This story starts before I was born. In 1938. My father had gone to Indianapolis to spectate the 500 Mile race. Mauri Rose was chosen to drive a new Maserati 6CM n.1525 entered by Cotton Henning. During the race, the car had a mechanical failure but still managed to finished 13th overall based on laps completed. Dad went to Cotton Henning, the entrant, after the race and asked if he could buy it. The answer was no because it was being sent back to the factory as a trade in for a new Maserati 8CL for 1939. This car, with Wilbur Shaw driving, would then win Indianapolis in 1939 and again in 1940.

Fast forward to 1951 during a family summer trip to Europe. I went with dad to visit the Maserati factory to collect some spares for a friend of his. When we arrived we met with the famous Maserati test driver Guerino Bertocchi who showed us around the factory.

I happened to notice in the parts storeroom two cars with covers over them. They looked like racing cars so I snuck away from dad and Bertocchi and went to have look. They were both brand new Maserati 8CLT GP cars and had Indianapolis Firestone tires mounted on 19-inch wheels.

According to Guerino, who happily took the covers off, both cars were owned by a wealthy Milanese Franco Roll and were to be entered in the next years Indianapolis 500 Mile race. They never arrived and both ended up in New Zealand one of which was raced there by a very young Chris Amon.
In the course of the conversation, Guerino mentioned to dad that there was a Maserati 6CM for sale in Bologna and asked was he interested in having a look. Dad, of course, said YES!

We made an appointment to meet up that evening in the middle of Modena. When arrived at the meeting place I saw this beautiful new Ferrari 212 Vignale Competition Spider. It was two-tone paint, dark blue and cream, with a very low windshield. It was fantastic. Guerino and his friend who had just taken delivery were standing beside it dressed in light blue Dunlop racing coveralls with matching cloth helmets and goggles.

All the local girls were there having a look at these two heroes and the beautiful new Ferrari 212 Vignale Competition Spider. A plan was made to follow them to Bologna and look at the Maserati 6CM and have dinner together. The trip to Bologna was a flat out affair with dad following in our new Alfa Romeo 2500 Supersport. He was just able to keep the Ferrari 212 Vignale Competition Spider in sight. It made a wonderful howling sound and on every bump in the road, the exhausts would touch the ground and sparks would fly. It was a real eyeful and earful for this impressionable 11-year-old.

We arrived in Bologna at a garage where many Fiat 500s were parked. In their midst was a forlorn looking Maserati 6CM with the nose and tail shoved in by the Fiat 500s having been carelessly parked. The car belonged to Roberto Rossellini the famous film Director and owner of many fantastic cars. Then came a big surprise. The car turned out to be the very same car that dad had tried to buy at Indianapolis in 1938.
At dinner that night the sale was confirmed and Guerino agreed to collect and rebuild the car in his spare time and then send it to us in Pennsylvania. A young boy never forgets days like these!

Keep following the story of this Maserati 6CM!