Maserati 420M/58

Last updated
Maserati 420M/58
Race of Two Worlds, Monza, 1958.jpg
Maserati 420M/58 "Eldorado"
Constructor Maserati
Designer(s) Giulio Alfieri
Technical specifications [1] [2] [3]
Chassis Tubular steel spaceframe
Suspension (front) Independent double wishbones, coil springs, Houdaille hydraulic dampers
Suspension (rear) De Dion axle, transverse leaf spring, Houdaille hydraulic dampers
Length4,800 mm (189.0 in)
Width1,200 mm (47.2 in)
Height1,100 mm (43.3 in)
Wheelbase 2,400 mm (94.5 in)
Engine 4,190 cc (255.7 cu in) 90° V8 naturally-aspirated front-engine, longitudinally mounted
Transmission 2-speed manual transmission
Weight758 kg (1,671.1 lb)
Tyres Firestone
Competition history
Notable entrants Officine Alfieri Maserati
Eldorado Racing
Notable drivers Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Stirling Moss
Flag of the United States.svg Ralph Liguori
Debut1958 Race of Two Worlds
Last event 1959 Indianapolis 500
EntriesRacesWins Podiums
2100

The Maserati 420M/58Eldorado was a single-seater manufactured by Maserati in 1958. It was a one-off race car purpose-built for the second edition of the 500 Miles of Monza. It was the first single-seater in Europe to be sponsored by a brand not attached to an automobile industry. The internal Maserati classification was the Tipo 4, behind the 250F variants, and also referred to as the 420/M/58 for 4.2-litre displacement, Monoposto or a single-seater in Italian and 1958 year, or simply as the "Eldorado". [1]

Contents

In 2020, Maserati paid homage to Sir Stirling Moss, who died on 12 April 2020 at the age of 90, by decorating a prototype of the Maserati MC20 with the 'Stirling Moss' script from the "Eldorado" single seater. [4]

Currently the Maserati "Eldorado", with bodywork and livery restored to its 1958 specification, is part of the Umberto Panini's Maserati collection in Modena. [5] [6]

Development

Maserati was the last manufacturer from Europe to win Indianapolis 500 races in 1939 and 1940. In 1957 and 1958 Tony Parravano entered Maserati-engined racers in this race. Their engine, based on the V8 from 450S was also a basis for the Race of Two Worlds Maserati race car but with a shorter stroke to fit the Indy regulations. [2]

By the end of the 1957 Formula One season, after securing World Championship won with Juan Manuel Fangio, Maserati withdrew from racing as a factory entrant. This decision was mainly dictated by financial situation but allowed Maserati to pursue building road and racing cars for private customers. For the second edition of the 500 Miles of Monza, Maserati was commissioned the creation of a suitable car to compete against American entries. This lucrative order was an idea of Eldorado Sud, ice-cream company as a sponsorship venture. The race car was built from parts of already existing racing projects, mainly the Maserati 250F. Within a space of a couple months, the chief-engineer Giulio Alfieri was responsible for creating the "Eldorado". It would use the modified Maserati 250F chassis with 450S-sourced engine. [5]

Sponsorship

The change towards race cars commissions was ideal for privateer such as Gino Zanetti as it would allow him to promote his business and meant a lucrative deal for Maserati. Zanetti was the owner of the Eldorado Sud ice-cream company and had pioneered a racing world sponsorship. He would become the first major sponsor of a European racing team that was not related to any automobile industry. [3]

The race car was not only adorned with a sponsor's logo but the entire car was painted in desired, company colours with the company trademarks added along the sides and front, with the company names and young cowboy logos featured in multiple locations on the car. Also a bright racing red "Italia" script was added to denote the nationality of the sponsor and that of the car's manufacturer. [7]

This was the first instance when a sponsorship colours replaced the traditional, national colour assigned by the International Federation. This decision was monumental in motorsport history and would soon open the flood-gates for sponsorship deals and financial bakers from outside the race car world. [3]

Bodywork

A spartan cabin for the driver with only rudimentary instruments and controls. Visible chassis frame tubes. Collection Panini Maserati 0100.JPG
A spartan cabin for the driver with only rudimentary instruments and controls. Visible chassis frame tubes.

