c1959 Maserati Birdcage Tipo 61 Recreation by Crostwaite & Gardiner

Description

Maserati's iconic Birdcage was described by none other than Sir Stirling Moss as being '? the finest front-engined sports-racing car ever built' and remains one of the most instantly recognisable competition cars ever made, thanks to the incredibly complex spaceframe that gave rise to the nickname. Designed by Maserati's chief engineer Giulio Alfieri, whose previous work included the legendary 250F Grand Prix car, the Trident's latest sports-racing car used a front-engined layout, with the engine canted at 45 degrees to achieve a low bonnet line. The motor was a four-cylinder unit derived from the 200S, with gear-driven twin overhead camshafts, twin-plug ignition and a healthy output of 195 bhp at 8000 rpm from just 1994cc. The engine and five-speed transaxle were housed in a compact spaceframe chassis made up of more than 200 small-gauge chrome-moly tubes to achieve maximum rigidity and lightness. The Birdcage made good use of new braking technology, employing Girling disc brakes all round, while the suspension consisted of the best racing practice of the day, with unequal-length wishbones and coil springs up front and a de Dion axle at the rear. Designed to compete in the 2-litre category (as the Tipo 60), a larger 2.9-litre model (the Tipo 61) was also built for the lucrative American market and the first Birdcage had was shaken down by Stirling Moss in early 1959 before a victorious debut at Rouen. The combination of excellent handling and superb braking saw the Birdcage chalk up back to back wins at the Nürburgring endurance race against strong opposition, particularly from the more powerful Ferrari team. Sadly early problems with reliability prevented the Maserati from achieving its full potential but many have continued to enjoy successful careers in vintage racing around the world. With values of the surviving Birdcages now well into seven figures, demand for accurate copies has resulted in a small number of continuation cars being constructed by one of the most respected restoration firms in the world, Crosthwaite & Gardiner, best known for their for stunning Auto Union recreations made for Audi.