Maserati Throws 80th Anniversary Party for Targa Florio Win
Tipo 6CM piloted by Luigi ‘Gigi’ Villoresi took home Targa Florio win 80 years ago, one of four back-to-back wins for Maserati.
There aren’t too many gifts one can give another for their 80th anniversary. Most weddings don’t last that long, either due to divorces or, more likely, death. The closest traditional gift would be oak, in honor of the tree known for its sturdiness and enduring spirit.
Something else that’s as sturdy and enduring as the oak tree? The legend of the Maserati Tipo 6CM. The company recently threw a small party for its 1939 win at the famed Targa Florio in Palermo, Sicily, achieved with Italian Grand Prix legend Luigi ‘Gigi’ Villoresi behind the wheel of the company’s famed race car.
The victory came on May 14, 1939, when Villoresi completed the 40-lap, 142-mile race around the Parco della Favorita in an hour and 40 minutes. He also logged the fastest lap with the time of two minutes and 24.6 seconds in the Maserati, and averaged a then-fast speed of 88 mph over the duration of the race.
Villoresi wasn’t alone on the podium, either, as two other Tipo 6CMs, driven by Piero Taruffi and Guido Barbieri, took second and third. The hat trick finish solidified Maserati’s place as one of the greats of the Targa Florio, which also took home the whole podium in 1937 and 1938, and a top spot in 1940 with Villoresi driving a Tipo 4CL.
Motivating the Tipo 6CM was Maserati’s 1.5-liter inline-six backed by a Roots-type supercharger providing a max rating of 175 Italian stallions fed to the rear Pirellis via a four-speed gearbox. All of that power meant the Maserati could hit speeds of up to 143 mph under the right conditions.
The supercharged-six was wrapped around a more aerodynamic body than before, plus improved suspension components up front. The full package allowed Maserati to not only sweep the whole podium during the first three years of dominance at the Targa Florio, but also beat the British and Alfa Romeo.
A total of 27 Tipo 6CMs were built between 1936 and 1939, taking home wins left and right. Alas, the 1940 win would be Maserati’s final one not only on the Parco della Favorita circuit, but at the Targa Florio overall. That said, the Tipo 6CM still holds the record for most wins with a single model, one that will likely stand for all time; the last Targa Florio was held in 1977.
Photos: Maserati
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