It would appear two chassis were given the number #2033, both of which are extent today. The first appears to have been a recycled ’49 single seater chassis while the second, today’s featured car seen with Julia de Baldanza at the wheel, was built fresh from the ground up in 1951.

At least two of the later 1953 A6GCM’s were turned into 250F types in 1954, so there is nothing unusual, in the somewhat chaotic Maserati scheme of things, for two cars to have received the same chassis identity.

Both cars bearing the #2033 identity appear to have been used by the works Officine Alfieri Maserati team but the individual histories, unsurprisingly, appear to be not so well documented.

Of the 151 races in which the A6GCM type is known to have participated 6 victories were recorded of which one, the 1953 Italian Grand Prix at Monza, was a World Championship event won by Juan Manuel Fangio 12 months after he had broken his neck at the same venue.

Juan’s Italian Grand Prix win was the only victory in a world championship event against the hitherto dominant Ferrari 500’s driven by Alberto Ascari, Piero Taruffi, Mike Hawthorn and Giuseppe Farina.

Thanks for joining me on this “Alfieri Ghisa Corsa Monoposto” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a Bugatti. Don’t forget to come back now !