Footnotes

• The Italian Maserati marque holds a very special allure, having
  produced not only some of the most potent high-performance
  competition cars the sporting world has ever seen, but having done so
  within a remarkably intimate and friendly family atmosphere, the
  factory engineers and mechanics working in close personal
  relationship with their customers. This wider Maserati family
  triumphed or failed together, and even the grand failures of Il
  Tridente are commonly regarded today as having been fantastically
  charismatic, and highly collectible.
  Here we are delighted to present this V8-engined, 195mph Maserati
  which raced wheel-to-wheel at Le Mans with some of the classic car
  world’s most iconic – and highly-valued – contemporary motor
  racing legends; the 1962 24-Hours race-winning 4-litre Ferrari 330TRI/
  LM Spider of Phil Hill/Olivier Gendebien, the similar-engined Ferrari
  330GTO/LM Berlinetta and the unique Aston Martin Project 212 Coupé.
  Maserati’s 4-cam V8-engined ‘bazooka’ offered here is the sole
  complete survivor of just three of these mouth-wateringly muscular
  Maserati 151s which were tailor-made for two private entrants to
  contest the Le Mans Grand Prix d’Endurance.
  The prototype Maserati 151 – evenly-numbered chassis ‘151/002’
  – was completed to the order of Paris-based American businessman
  Colonel Johnny Simone’s Maserati France distributorship. The follow-
  up twin-sister cars – chassis ‘151/004’ and ‘151/006’ now
  offered here – were supplied to American multi-millionaire sportsman
  Mr Briggs Cunningham for what would be his famous racing team’s 13th
  quest for victory at Le Mans.
  Maserati had run a V8-engined Coupé-bodied car before at Le Mans, in
  1957, when with encouragement from team driver Stirling Moss the Omer
  Orsi-run Modena concern had commissioned British aerodynamicist Frank
  Costin to create a slippery new body shape to be applied to a pre-
  existing model 450S sports-racing chassis. The body was built in
  great haste by the Zagato company of Milan, and at Le Mans it proved
  a great disappointment – slower than its conventional open roadster-
  bodied 450S sister cars. The enclosed cockpit was also badly sealed
  against engine heat and fumes, and drivers Moss and Harry Schell were
  nearly asphyxiated in it before it finally broke a half-shaft and was
  withdrawn after just 38 racing laps.
  Maserati relied upon open-cockpit sports-prototype designs 1958-61,
  in which year the Commission Sportive International – regulating
  body of the Federation International de l’Automobile (FIA) –
  announced that from 1962 forward the endurance-racing World
  Championship title would be awarded for Grand Touring cars only,
  abandoning the traditional open-cockpit sports-prototype car. This
  decision – which carried the further requirement that ‘GT cars’
  would be defined as models of which at least 100 had been built –
  attracted little industry support. The organisers of the Le Mans 24-
  Hours classic – by far the world’s most important road race at
  that time – were equally unimpressed. While admitting GT cars to
  their 1962 race, they also launched a new Challenge Mondial de
  Vitesse et d’Endurance (World Challenge for Speed and Endurance) to
  be run concurrently with the Sebring 12-Hours, Targa Florio,
  Nürburgring 1,000Kms and Le Mans 24-Hours rounds for the GT World
  Championship. This Challenge would be open to all cars entered in the
  GT, Prototype and Experimental categories with engine sizes between
  700cc and 4-litres.
  In Modena, Maserati company head Omer Orsi and his 37-year old chief
  engineer Giulio Alfieri were keen to maintain their marque’s
  competition image to promote continuing sales of their Maserati
  3500GT production ‘supercar’. Colonel Simone and Briggs
  Cunningham speedily placed orders for ‘Experimental’ category cars
  for Le Mans 1962, and Alfieri immediately set about design of what
  emerged as the Maserati Tipo 151. He based its V8-cylinder engine
  upon the existing Maserati range of 4-cam road and racing designs.
  These engines had ranged from 4.2-litres (for Indianapolis and
  ‘Monzanapolis’ use) to 6.5-litres for racing power boats. Reducing
  the 4.2-litre variant’s cylinder bore by 2.8mm – from 93.8 to
  91.0mm – achieved 3999cc, to comply with the ACO’s new capacity
  requirement. Alfieri predicted 350bhp-plus from this unit which he
  considered too much for his 1959-61 ‘Birdcage’ type of multi-
  tubular trellis chassis construction. He reverted therefore to a
  strong and simple ladder-frame chassis with welded-on fine-gauge body-
