Words: Nathan Chadwick | Photos: Concours of Elegance
One of three Frua-bodied Maserati A6GCS Spiders is to take centre stage at this year’s Concours of Elegance, which will be staged at Hampton Court Palace near London, UK from September 1-3.
This car was first commissioned by Guglielmo ‘Mimmo’ Dei, the official Maserati dealer for Rome. Built around a 170bhp inline six-cylinder engine developed by engine builder Colombo for Formula 2 racing, and a lightweight tubular chassis by Gilco, the A6GCS/53 was initially created for the 1953 World Sports Car Championship. Dei, however, asked Carrozzeria Frua of Turin to build a single spider version that blended the race-car mechanicals with an elegant open body. He was so impressed with the finished article that he ordered a further two bodies, including the one that’s due to be displayed at Hampton Court – chassis no. 2110.
These two later models, including chassis 2110, featured a further-developed dry-sump A6G/54 engine that could rev to 7300rpm. Chassis 2110 would remain in Italy until the late 1950s, when it moved to the US. It has remained there ever since, and was restored under the supervision of Maserati guru Adolfo Orsi. Once completed, it won Coppa d’Oro at Villa d’Este – and the Concours of Elegance will be the first time the car has been in public since then.
More details on the Concours of Elegance can be found here.
