1949 Maserati A6 15003C Berlinetta

These first Post-War Sports Cars were based on tried and true methods utilizing large section oval-tube frames and a Fratelli Maserati designed 1500cc, in-line six-cylinder, single-overhead-camshaft engine. The majority of these cars received a single Weber carburetor and produced 65bhp at 4700rpm.

Maserati A6/1500

The chassis ranges for these 61 cars are from '049' through '110' the last of which was completed on December 16th, 1950.

Maserati A6/1500Coachwork was mostly by Carrozzeria Pinin Farina with some rather crude open and closed body-work on the first few cars followed shortly by far more attractive 'Fast-backed' Berlinettas in light-weight aluminum. Tipping the scales at a mere 1675 to 1925 lbs, the cars were light and nimble. They had to be as the small 1500 cc engines could not have coped with much more. At least one example was bodied by Carrozzeria Zagato and Pinin Farina bodied at least one production car with beautiful open 'cabriolet' style coachwork.

Sometime during the 1949 production run in early May of that year and beginning with this car, chassis number '086', a triple-Weber carburetor engine with slightly higher compression, higher profile camshaft and corresponding re-curved ignition timing became available. Maserati's records indicate that five such cars were delivered new, Chassis numbers '086', '087', '088', '089', and '090'. Many of the cars produced before and after these five cars were likely given a similar updates to their engines. With these features horsepower was claimed to be 100 but was more than likely something in the order of 90.

Individual History For Chassis *086*

Chassis/Engine Number *086* was completed in the late summer of 1949 and as noted it was the first of the cars completed with the improved and higher output engine. Maserati's records indicate that it was initially painted grey.

The car was sold new on the 14th of September 1949 to Signorina Isabella Quarantotti Ippolito of Positano, Italy. Signorina Ippolito was just 27 years old when she took delivery of her new Maserati Sports Car. She was born in 1921 and died on February 18th of 2005 at the age of 84.

Signorina Ippolito lived an extremely interesting life. While Positano, Napoli, Capri and the Amalfi Coasst were her home, she was well educated and well traveled. Signorina Quarantotti was a direct descendent of the House of Savoy whose Royal Germanic and Gallic Families dated directly back to King Rudolf of Burgundy in 1038AD.

Her first husband Happy Ippolito was one of the fathers of the Italian Nuclear Energy Industry. She later divorced and married Eduardo de Fillipo to whom she was married for over 50 years. Classically educated in law, philosophy and medicine, most new her as one of Italy's most famous dramatists, play-writes, author and long time friend of Sir Laurence Olivier. Few however knew that one of her earlier passions included Sports Cars. Just four years after World War II, Isabella ordered this new Maserati Sports Car which was delivered to her early in the fall of 1949.

Descriptions & Pictures by conceptcarz & bonhams