  supporting tubes, and the Coupé or Berlinetta bodywork crafted from
  lightweight sheet aluminium.
  Development was slow by Maserati standards, and Col. Simone’s
  Maserati France team prototype was not run until April 9, 1962, on
  the Modena aerautodromo circuit, two days too late for the Le Mans
  Test Weekend in France. The 151’s body shape had been developed
  with help from wind tunnel tests at Milan University, and employed an
  Alfa Romeo Sprint Speciale windscreen. Engine bore and stroke
  dimensions were 91mm x 75.8mm, and with induction via four twin-choke
  Weber 45IDM carburettors, the unit developed a claimed 360bhp at
  7,000rpm. The engine was dry-sumped, but even so its height demanded
  a large clearance bulge in the centre of the bonnet lid. Twin-plug
  ignition featured distributor firing for one set of eight Lodge
  plugs, magneto for the other set. Valerio Colotti designed the five-
  speed constant-mesh gearbox which was mounted in unit with the ZF
  limited-slip final-drive. Maserati-made Girling-patent disc brakes
  were fitted all round, and 16-inch diameter Borrani wire wheels
  carried Dunlop Racing tyres.
  An experimental new de Dion rear suspension system was designed by
  Ing. Alfieri’s youthful assistant GianPaolo Dallara – of
  subsequent Lamborghini and Dallara competition car fame. Progressive
  testing of the 151 prototype saw Maserati’s veteran chief mechanic
  and test driver Guerrino Bertocchi achieving 305km/h – 190mph on the
  public Autostrada – and Lucien Bianchi 314km/h – 195mph – on
  track at Monza.
  The twin sister Maserati 151s for Briggs Cunningham’s team were
  quickly completed, with slightly revised body contours, particularly
  around the roofline, and with higher door windows. These two cars –
  liveried in American white with twin centreline blue stripes – also
  had increased fuel tankage – 134 litres compared to the
  prototype’s 119.
  For the Le Mans 24-Hours on June 23-24, 1962, the Cunningham Maserati
  151s were to be driven by Roy Salvadori/Dr Dick Thompson (chassis
  ‘151/006’ offered here, complete with bright red nose-top band for
  easy identification) and by Bruce McLaren/Walt Hansgen
  (‘151/004’). However, after trying ‘006’ in practice, tall
  Salvadori confessed he simply didn’t fit so he transferred to the
  Cunningham team’s Jaguar E-Type entry, and intended Jaguar co-driver
  Bill Kimberly joined Thompson in ‘006’ instead. The pace of these
  Experimental class Maseratis was demonstrated by McLaren/Hansgen
  setting fourth fastest time in the opening practice session, bettered
  only by three factory Ferraris, while in second practice Dick
  Thompson set third fastest time in ‘006’ offered here. His time
  was bettered only by the ultimately winning 4-litre Ferrari prototype
  of Phil Hill and by the Ferrari 330GTO/LM driven by Michael Parkes.
  While the 4-litre GTO lapped Le Mans in 3mins 58.6secs, ‘006’
  achieved 3mins 59.1 – just a half-second slower. Meanwhile, the red-
  liveried Maserati France prototype 151 was to be co-driven by Maurice
  Trintignant/Lucien Bianchi.
  These spectacular-looking, sensational-sounding Maserati 151s ran
  3-4-5 in the opening race stages behind the finest that Ferrari and
  Aston Martin could offer. During the scheduled pit stops early that
  Saturday evening Dick Thompson actually led Le Mans in this very car,
  before holding second place behind Phil Hill’s 4-litre Ferrari.
  After four hours ‘006’ lay third, but at the turn of the fifth
  hour Dick Thompson crashed mildly at Tertre Rouge immediately after a
  pit stop, due to improperly-installed fresh brake pads. The car
  toppled onto its side in the sand trap, then flopped back onto its
  wheels. Damage was minimal but one rear-mounted oil tank was
  displaced and, although the car remained driveable, regulations
  prevented its lost oil being replenished so soon after a pit stop so
  it had to be retired, though still raceworthy.
  Both sister cars ‘002’ and ‘004’ experienced tyre failures,
  and the Maserati France car was eventually retired with suspension
  failure after nine hours and 152 laps, while the McLaren/Hansgen
  Cunningham car climbed into fifth place before a mechanical failure
  ended their race at 6am Sunday morning.
  All three 151s were repaired in Modena post-race, and the two
  Cunningham cars then flown to New York, ‘006’ making the trip on
  September 7. Its sister ‘004’ contested the Road America ‘500’
  at Elkhart Lake two days later, co-driven by Hansgen/Augie Pabst.
  They held third place most of the way behind Jim Hall’s Chaparral
  and Harry Heuer’s Scarab.
  
