1957 Maserati
450S
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1957
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V8 / 5657 cc
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4 Speed Manual
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Red Exterior & Tan Leather Interior
Car Details
The Maserati 450S was made for participating in FIA's endurance World Sportscar Championship racing with a total of just nine produced. Development of the 450S started in 1954 under the codename Tipo 54 led by Vittorio Bellentani and Guido Taddeucci. Their intent was to use larger engines than those already in use by Maserati. The initial development began with the engine, which was a 4477cc short-stroke V8 with four 45 IDM Weber carburettors mounted between the Vee rated at 400 bhp. The Tipo 54 project was shelved in 1955 after a catastrophic crash at Le Mans. In early 1956, Tony Parravano, a wealthy American housing developer, commissioned Maserati to build a new large-bore V8 engine for use in a Kurtis Indy chassis. The car had an open top body designed by Medardo Fantuzzi resembling the 300S. The 4.5 litre V8 engine of the 450S was the largest racing engine developed by Maserati, The prototype made its racing debut at the 1956 Swedish Grand Prix, with the chassis being renumbered as 4501. The chassis proved unable to handle the power output of the V8 hampering the performance of the car so it was sent back to the factory where a purpose-built chassis having the same number as the prototype was constructed. 4501 was later entered at the 1957 Buenos Aires 1000km driven by Stirling Moss and Juan Manuel Fangio, before being redesigned as a coupé by Frank Costin of England, constructed by Zagato, and raced once again by Moss at Le Mans. The 450S Maserati’s were raced competitively at the world’s most prestigious race events throughout the 1950’s by Fangio, Jean Behra, Moss and Harry Schell to name but a few. The Wilson Collection has been in process on this tribute car since 2020 with current work focused on coach building as well as interiors.
