Vehicle Description
TheFratelli Maseratiare woven into the very fabric of Italian
motorsport history. Highly respected as engineers, designers,
drivers, and team managers, motorsport was their first and only
love, and, like Enzo Ferrari, they only saw road cars as a means to
an end. Despite being involved in racing since the 1920s, it was
not until a partnership with financier Adolfo Orsi that the
Maserati brothers designed a purpose-built road car - the A6 1500
of 1947. It was the only road car designed by the brothers under
their name, as they parted ways with Orsi at the end of 1947 to
form O.S.C.A. and concentrate on motorsport. The A6 1500 was a
jewel of a machine, born from Maserati's vast competition
experience. While it was sold and marketed as a Grand Touring road
car, it was well-suited to sporting duty, and many were raced
in-period. At the heart of the A6 was a 1500-cc overhead cam
inline-six, fed by a single Weber carburetor. Output was a modest
65 horsepower, though lightweight coachwork kept the mass well
below 1000 kg. On the subject of coachwork, the A6 was initially
shown with a radical, if slightly awkward, Pinin Farina body with
faired-in headlamps and a sharply truncated roofline. When
production began in earnest, the legendary coachbuilder offered a
restrained yet breathtakingly beautiful 2+2 coupe design. Minimally
adorned yet with sophisticated form, the Pinin Farina A6 set a
benchmark for sports car design through the 50s and 60s. The A6
1500 offered here, chassis 086, is from the midpoint of the 61 cars
built between 1947 and 1951. It wears Pinin Farina's gorgeous 2+2
fastback coachwork, which, like the Cisitalia 202, is a masterpiece
of mid-century design. Chassis 086 boasts a fascinating history and
is particularly notable for being the first production Maserati
equipped with triple Weber carburetors. It is the first of an
estimated ten A6 1500s fitted with the optional competition engine
and is one of just two known survivors. Maserati did much more than
simply bolt two additional carbs to the head. Modifications
included high-compression pistons, a revised camshaft profile, and
reinforcements cast into the aluminum and magnesium cylinder
blocks. The enhancements significantly raised power from the
single-carbureted base version from 65 to a very handy 90
horsepower. While standard cars have been updated to triple
carburetors over the years, the engine differences set this car
apart from modified versions. Production records and period
correspondence show chassis 086 went to Pinin Farina's shop on
December 11, 1948, for its coachwork and returned to Maserati in
July 1949 for final evaluation by the factory's famed chief test
driver, Guerino Bertocchi. On September 14, chassis 086 was
consigned to Peppino Santi of Rome, and just one day later,
invoiced to the first owner on record: Isabella Quarantotti, an
aristocratic Italian writer and playwright living in Paris.
Although registered in Italy at Ms. Quarantotti's residence in
Positano, her fabulous new Maserati was delivered to a garage in
Paris where she lived with her future (ex) second husband, English
poet Alexander Ronald "Alec" Smith. It was likely Smith's idea to
buy the Maserati, as he was a well-known motoring enthusiast.
Letters from the ACO reveal Quarantotti and Smith explored entering
the Maserati into the 18th running of the Le Mans 24 Hours, which
would have made 086 the first Maserati to race at Le Mans; however,
it was not to be, and they never completed the process. Their
relationship fizzled soon after. After her divorce from
Smith,SIG.RAQuarantotti kept the Maserati, though used it sparingly
as the high-compression engine required expensive and scarce racing
fuel. In late December 1950, it was acquired by Donatello Mennini
of Prato, Italy - a textiles entrepreneur, champion skier, and
soccer player. Maserati records indicate that Mr. Mennini returned
the car to the factory for servicing, and by April 1952, sold it to
Celestina Basini of Firenze. Accompanying documents show that on
July 12, 1953, U.S. Army officer Larry James Pichichero of Ohio,
who was stationed in Livorno, registered the Maserati in his name.
Taking advantage of his new high-performance Maserati, Pichichero
entered several races, with his friend and fellow Army officer,
Thomas "Tony" Martin, taking on driving duties. The first of these
races was the 2nd Salita del Castellaccio on September 20, 1953,
followed by the 1st Coppa Commandante Giovanni Braccini at Saline
di Volterra a week later. A period photo from the latter event
shows the A6 inparc fermewith some serious company including an
Abarth 205, Ferrari 212 Europa, and various etceterini. In late
1957, California gunsmith Ernest Nanson was vacationing in Italy
and spotted 086 on a sales lot. Mr. Nanson imported the A6 to the
U.S. and lovingly maintained the car during his 22-year ownership.
William McKinley later commissioned a complete restoration by Brian
Moore's Performance Painting in nearby Rancho Cordova. The Maserati
was thoroughly refurbished and refinished in ruby red from its
original light gray. Chassis 086 subsequently competed in the
Monterey Historics in August 1983, and the following June, it took
home Best of Show and the People's Choice Award at the 6th Maserati
International Meet at Lake Tahoe. The A6 passed through several
owners over the following decades, including Domino's Pizza founder
Tom Monaghan and the Blackhawk Collection. Chassis 086 was also
featured inThe Great Book of Sports Cars, representing Maserati's
first hand-built road cars. After a change of ownership, it took
part in the 2006 Mille Miglia Retro. After the Mille, it was
treated to a more comprehensive nut-and-bolt restoration, with
final assembly performed by the highly regarded shop at Steel
Wings. Restorers stripped the Maserati completely down and
meticulously reassembled it with a fine eye toward authenticity.
The richly textured fabric and leather cabin was refinished to an
exceptional standard by the Pebble Beach award-winning trimmer Gary
Maucher. In the end, the intensely researched restoration cost
$350,000. The car is authentically detailed, and the only
deviations from original specs are the lovely ruby red paint color
and the fitment of sparkling Borrani wire wheels. However, the
original Maserati CABO bimetal wheels (incorporating a steel disc
with aluminum rims) are included, along with Blockley tires and
proper hubs. The lifetime of care invested in this 1949 Maserati A6
1500/3C is apparent in its elegant presentation. It remains in
superb condition throughout, with jewel-like detailing of the body,
engine compartment, and interior. Eligible for the Mille Miglia, it
would undoubtedly be welcomed at any number of classic tours and
vintage competition events while also being fit for the concours
lawn. Offered with the aforementioned additional set of wheels, as
well as tools, spares, restoration records, and a comprehensive
file detailing its lengthy and illustrious history, this
significant Maserati awaits a new owner ready to write its next
fascinating chapter. Offers welcome and trades considered For
additional details please view this listing directly on our website
https://hymanltd.com/vehicles/7125-1949-maserati-a6-1500-3c-coupe/
