The classic Maserati GP car from the 1950s - at Old Classic Car Forum
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The classic Maserati GP car from the 1950s
Oldclassiccar - visit the classic cars homepage (C) R. Jones 2009
 
250F cockpit
Rear view of the 250F
Maserati
Bonnet off the canted over straight 6 engine can be seen
A Maser being prepped at Oulton Park
The TecMec Maserati

The 250F Grand Prix Maserati

A classic front-engined single seat racing car from Italy

1/8 Model of the 250F Maserati
A limited run of handbuilt 1:8 scale models of the Maserati 250F have been built and are available in very limited numbers. The detailing is exquisite, chassis #2528 being used as a reference by Amalgam when producing full working drawings, from which this model has been crafted. To learn more about this, and other, superb scale recreations of classic GP cars, visit Amalgam today. This model will enhance any collection of classic Italian cars.
The legend of the Maserati 250F was perhaps sealed forever at one particular race, the Grand Prix meeting at the Nurburgring in 1957.

By the mid point of the race, Fangio was trailing both Ferraris of Mike Hawthorn and Peter Collins by nearly a minute, and the chances of the Argentinian sealing the win looked remote.

Following a pitstop, Fangio set off in pursuit of the two cars from the rival Italian firm. Lap after lap he broke the lap record, already set by Collins earlier in the same race. Over the course of the next 22 laps, the record would be broken a total of ten times by the Maserati driver, as he set his sights on victory.

By taking corners in a higher gear than normal, he slowly but surely reeled the Ferraris in as he lapped the original 14 mile Nurburgring track. In the final laps of the race, Fangio pipped both Collins and Hawthorn to cross the line first, recording perhaps his, and the cars', most famous victory. It would be 1957 that saw Juan Fangio win his 5th, and final, World Championship, with other team drivers being Jean Behra and Harry Schell.

The 250F Maserati was built between 1954 and 1957 (bar the later Cameron-Miller recreations), 26 examples of which were completed by the factory. The 2494cc straight 6 engine was designed by ex-Ferrari engineer Columbo, to suit the regulations of the day (maximum 2500cc unsupercharged, or 750cc supercharged). The engine was fed by triple Weber DCO3 Carburettors, and retardation offered by all-round drum braking. The quoted power output for the 250 F was 270bhp at 8000rpm, with a top speed (depending on gearing) nudging 180mph.

An interesting variation on the theme was the Tec-Mec 250F. The Maserati team withdrew from factory involvement in Formula 1 in 1958, primarily due to spiralling debts for the company. At this time Valerio Colotti left the firm, along with some early designs for an updated 250F that was being looked into.

He set up a design company (Studio Tecnica Meccanica) and once funding had been arranged, set to building this new car, the TecMec 250F. The car's debut was the Sebring circuit in the USA, 1959. After just 6 laps the car retired, with no more success coming later. Bruce McLaren won that race, heading up a 1-2 for the rear engined Cooper Climax. Phil Cade has also been down to run a standard privateer 250F in the race, but did not start.

The era of front-engined GP cars was by this time coming to an end, and the TecMec design soon withdrew from front-line competition.

This, and earlier, Maseratis are now regularly seen in historic motor races everywhere, 250Fs taking the fight to numerous other front-engined GP cars such as the Ferrari Dino 246, Connaught, Vanwall and Cooper Bristol.

Find out more about the 250F.

Maserati.com for all new Maser news.
8W - Racing Maseratis.
Alex Reade Motorsport Prints.
Juan Fangio.
J.M. Fangio.

250F books & photos for sale.

The link below brings up a snapshot of eBay auction listings that relate to this historic racing car, but there is plenty more to see for this, and all other old racers. Just click on the link below, from where you can also try your own searches and register your favourite subjects. Ebay with then email you when certain new auction lots appear!
Maserati 250F



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