The Maserati A6GCM is a single seater racing car from the Italian manufacturer Maserati. Developed for Formula Two,[1] 12 cars were built between 1951 and 1953.
The A6GCM belongs to the A6 family of Maserati vehicles which comprised many models from street cars to racing cars. The name of the car is derived as follows:
A6 : the name of the series : A for Alfieri (Maserati), 6 for 6 cylinders
G : Ghisa, the engine block was in cast iron
C : Corsa, for Racing
M : Monoposto, for single seater.
The Tipo6 CS (Corsa Sportivo: barchetta) has been spotted as a good contender even in front of single seaters in Formula 2, despite its small engine. Thus Maserati decided to develop a specific model that would meet the new FIA racing rules.
The inline 6-cylinder two-liter engine with DOHC and 12 valves, 3 two-barrel (twin choke) Weber carburetors delivered 160hp to 197hp. It was developed by Alberto Massimino and Vittorio Bellentani.
The engine was mated to a 4-speed gearbox.The frame was developed by Medardo Fantuzzi. The car was bodied in aluminum and weighed 550-, depending on the engine installed. The rigid rear axle employed cantilevered leaf springs combined with Houdaille shock absorbers; in front, coil springs are used also combined with Houdaille shock absorbers. The brakes are hydraulic driven drums. The initial wheelbase was 2280mm; this was extended to 2310mm in the later version. The front track was initially 1278mm and was reduced to 1200mm as the car received larger wheels in its later version. The rear track received the same treatment going from 1225mm to 1160mm. The spoked wheels were initially 4x, replaced by 5x, in 1953.
The 1953 version was the work of Gioacchino Colombo who modified the car significantly: now with a nearly 200hp engine, new suspension and improved brakes. The body was also reworked and made narrower and the car received an oval front grill. This version is known as the "interim" A6GCM or A6SSG.
The A6GCM foreshadowed the next model: the 250F. In fact several of the later A6GCMs, produced in late 1952 and 1953, were converted to 250Fs in 1954.
The same model raced in Formula One races and in Formula Two, in races which counted for the World Championship as well as in non-championship events, as it was often the case in the early 1950s.
With 151 race starts and 81 race finishes, with 23 podiums and 6 Grand Prix race wins, the A6GCM has had an exceptional track record supported by exceptional drivers.
Note: when Maserati competed in its home town, Modena, in 1953, it managed to finish in the top three positions.
| Class | Date | Race | Driver | Position | Team | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| World Championship F2 | 9/1952 | 2 | Officine Alfieri Maserati | |||
| World Championship F2 | 1/1953 | 1st Gran Premio de la Rep. Argentina | 3 | Officine Alfieri Maserati | ||
| World Championship F2 | 6/1953 | 3 | Officine Alfieri Maserati | |||
| World Championship F2 | 6/1953 | 3 | Officine Alfieri Maserati | |||
| World Championship F2 | 7/1953 | 2 | Officine Alfieri Maserati | |||
| World Championship F2 | 7/1953 | 3 | Officine Alfieri Maserati | |||
| World Championship F2 | 7/1953 | 2 | Officine Alfieri Maserati | |||
| World Championship F2 | 8/1953 | 2 | Officine Alfieri Maserati | |||
| World Championship F2 | 9/1953 | 1 | Officine Alfieri Maserati | |||
| Non-championship F2 | 9/1952 | 2 | Officine Alfieri Maserati | |||
| Non-championship F2 | 3/1953 | 1 | Enrico Platé | |||
| Non-championship F2 | 4/1953 | 1 | Privateer | |||
| Non-championship F2 | 5/1953 | 2 | Officine Alfieri Maserati | |||
| Non-championship F2 | 5/1953 | 3 | Officine Alfieri Maserati | |||
| Non-championship F2 | 5/1953 | Emmanuel de Graffenried | 1 | Privateer | ||
| Non-championship F2 | 9/1953 | Juan Manuel Fangio | 1 | Officine Alfieri Maserati | ||
| Non-championship F2 | 9/1953 | 2 | Officine Alfieri Maserati | |||
| Non-championship F2 | 9/1953 | 3 | Officine Alfieri Maserati | |||
| (Non-championship) F2 | 6/1954 | 1 | Privateer | |||
| Non-championship F1 | 1/1954 | 2 | Privateer | |||
| Non-championship F1 | 4/1954 | Roberto Miéres | 3 | Officine Alfieri Maserati | ||
| Non-championship F1 | 6/1954 | 13th Gran Premio di Roma | Harry Schell | 2 | Privateer | |
| Non-championship F1 | 8/1954 | 23rd Circuito di Pescara | Harry Schell | 3 | Privateer |
| A6GCM ! 1951/1952 | Late 1952 ! 1953 | - | engine | 6-cylinder inline engine, crankcase made of light alloy | - | 1987abbr=onNaNabbr=on | 1988abbr=onNaNabbr=on | 1970abbr=onNaNabbr=on | - | 72.6mm × 80mm | 75mm × 75mm | 76.2mm × 72mm | - | 13.5:1 | 12:1 | - | Power at 1/min | 160hp at 6500 rpm | 180hp at 7300 rpm | 197hp at 8000 rpm | - | valve control | two overhead camshaftn / 2 valves per cylinder | - | Carburettor | 3 × Weber 38DOC03 | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel | Mixture of 85% methyl alcohol, 10% acetone and 5% pure benzene | - | cooling | Water, with centrifugal pump and cooler | - | transmission | 4-speed, 1 reverse gear, multi-plate dry clutch | - | brakes | drum brake front and rear | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shock absorber | Houdaille lever shock absorbers front and rear | - | Front suspension | Independent suspension, coil springs | - | rear suspension | Rigid axle, leaf springs | - | body and frame | Tubular steel frame | - | 2280mm | 2310mm | - | Track width front / rear | 1278mm / 1200mm | 1225mm / 1160mm | - | curb weight (without driver) | 760 kg | 750 kg | - | tank capacity | 160 l | 200 l | - | top speed | 250-280 km/h | ||||||||||||||||