Maserati – A6GCS/53 Spider Frua (1955)

Maserati’s post-war sports racing models significantly improved the company’s fortunes during the early 1950s. The first six-cylinder model – the A6 – was enlarged from 1500 cc to two litres and dubbed A6G – A stands for Alfieri, G represents ‘Ghisa’ (cast-iron block). In 1953, the engine was updated and tuned by Gioacchino Colombo after he moved from Alfa Romeo. This makeover produced the more powerful 170 hp A6GCS, with CS standing for Corsa Sport. The new road race car also featured an innovative tubular chassis built by Milanese engineering company Gilco. Between 1953 and 1955, just 52 examples of the A6GCS were built and 48 of them were spiders. In 1954, Maserati dealer Guglielmo ‘Mimmo’ Dei in Rome commissioned a limited series of coachbuilt A6GCS/53 spiders, including all four Pinin Farina Berlinettas styled by Pinin Farina, along with a Frua Spider to boot. Dei was entranced by the outcome and promptly ordered two additional A6GCS/53 chassis in January 1955 with the intention of dispatching them to Carrozzeria Frua. These two chassis were fitted with special dry-sump A6G/54 engines and Dei took delivery in July 1955. The bare chassis were forwarded to Frua in Turin. The A6GCS/53 Spiders commissioned by Dei are generally acknowledged as Frua’s masterpiece contributing to the artistry of Italian coachwork. These two A6GCS/53 Frua Spiders were finished at the tail-end of 1955 and they differed only in colour. 2109 was liveried in red with a central stripe in cream, while the 2110 featured here was painted in Banana Yellow and adorned with a black stripe. There were only three Frua Spiders built and two of them survive to this day.