[Anthony B]

So back in the day, I was one of the first to find George Turner models , and fell in love with his Maserati 300S with the open Bonnet.
I built it and showed it off on the forum, and the rest is history......

Then about 3 years ago, a fellow collector here in Belgium put up a Maserati birdrcage boatail, with the most unbelievable detailed 'cage'. I was able to purchase it . It was built by the inimitable Phil Smith, who I believe made 2 versions - super detailed and not so - this is one of the not-so  

I know that in the inevitable consolidation/downsizing after retirement, I know I would never sell these 2 cars.

So, I decided I needed something 'to show them off', and decided on 2 further GTM models. hence the Maserati Transporter, and another version of the 300 S with openening Bonnet.

The inspiration to start this build:

Maserati 300s GTM:




       

       


Maserati Birdcage - Phil Smith:


       

       


Fiat Bartoletti transporter:


Some history of the  Maserati factory team's great No. 1 transporter of its World Championship-winning 'Fangio 250F' season of 1957 – and which would also have taken Fangio's Piccolo 250F (chassis '2533') to the last race of his glittering career at Reims in 1958 – it was subsequently acquired by Lance Reventlow for his 'Team America' Scarab assault upon the European Grand Prix road racing establishment in 1960-61.

This Fiat-Bartoletti transporter's next all-American owners then made the most massive impact of the postwar period upon the European road racing establishment – as Carroll Shelby's Cobra operation used this enduring team transporter during its ultimately Ferrari-toppling FIA Grand Touring Car World Championship-winning assault of 1964-65...
This transporter's amazing pure-blood, thoroughbred, motor racing pedigree at World-class International level was then perpetuated as the leading British Ford GT-programme team of Alan Mann Racing, based in Byfleet, England, hauled its cars and associated men and materiel around the World Championship battle zones of Europe.
Ultimately this Fiat-Bartoletti 642 was taken-on by leading Ferrari privateer David Piper – and liveried in his bright tone of 'BP green' – to carry his Ferrari 275 LM and 'P-car' sports-prototypes through the later 1960s until, in 1969-70, it was acquired by Steve McQueen's Solar Productions team to feature prominently – under ever-changing team liveries – in what has now become perhaps the ultimate motor race enthusiast cult movie – 'Le Mans'.
This great transporter was based, just like its Ferrari factory team sisters, upon a Fiat Tipo 642 RN2 'Alpine' bus chassis.

It was powered originally by a 92-horsepower 6,650cc six-cylinder diesel in-line Tipo 364A engine, and was completed with custom-made bodywork and vehicle ramps and hoist by Bartoletti of Forli, Italy. Overall dimensions were 9,085mm overall length, 2,492mm overall width, and 2,924mm overall height. Top speed in original Fiat-engined form was only 85km/h, sufficient for European rural and Alpine roads in period. The transporter could carry three race cars, a considerable stock of spares and tools, and at least seven crew members/mechanics.

Once it had completed its 'Le Mans' filming duties, in Italian-red factory Ferrari look-alike livery, the transporter was acquired and run for a while by Anthony Bamford's renowned JCB Historic racing team in the UK, before passing in later years to Cobra enthusiast and noted 'Cobra-Ferrari Wars' historian and author Michael Shoen for his own marque collection.