Maserati celebrates 70 years of the majestic A6G 2000

KUALA LUMPUR: The Italian luxury carmaker Maserati is celebrating the 70th birthday of its iconic A6G 2000. As a representative of the A6 series, the A6G 2000 was built by Maserati from 1947 to 1956 and named in homage to Alfieri Maserati with a six indicating the model’s engine type. The G is for ‘ghisa’, which means cast iron and 2000 marks the straight six’s 2,000-cc displacement. It was delivered in February 1951, that is exactly 70 years ago,

The majestic A6G 2000 replaced the A6 1500 series sports car as there was a need to increase power output in response to the general trend of the Italian market. And, partly due to the country's improving economic conditions. All these led Maserati to convert the A6GCS 2.0-litre engine to fully exploit the potential of the A6’s chassis.

With the help of precision engineering work on the bore and stroke of the straight-six engine, Maserati engineers achieved a higher displacement. The upgraded mill had a capacity of 1,954.3-cc, capable of generating a power output of 90 to 100 horsepower, enabling the sports car to hit a top speed of 180 kmph. This was an apparent manifesto of Maserati cars’ quality sports spirit.

At the 1950 Turin Motor Show, Maserati introduced its new sporty car to the world in two versions - a 4-seater, 2-door sedan by Pininfarina, and a convertible designed by Pietro Frua.

Maserati built a total of sixteen models in 1950 and 1951. Of which, nine had Pininfarina bodywork, five were convertibles and one was a coupé by Pietro Frua. One A6G 2000 coupé was created by Alfredo Vignale, which had a two-tone finish and his signature sporty stylistic features.

The A6G 2000 was characterised by a four-speed gearbox, rear-wheel drive, independent front, and rear-wheel suspension, solid steel or spoked wheels, and hydraulic drum brakes.

While commemorating the icon on its 70th anniversary, Maserati said, “Uniqueness, sportiness, and Italian construction are all central to Maserati’s DNA and are still visible today in the new models that will characterise the coming years, with state-of-the-art technological solutions.”

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