Maserati Tipo 151

 

Maserati’s Tipo 151 model is a tale of what could have been. The company enjoyed tremendous success during the 1950s in endurance racing, culminating in the fantastic Tipo 60 and 61 “Birdcages”. It then turned its attention to the newly introduced closed-top prototype class at Le Mans. A new model called the Tipo 151 was developed to race in this class. Instead of employing the same exquisitely intricate space-frame chassis design as with the Tipo 60/61, chief engineer Giulio Alfieri opted for a more traditional space frame using larger tubing. Power came from a 3943cc quad-cam V8 making 360 bhp, mated to a 5-speed gearbox. Its long low bonnet, laid-back windscreen, and rounded Kamm tail were refined in the wind tunnel at Milan University with the goal of aerodynamic efficiency. Just three examples were built, two going to Briggs Cunningham’s American team (004 & 006), whilst the final car (002) was for Colonel Johnny Simone’s Maserati France team.The new model proved as fast as it looked at the 1962 24 Hours of Le Mans, with the Cunningham cars qualifying 3rd (006) and 5th (004). Meanwhile Simone’s car qualified 7th (002) driven by Maurice Trintignant and Lucien Bianchi. The race proved much more frustrating though, with all three cars retiring. Cunningham’s cars returned to the US, with one later being destroyed in a fiery accident at Daytona, but Colonel Simone sent 002 back to Maserati for some upgrades ahead of another attempt at Le Mans in 1963. These included enlarging the engine to 4941cc, swapping the Weber carburettors for Lucas fuel-injection (gaining 70 bhp), reducing weight and revising the suspension.