For most Ultimatecarpage.com readers, Maserati's centenary will not have gone by unnoticed. Today, we would like to conclude the celebrations in great style with a detailed look at one of our all-time favourite Maseratis; the Tipo 61 Birdcage. Introduced in 1959 and designed by Giulio Alfieri, it featured an elaborate spaceframe chassis constructed from very short tubular sections. This construction was much like a Birdcage, which resulted in the car's nickname that stuck. The chassis was very light and rigid and thanks to the car's superb weight distribution, it excelled on tight tracks even against much larger engined rivals. It is no surprise that the car won the Nurburgring 1000 km two years straight.
While also constructed with a two-litre engine (Tipo 60), we today focus on the 2.8-litre engined Tipo 61 Birdcage, which was the more successful incarnation. Of the 17 examples (one upgraded Tipo 60), we have added a detailed history on no fewer than 12 individual chassis. They are pictured in a spectacular 235-shot gallery, which showcases the beautifully handling machines in action on both sides of the Atlantic.
Enjoy the links:
1959 - 1960 Maserati Tipo 61 Birdcage - Images, Specifications and Information
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