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See Homepage. This page: An action shot of a post-war Maserati grand prix car at a British racing circuit.
Original transport photographs
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Maserati 4CLT.

The Maserati grand prix car shown below came with another image, of the Speed Engines Ltd V8 engine. The key man behind the V8 engine project was Leslie Brooke, and is shown stood behind that engine. In the late 1940s he also took to the track in his own Maserati 4CLT grand prix racing car, and this photo would seem to show him behind the wheel of the Maser, chassis 1595. As with many racing drivers in that era, the idea of him wearing a crash helmet, or indeed any safety clothing, didn't really feature in his thoughts.
L Brooke in his 4CLT Maserati GP car
A little digging, and some help from members of the VSCC forum, reveals that Brooke was the first privateer racer of a 4CLT in the UK. The car though, due to issues with Customs, had to be based overseas and brought to the UK just for specific meetings, before being whisked back home again. He competed in the car both here and abroad - in 1948 for instance he lined up on the grid at Albi, Milan, Monza and Barcelona, and in 1949 competed at Albi, Silverstone and Monza.
The previous model, the 4CL, was introduced at the start of the 1939 season, taking the fight to Alfa Romeo with their 158. With the onset of WW2, the cars were put away until normal service could resume. In 1948 a revised version of the 4CL, known as the 4CLT (T for Tubular chassis), made its debut, featuring improvements such as a supercharged engine. Updates continued for the next couple of years, culminating in the 4CLT/50, readied for the first year of the F1 World Championship, in 1950.
After its introduction in 1948, the 4CLT/48 would soon be known as the 4CLT/48 Sanremo, having won on its debut race outing at this venue, in the hands of Alberto Ascari. Further victories would be gained that year, with winning drives from both Parnell and Villoresi, the latter seen here behind the wheel of a 4CLT Maserati, at the Jersey International Road Race of 1948.
A copy of the Eagle comic from 1963 features a fine illustration of Baron "Toulo" Emmanuel de Graffenried driving a 4CLT/48 to victory at the 1949 British Grand Prix. Details and a scan of this issue of the Eagle can be seen here.
Return to Old Car Photos section, Page No. 10. Also in this section of the site, a period photo of the later, 1951-1953, Maserati A6GCM.

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