The bodywork was created out of aluminium as an open-wheel single-seater and was hand-crafted by Medardo Fantuzzi at his Carrozzeria in Modena. The characteristic vertical tail-fin was added, just behind the driver's head for stability as the speeds achieved could reach 350 km/h (217 mph). Also an additional offset hood scoop for carburetors and a long and low nose. The small deflector was installed to serve as a windshield. [5]

The bodywork was later modified after the first race and the original fin and the headrest were removed. Further the hood scoop was reduced and an additional, mandatory roll bar installed when the car raced at the Indianapolis 500. [3]

Specifications

Maserati 420M Eldorado front-left Enzo Ferrari Museum.jpg
Maserati 420M Eldorado rear-right Enzo Ferrari Museum.jpg
Maserati 420M/58 "Eldorado" in Enzo Ferrari Museum

Engine and transmission

The 420M/58 engine was derived from the Maserati 450S sports car. The twin cam 90° V8 was modified with a shorter stroke to reduce the displacement to 4,190 cc (4.2 L; 255.7 cu in) so it could also meet the Indy 500 technical regulations. The fuel was fed by four twin-choke Weber carburetors to produce 410 PS (302 kW; 404 hp) at 8,000 rpm with 12:1 compression ratio. The engine was lubricated via dry sump system and was equipped with twin spark plugs per cylinder. [1]

The engine produced so much power and torque that only a two-speed gearbox was used. The first gear was only used to start from the pits. Additionally, the De Dion rear axle had no differential at all, as the final drive was solid. [3]

Both the engine and transmission were offset to the left by 90 mm (3.5 in), with a better weight distribution in mind, taking into account the high banked corners at Monza. [5]

Chassis and suspension

The chassis was derived from the final evolution of the highly successful Maserati 250F Formula One racer. The tubular steel space frame construction was further reinforced to withstand the high-speed cornering on the concrete banks at Monza. The car received the chassis number 4203. [2]

The typical wire wheels were replaced by Halibrand alloys to withstand the high cornering forces. To reduce the weight, the alloy used was magnesium, along with Firestone 18-inch braided tread tires filled with helium to save as much weight as possible. [3]

The front suspension consisted of double wishbones, taken from the Maserati 450S race car, and the rear of a De Dion axle. The hydraulic drum brakes were identical as those on the 250F. The whole car weighed 758 kg (1,671 lb). [3]

Racing

Closeup of the 'Stirling Moss' script adorning both sides of the bonnet. The very same was printed on the Maserati MC20 prototype in honour of the driver. Stirling Moss (3961350251).jpg
Closeup of the 'Stirling Moss' script adorning both sides of the bonnet. The very same was printed on the Maserati MC20 prototype in honour of the driver.
The "Eldorado" residing at the Panini Motor Museum in Modena, Italy. Collection Panini Maserati 0098.JPG
The "Eldorado" residing at the Panini Motor Museum in Modena, Italy.

Race of Two Worlds

The Race of Two Worlds (Trofeo dei Due Mondi in Italian) was first held in 1957, as an attempt for the European and American race cars to compete on the same track. Even though the Indianapolis 500 had been part of the World Championship, not many European entries were seen there. After 1955, the Monza circuit had been reconfigured and new concrete oval banking erected in an image of Indy 500. The race was run under the Indianapolis 500 regulations and the first edition was dominated by American entries. The unique Maserati 420M/58 was to be driven by a former works driver Stirling Moss. His opposition for the race was made up mainly of American Indy racers with three Ferraris, a pair of Jaguar D-Types and the unique Lister – Jaguar. [8]

The Race of Two World would be the first outing for the 420M/58, but not as factory entry but under privateer Eldorado racing team. [1] During the qualification the Maserati, driven by Stirling Moss ended up in eleventh place for the start. The actual race held on 29 June 1958, at the Monza track, was divided into three heats. [9]

After the first heat Moss elevated his position to a fourth place. [10] The second heat he finished as the fifth driver. [11] During the final heat, being fourth overall, his steering broke on 41st lap and the car went into the rails at around 250–260 km/h (155–162 mph). Luckily Moss walked away from the accident and the car was only lightly damaged. He would later describe it as the "scariest motor racing accident of his career". [1] Even though he could achieve a third place on the podium the overall score was a seventh place overall, taking into account all the heats and the total number of laps finished. [12]

Once again the American cars proved superior on the oval track. The race itself was partially a success in terms of a spectator numbers but it was not organised for the 1959 season. [13]

Indianapolis 500

The 1939 and 1940 Indianapolis 500 races were won by Maserati with 8CTF 'Boyle Special'. Wilbur Shaw almost scored a victory for the third time in 1941, but was forced to withdraw with a broken wheel. Maserati would return to Indy 500 with a 420M/58 for its 1959 edition. The car, previously damaged, was repaired and slightly rebodied to fit a different race requirements. The Carrozzeria Allegretti e Gentilini removed the rear fin and lowered the hood scoop. The engine oil tank was repositioned to the left for better weight balance. The livery was finished in Italian racing red but still retained the Eldorado sponsorship name and logos. The intended driver was Ralph Liguori representing a privateer Eldorado Racing team. [14]

