- Maserati will display three Panini Collection classics at Goodwood Revival.
- The Eldorado combined V8 power with pioneering sponsorship from an ice cream company.
- Only four examples of the Pininfarina-bodied Berlinetta A6GCS-53 were produced.
Maserati has a pretty good excuse to dust off some spectacular classics. The company behind the Trident badge turns 100 this year, and three cars from the Panini Collection are heading to Goodwood Revival to celebrate. There’s a rare Pininfarina coupe, the famous Birdcage, and a single-seater called Eldorado. That last one was built to help sell ice cream, with a V8 capable of pushing it beyond 217 mph (350 km/h). Talk about a wild rolling advertizement.
Taking place September 18–20 at Goodwood Motor Circuit in West Sussex, England, this year’s Revival adopts a La Dolce Vita theme celebrating Italian culture and motorsport. Maserati’s contribution will be supported by its Classiche division, with all three cars displayed around the circuit.
Read: Maserati GranTurismo Drops 882 Lbs And Prepares To Go Racing
Back in 1926, the Tipo 26 carried the Trident into competition at the Targa Florio and won its class. The three later cars heading to Goodwood show how far Maserati took that early racing ambition. But the Eldorado might have the best backstory.
Commissioned in 1958 for Monza’s Race of Two Worlds, the Tipo 420M/58 wore the branding of an ice cream company. Maserati says it is Europe’s first single-seater to carry sponsorship from outside motorsport. Sir Sterling Moss drove the car, which is based on a chassis derived from the 250F and uses a 4.2-liter V8 mated to a two-speed gearbox.
The Berlinetta A6GCS-53 makes its case through the bodywork. Unveiled at the 1954 Turin Motor Show, it combined Pininfarina’s closed coupe design with the mechanical basis of Maserati’s A6GCS-53 sports racer. Only four were built. Even among an incredible collection of rare machinery, that should make this one worth seeking out.
Then there’s the Tipo 61 Birdcage. Its nickname comes from a spaceframe constructed from around 200 small steel tubes, an intricate structure designed to provide stiffness without piling on weight. The clever bit sits beneath the bodywork, making it an especially good excuse to look beyond the paint and badges. Every year at Goodwood is special, and this year, it’s the Maserati Trident anniversary adding to that vibe.