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The A6 1500 was the first road going production automobile to be offered by the Maserati factory and a total of sixty-one were produced. Its outstanding chassis and mechanicals became an ideal platform for one of the most beautiful bodies ever to be fitted to an automobile, the Pininfarina designed 2-door Coupe of 1947 through 1950. The result is an automobile that is breathtaking from every angle and a milestone of automotive design. The example offered here, chassis number 078 of 1949, has an outstanding provenance, its numbers matching and is in excellent condition throughout.

History of this Car

The chassis 078 of this A6 1500 Maserati was completed at the factory in Modena in 1948. On September 8 of that year it was shipped to Pininfarina for its coachwork. The chassis received a Blue Scuro coupe body with red leather interior. The car was then returned to the factory on April 9, 1949. Three days later this beautiful car was completed and offered for sale. On May 3, 1949, this car was sold to its first owner, Vittorio Giol of San Polo di Piave, Treviso, Italy. At the time, Giol’s brother owned chassis number 059. Mr. Giol enjoyed the car until 1953 when he sold it to an American, Lemuald Ladd, who was stationed in Munich, Germany in the US Army. Ladd parted with the car in 1956, and its whereabouts for the next three years are presently unknown. However it is known that Federico Lambetano of Padua, Italy purchased the car in 1959 and retained it for the next four years.

In 1963 this A6 1500 Maserati came into the ownership of David Chopourian of Billerica, Massachusetts. He owned this car for the next forty years. In May of 2003 Chopourian advertised this car for sale in Hemmings Motor News saying that it “needs full restoration, 35,000 US$ firm.” Following some international correspondence, this car was purchased in 2003 by Pier Angelo Masselli of Italy. In 2008 the car’s beautiful, well-documented restoration was completed by Bluccino (di Baldone Luciano) of Ravenna, Italy. In September 2011 the car received Certificate Number 162 from the Maserati Club Italy. It was shown on the Bluccino stand at the Auto e Moto d’Epoca, Padova, Italy the following month. In 2012 it received a Certificate from the Automobile Club of Italy.

In 2012 Masselli sold this A6 1500 to Peter Wiesner of Salzburg, Austria. Wiesner showed the car at Retro Classics in Stuttgart, Germany in March 2012. The next month the car received an FIVA Identity Card, making it eligible for all the important vintage automobile events in the world. And in June of that year the car was the subject of an extensive written appraisal by Franz Steinbacher of Vienna, Austria.In 2013 this Maserati A6 1500 was purchased by its current owner, Peter Fodor of Los Angeles, California. A most notable event during Peter Fodor’s ownership of this car has been its participation in the 2013 Mille Miglia with co-driver David Osborne.

Former Owners

Vittorio Giol, San Piave, Italy, 1949 - 1953
Lemuald Ladd, US Army, Munich, Germany, 1953 - 1956
Federico Lambetano, Padua, Italy, 1959 - 1963
David Chopourian, Billerica, Massachusetts, 1963 - 2003
Pier Angelo Masselli, Italy, 2003 - 2012
Peter Wiesner, Salzburg, Austria, 2012 - 2013
Peter Fodor, Los Angeles, California, 2013 - Present

“When I look back over the sixty-seven or so races in which I drove a Maser, I remember a few frustrations and many exhilarations. The sort of exhilaration that one gets only from driving a thoroughbred, cars conceived to give battle with the best and pleasure to their drivers.”
Stirling Moss, London, 1975.

Notable Events

Completed at the Maserati Factory in Modena, April 12, 1949
Acquired by First Owner May 3, 1949
Restored in 2008 by Bluccino, Ravenna, Italy
Shown at Auto e Moto d’Epoca, Padova, Italy, October, 2011
Shown at Retro Classics, Stuttgart, Germany, March, 2012
Competed in the Mille Miglia, June, 2013

Historic Context of this Model

The Maserati A6 1500 grand tourer was the company’s first production road car. It was introduced at the Geneva Salon in 1947 to considerable excitement, and a total of sixty-one were produced through 1950. The mechanicals were the product of Ernesto Maserati and Alberto Massimino. The model was built on a robust tubular chassis with independent front suspension and coil springs all around. It was powered by an engine with a legacy from the Maserati brother’s 1500 cc voiturette racing cars of the pre-war era. The engine featured a chain driven single overhead camshaft, a detachable cylinder head and a single Weber two-barrel down draft carburetor. The A6 1500 has a top speed of 91 mph.
What the factory would produce in function, Pinin Farina would clothe with form. The body of the A6 1500 is an elegant two-door fast-back coupe body of timeless beauty. This series of Maserati’s has become recognized as a landmark of both mechanical and coach building history. Beloved for its beautiful lines, spritely performance, attention to quality and luxury details, the Maserati A6 1500 was not only a success in its own right but also served as a strong foundation for the company’s success in the years to come.

Things to Consider about this Car

"The Maserati A6 1500 is the first road going production automobile offered by the factory. Its mechanicals are inspired by the pre-war racing voiturettes of the Maserati brothers. The Pinin Farina designed and built body is breathtaking from every angle and a milestone of automotive design. This important automobile, chassis number 078, has a nearly continuous provenance since new. It is numbers matching and in excellent condition throughout. This car is now ready to serve its next owner well, whether that be for personal use or as a most welcome entrant at any world class tour or concours d’elegance."
John Kleen, Vintage Consultant

References

Certificate, Maserati Club Italy, September, 2011
Certificate, Automobile Club of Italy, March, 2012
FIVA Identity Card, April, 2012
Appraisal, Franz Steinbacher, Vienna, Austria, June, 2012