Maserati, the Italian luxury automaker, recently celebrated the 60th anniversary of the victory by its Tipo 61 model at the seventh edition of the Nürburgring 1,000 kilometres held at Nordschleife in Germany. Popularly known for testing the endurance of the racing cars, this race saw a consecutive win by Maserati after the victory in 1960.
The Tipo 61 was the best known of the series of five models
designed by Giulio Alfieri, nicknamed “Birdcage” for its unusual chassis, an
intricate structure containing about 200 tubes, combined in a complex assembly
that resembled a birdcage.
This construction method provided a more rigid chassis that
was also lighter than the other racing cars of the time, making this two-seater
barchetta the ultimate and best solution for front-engined, rear-wheel drive
racers.
Maserati began building the Tipo 60 in March 1959, but by
November of the same year it was already being transformed into the Tipo 61, to
comply with the technical regulations required to compete in the Le Mans 24
Hours.
In spite of its massive power output, fuel consumption was
still fairly low, and this was vital in endurance races, where the Tipo 61 was
able to reduce the number of refuelling stops.
In just three years of production, from 1959 to 1961, the
Tipo 60 and the Tipo 61 reigned supreme on the international racing scene, with
power and speed that led to a series of extraordinary wins, continuing the
victorious tradition of Maserati which now, at the start of its new Era, is
once again planning a future in motorsports, under the banner of the MC20.
https://www.carscoops.com/2021/05/maserati-tipo-61-birdcage-won-the-nurburgring-1000-km-exactly-60-years-ago/
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