Maserati was the honored marque at the August Monterey Historic Automobile Races for the second time since 1988, and the company’s impending return to the North American market ensured its place on center stage at the 27th annual celebration of America’s premier historic racing event.
An example of almost every Maserati model, except the Tipo 26, was present for either racing or demonstration, with Rob Walton’s blue-and-yellow, Argentinean-liveried 8CTF the focus of much of the attention – the 3.8-liter car appearing much as it did in the 1940 Indianapolis 500. In the Maserati display tent could be found the 1939/40 Indy-winning Boyle Special 8CTF from the Indianapolis Museum, as well as the long-tailed Cunningham T-61 from the Collier Museum in Florida, and Matteo Panini’s “Eldorado Special.” Two Maserati Tipo 63s (the rear-engined Birdcage V-12) were also present, one the ex-Le Mans car belonging to Gabriele Artom, which did well at Pebble Beach later in the weekend, and the other car owned by Bruce McCaw, driven throughout the weekend by Augie Pabst.
One of the highlights of the weekend was Saturday’s final race, a tribute to the return of the US Grand Prix, which featured a stunning 29-car field of 1966-1983 Grand Prix machines. Some of the historic machines that took part included John Delane’s 1971 Tyrrell 002 that Francois Cevert drove to victory in that year’s USGP, as well as Duncan Dayton’s ex-Mario Andretti Championship-winning 1978 Lotus 79. Look for full Photo Gallery coverage in next month’s VRJ.