  On September 16, ‘006’ ran in the Bridgehampton 400Kms on Long
  Island, Pabst setting fourth fastest practice time in this imposing
  car and running second behind Pedro Rodriguez’s Le Mans-winning 4-
  litre Ferrari 330TRI/LM. Ultimately Pabst had an off-course excursion
  in which ‘006’s engine ingested sand, and after 55 laps a piston
  failed. On October 14 the ‘Los Angeles Times’ Grand Prix was run
  at Riverside, California, with both Cunningham team 151s competing.
  Car ‘006’ was again entrusted to Augie Pabst.
  
  While its sister ‘004’ had been fitted with a 5.7-litre V8 power
  boat engine, ‘006’ retained its 4-litre unit and on race day
  proved to be the faster Cunningham Maserati. Pabst finishing seventh.
  After this Riverside race, Briggs Cunningham offered this 4-litre 151
  for sale and it was bought by San Francisco Buick dealer Bev Spencer.
  
  On November 10, 1962, Spencer ran it at Vaca Valley Raceway for
  driver Stan Peterson, who started full of confidence having just won
  the Formula Junior event. He took the lead starting lap 2 and
  overturned ‘006’ at the next corner, landing in soft mud which
  minimised body damage. Peterson repaired it in his Oakland speed
  shop, and ten days after Vacaville ‘006’ starred – looking
  immaculate – in the San Francisco imported car show. In December it
  starred again in a press photo opportunity at Laguna Seca, driven by
  Peterson, before Bev Spencer advertised it for sale in the April 1963
  issue of ‘Road & Track’, asking price $7,950. It was acquired by
  31 year-old Chuck Jones of Santa Ana.
  In February 1963 Cunningham’s retained 5.7-litre sister car was
  destroyed in a fiery accident at Daytona from which driver Marvin
  Panch was lucky to escape alive. This left ‘006’ as the only
  Maserati 151 in America, and Chuck Jones entered it under his Team
  Meridian banner for driver Skip Hudson at Cotati – where Hudson
  drove it with the doors removed – finishing third. Jones then
  advertised it for sale in the July 27, 1963, edition of ‘Competition
  Press’, asking $8,250. In the absence of attractive offers the car
  was then driven solo by Hudson in the Road America ‘500’
  officially finishing 17th. Briggs Cunningham was so impressed by
  Hudson’s effort he gave the team his remaining stock of Maserati 151
  components, including three spare V8 engines, two gearboxes and the
  burned-out wreckage of ‘004’ – which was subsequently buried in
  a landfill site near Newport Beach.
  
  In the Bridgehampton 500Kms, Hudson spun on his own oil from a
  leaking hose, damaged the right-front bodywork and retired since the
  engine had part-seized. Maserati ‘006’ was not raced again. Jones
  instead converted it for road use, replacing the damaged 4-litre
  engine with a believed 4.2-litre unit from the Cunningham stock. He
  replaced the battered front bodywork with a new and more pointed-
  section ‘clamshell’ opening panel, offering much improved access.
  Two large intake ducts were sunk into the nose-top. The sill fuel
  tanks were removed and a 35 US gallon tail tank fitted. Running with
  truck silencers ‘006’ provided Chuck Jones with street-legal
  exotic motoring for the following two years. He sold the car in 1965
  to Bob Reynaud of San Francisco in exchange for a new Lincoln
  Continental and $7,000 cash. The car, painted red and California-
  registered ‘311 MAF’, later resided with a motor trader in San
  Jose. It was finally acquired in 1983 by renowned German collector
  and Maserati enthusiast Peter Kaus. He retained the Jones-originated
  one-piece opening nose but had it modified closer to its original
  shape, with the nose-top intakes sealed, and the entire body was
  resprayed in original Briggs Cunningham team colours together with
  the red nose-top band as at Le Mans ’62.
  As offered here, the car is believed to retain the 4.2-litre engine
  fitted by Chuck Jones, and it was absolutely one of the stars of Mr
  Kaus’s magnificent Rosso Bianco Collection. In Mr Kaus’s
  ownership the car appeared in the Goodwood Festival of Speed, driven
  by British historic racing star Willie Green. It is today the only
  full surviving Maserati 151 of the three constructed; ‘004’ having
  been destroyed at Daytona, while ‘002’ was extensively modified
  before its chassis was destroyed at Le Mans in 1965. The removed
  1962/63 body of ‘002’ has survived, and is presently being
  restored upon a remade chassis frame.
  Here then is an extremely potent contemporary competitor to some of
  the most highly-prized of all great Ferraris and Aston Martins. It is
  effectively unique. It is extremely rare. It will surely command an
  entry at such renowned retro events as the Le Mans Classic and the
  Goodwood Revival Meeting and it is, above all, a V8-powered Maserati
  with genuine Le Mans, Bridgehampton and Road America racing
  provenance. Plus – above all – it has that unique cachet of having
  been built for, and campaigned by, the world-famous racing team
  master-minded by Mr Briggs Swift Cunningham.
  Estimate CHF 1,100,000 – 1,400,000
  
  

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Category: Motoring / Motor Cars

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