The car had problems during qualifying stage and set the 36th fastest time out of only the first 33 qualifying. The faulty fuel pick-up prevented it from entering the actual race. This also proved to be the car's last outing. [15]

See also

Other Race of Two Worlds race cars:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stirling Moss</span> British Formula One racing driver (1929–2020)

Sir Stirling Craufurd Moss was a British Formula One driver. An inductee into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, he won 212 of the 529 races he entered across several different motorsports competitions and has been described as "the greatest driver never to win the Formula One World Championship". In a seven-year span between 1955 and 1961 Moss finished in second place four times and in third place three times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand tourer</span> High-performance luxury car

A grand tourer (GT) is a type of car that is designed for high speed and long-distance driving, due to a combination of performance and luxury attributes. The most common format is a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive two-door coupé with either a two-seat or a 2+2 arrangement. Grand tourers are most often the coupé derivative of luxury saloons or sedans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1954 Belgian Grand Prix</span> Motor car race

The 1954 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Spa-Francorchamps on 20 June 1954. It was race 3 of 9 in the 1954 World Championship of Drivers. The 36-lap race was won by Maserati driver Juan Manuel Fangio after he started from pole position. Maurice Trintignant finished second for the Ferrari team with Fangio's teammate Stirling Moss in third.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1958 Argentine Grand Prix</span> Motor car race

The 1958 Argentine Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 19 January 1958 at Autodromo Municipal Ciudad de Buenos Aires Circuit. It was race 1 of 11 in the 1958 World Championship of Drivers and race 1 of 10 in the 1958 International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers. The race was the sixth Argentine Grand Prix. It was held on the #2 variation of the circuit. The race was held over 80 laps of the four kilometre circuit for a total race distance of 313 kilometres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1958 Monaco Grand Prix</span> Motor car race

The 1958 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 18 May 1958 at Monaco. It was race 2 of 11 in the 1958 World Championship of Drivers and race 2 of 10 in the 1958 International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers. The race was the 16th Monaco Grand Prix and was held over 100 laps of the three kilometre circuit for a total race distance of 314 kilometres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maserati 450S</span> Motor vehicle

The Maserati 450S is a racing car made by Italian automobile manufacturer Maserati for participating in FIA's endurance World Sportscar Championship racing. A total of nine were made.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ferrari 375 F1</span>

After finding only modest success with the supercharged 125 F1 car in Formula One, Ferrari decided to switch for 1950 to the naturally aspirated 4.5-litre formula for the series. Calling in Aurelio Lampredi to replace Gioacchino Colombo as technical director, Enzo Ferrari directed that the company work in stages to grow and develop an entirely new large-displacement V12 engine for racing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ferrari Monza</span> Motor vehicle

The Ferrari Monza is one of a series of cars built by Ferrari. In the early 1950s, Ferrari shifted from using the compact Gioacchino Colombo-designed V12 engine in its smallest class of sports racers to a line of four-cylinder engines designed by Aurelio Lampredi. Inspired by the success of the light and reliable 2.5 L 553 F1 car, the four-cylinder sports racers competed successfully through the late 1950s, culminating with the famed 500 Mondial and 750 Monza.

The 1956 World Sportscar Championship was the fourth annual FIA World Sportscar Championship. It was a contested by sportscars over a series of five races from 29 January to 12 August 1956.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Race of Two Worlds</span>

The Race of Two Worlds, also known as the 500 Miglia di Monza, was an automobile race held at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Italy in 1957 and again in 1958. It was intended as an exhibition event, allowing American teams from the United States Auto Club (USAC) National Championship to compete directly against teams from the Formula One World Championship based in Europe. The two types of cars competed on the banked oval at Monza which had been completed in 1955. Due to the similarity to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where the USAC teams ran the Indianapolis 500, the event earned the nickname Monzanapolis.

