Beschreibung:

1,954cc SOHC All-Alloy 6-Cylinder Engine Single Weber Carburetor Approximately 110bhp at 5500rpm 4-Speed Manual Transmission Front Independent Coil Spring Suspension 4-Wheel Aluminum Drum Brakes *One of just three examples built with bespoke coachwork and features *Shown at Pebble Beach, Villa d'Este and Quail Concours *Researched and Documented by Dr. Adolfo Orsi *Sensational concours restoration by renowned Italian artisans THE MASERATI A6G Industrialist Adolfo Orsi purchased the Officine Alfieri Maserati in 1937 thinking that he could take advantage of the promotion given by the victories on the track, to start producing road cars. When the factory was moved to Modena in the winter 1939/1940, he entrusted Ernesto Maserati the design of the A6 1500 which, delayed by the war years, saw the light only at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1947, when the Maserati brothers left Modena to return to Bologna, where they established the O.S.C.A. The A6 1500 was named for Alfieri Maserati and its six cylinder configuration set the bar exceedingly high with its tubular chassis, 1.5 liter sohc engine and highly stylized coachwork. Pinin Farina crafted the svelte silhouette in lightweight aluminium featuring the distinctive Maserati grille and avant-garde door handles cached into the body. At the Turin Motor Show in May 1950 Maserati unveiled a new Spider bodied by Turinese coachbuilder Pietro Frua. Maserati did not reveal that the new Spider (chassis #2015) was fitted with a 2 liter engine, in order to not penalize the sales of the last remaining 1.5 liter cars in stock. Nobody knew it at the time but this was the debut of the new A6G/2000, fitted with the enlarged 2.0 liter SOHC all-aluminium engine capable of producing 100 horsepower and peaking at 115 mph. Maserati produced only a grand total of 16 A6G/2000 model – nine Coupe 2+2 by Pinin Farina, one Coupe bodied by Vignale and five bespoke Spiders plus a Coupe styled by Frua. This first group of three Frua spiders – chassis #2015, #2017 (presented here) and #2018 – were on the A6 1500 chassis with 10 cm shortened wheel base, with semi-elliptical springs in the rear for accentuated agility and handling. All three cars featured a unique central headlight embedded into the front grille, plus a split windshield and many other bespoke details. The grille, with the additional central light, was similar to the front of the A6GCS "Monofaro". The two subsequent A6G/2000 Spiders by Frua were built on the heavier and longer wheelbase A6G/2000 chassis with two additional lights in the lateral grilles and one-piece windshield structure. The Orsis were very impressed by Frua magistral interpretation and he became for years one of the preferred coachbuilders for new interpretation of Maserati image: it is worth to remember here other great interpretations Frua penned on A6GCS/53 and A6G/54 chassis, followed in 1963 by the Quattroporte and Mistral. THE MOTORCAR OFFERED Maserati A6G/2000 Chassis number 2017 is one of just three short-wheel base Frua Spiders built and as such is exceedingly rare, plus it comes with a well-documented and quite remarkable history. According to a thorough investigation by renowned Maserati historians Adolfo Orsi Jr., chassis 2017 was delivered to Carrozzeria Pietro Frua on July 24, 1950. Six months later it emerged with its new bespoke, hand-built Spider coachwork and it was returned to the Maserati factory to receive its final fit and finishes. Dressed in dark blue, the finished A6G/2000 was delivered to Maserati dealer Mimmo Dei of Rome on May 17, 1951 and immediately sold to its first caretaker, Luigi Trevisan, one of the many professionals working in the movie business. Almost exactly a year later, 2017 was acquired by Franco Di Stefano, also involved in the movie business, and resided in Rome for another two years. Around 1957, the car was exported to the USA and records show that it was purchased by Gene Tice of Santa Monica, California in 1957. Mr. Tice retained the