MASERATI A6GCS

An eye-popping overview of a beloved Italian racecar.

Though their manufacturing history dates back to 1914, automotive titan Maserati's line of race cars from the 1950s are still particularly valued and sought after by drivers today. The darling among these midcentury vehicles is the A6GCS. Small, very agile, and relatively easy to drive, the A6GCS was the undisputed leader among cars in the two-liter class for Italy's numerous amateur racing drivers. The car was driven on countless hill climbs and circuits and in the legendary thousand-mile-long Mille Miglia endurance race. In the car-crazy Italy of the '50s, the A6GCS was the subject of singular focus from spectators, tens of thousands of whom stood on the streets to watch these small red racers zoom by.

Walter Bäumer and Jean-François Blachette's new book pays appropriately loving tribute to the vehicle that some have called the most romantic Maserati racecar of all time. Their history of the A6GCS provides important insights into an era when Italian motorsport was primarily the playground of wealthy amateurs, a far cry from the ubiquitous corporate sponsorship of today's racing circuit. Though the names of many of the cars' drivers are forgotten today, a surprisingly robust number of A6GCS models are still extant, popping up at numerous contemporary events. Illustrated with nearly 350 images, Maserati A6GCS provides a dazzling overview of one very beloved racecar.