This article documents the status of motorsports in the 1950s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ferrari 250 Monza</span> Motor vehicle

The Ferrari 250 Monza was a sports racing car produced by Ferrari in 1954. It was a combination of a stretched chassis and body from the line of inline-four-engined racers with an ubiquitous 3.0-litre Colombo V12 engine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ferrari 335 S</span> Motor vehicle

The Ferrari 335 S was a sports racing car produced by Italian manufacturer Ferrari in 1957. The car was a direct response to the Maserati 450S which with its 4.5-litre engine was threatening to overpower the 3.8-litre 315 S and 3.5-litre 290 MM. Four cars were produced in total.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maserati 250S</span> Italian race car

The Maserati 250S, and its derivative and version, the 250 Sport, are sports racing cars, designed, developed and built by Italian car manufacturer Maserati, between 1954 and 1957. Only two models were produced.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1956 1000 km of Nürburgring</span>

The 2. Internationales ADAC 1000 Kilometer Rennen auf dem Nürburgring took place on 27 May, on the Nürburgring Nordschleife,. It was also the fourth round of the F.I.A. World Sports Car Championship. This was the first time the event had taken place, since it was dropped from the championship following its inaugural event in 1953. It was also round two of the German Sportscar Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ferrari Jano engine</span> Motor vehicle engine

Vittorio Jano designed a new 60° V12 engine for sports car racing for Ferrari. This new engine, introduced in 1956, combined elements of both Colombo and Lampredi engines with new features. Engine architecture was more of Lampredi school but retained smaller Colombo internal measurements. Jano moved to Ferrari along with his designs for the Lancia D50 in 1955 and went on to design not only a new V12 but also a family of the Dino V6 engines soon after. Some of the technical ideas came from the Jano's Lancia V8 DOHC engine, intended for Formula One. This family of engines replaced Lampredi inline-4s known from Ferrari Monza line and went on to win many international races and titles for Ferrari. The design team comprised Jano as well as Vittorio Bellentani, Alberto Massimino, and Andrea Fraschetti.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ferrari 412 MI</span>

The Ferrari 412 MI was a single-seater produced by Italian manufacturer Ferrari in 1958. It was a one-off purpose-built racer for the second edition of the 500 Miles of Monza to compete against American race cars. The 412 MI scored a pole position and finished the race on a third place, which was the best European-entry result. As per naming convention "412" stood for 4-litre, 12-cylinder engine. The "MI" suffix stood for "Monza-Indianapolis".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ferrari 326 MI</span>

The Ferrari 326 MI was a single-seater manufactured by Ferrari in 1958. It was a one-off race car purpose-built for the second edition of the 500 Miles of Monza. It was one of the two special cars created to compete with American race cars on an Italian race track. Following the naming convention, "326" stood for 3.2-litre, 6-cylinder engine. The "MI" suffix stood for "Monza-Indianapolis".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ferrari 412 S</span> Motor vehicle

The Ferrari 412 S was a unique sports racing car produced by Ferrari in 1958. The 412 S combined Ferrari's most powerful V12 engine to date with a one-off experimental racing chassis. It was also incorrectly called as the 412 MI due to being built around an engine from the 500 Miles of Monza racer. The car was created specifically for John von Neumann to take on the American racing cars Scarabs in SCCA racing. Its famed drivers included Phil Hill and Richie Ginther.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maserati MC20</span> Italian high performance sports car model

The Maserati MC20 is a two-seater, mid-engined sports car produced by Italian car manufacturer Maserati.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "420M/58 (Eldorado)". maserati.com. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 "Maserati 420/M/58 Eldorado". ultimatecarpage.com. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "The Maserati Eldorado – Tipo 420/M/58/ – The Monzanapolis Racer". silodrome.com. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
  4. ↑ "A unique MC20 prototype dedicated to Sir Stirling Moss". maserati.com. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Maserati celebrates the 60th anniversary of the "Eldorado"". maserati.com. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
  6. ↑ "CUP Collezione Umberto Panini". paninimotormuseum.it. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  7. ↑ "1958 Maserati 420/M/58 Eldorado". automotivemasterpieces.com. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
  8. ↑ "Monzanapolis: Race of Two Worlds, Reviewed". velocetoday.com. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
  9. ↑ "1958 Race of Two Worlds". motorsportmagazine.com. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
  10. ↑ "500 Miglia di Monza Heat 1". champcarstats.com. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
  11. ↑ "500 Miglia di Monza Heat 2". champcarstats.com. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
  12. ↑ "500 Miglia di Monza Heat 3". champcarstats.com. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
  13. ↑ "MASERATI 1957-2007, 50 anni dal mondiale F.1". museobonfanti.veneto.it (in Italian). Retrieved 9 December 2019.
  14. ↑ "'Eldorado' Was Stirling Moss' Insane 217 MPH Ice Cream Billboard". petrolicious.com. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
  15. ↑ "Maserati 420/M/58: la vera storia della Eldorado". wheels.iconmagazine.it (in Italian). Retrieved 9 December 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.