MASERATI CELEBRATES THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIRST INDY COUPÉ DELIVERY

MASERATI CELEBRATES THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIRST INDY COUPÉ DELIVERY

The 1st of July 1969 is an important day in the history of Maserati, since the first Indy built for a customer left the Trident Brand's historic headquarters at Via Ciro Menotti 322 in Modena, heading for delivery in Switzerland. The car was shipped to Maserati's Swiss importer of that time, “Martinelli e Sonvico” in Chiasso. A few days later, the Indy, in "oro metalizzato" external colour and brown leather interior, was consigned to a wealthy Swiss businessman.

The Maserati Indy was presented at the Turin Motor Show in 1968, on the Carrozzeria Vignale stand. The following year, the car officially debuted on the Maserati stand at the Geneva Motor Show. In 1968, Maserati built about 700 cars, the best result it had ever recorded since the opening of the Modena production plant. The Maserati range in 1968 was composed of Ghibli, Mexico, Mistral, Quattroporte and Sebring models. In the same year, Maserati achieved a 43% market share in the "over 3,500 cc” segment in Italy.

In response to demand from customers who were looking for a comfortable, habitable and sporting car, Maserati decided to develop a new model. This led to the start of the AM116 (Alfieri Maserati 116) project: Carrozzeria Vignale was commissioned to design a four-seater coupé that would deliver comfort, sporty performances and innovative looks. The outcome was the Indy, named in honour of the 8CTF's impressive wins at the Indianapolis 500 in 1939 and 1940.

The new Indy had large windows to ensure excellent visibility without blind spots, while also giving the car a particularly sleek line. It also featured many genuine sportscar details: the front included pop-up headlights, a real sportscar icon of the time, and an air scoop underneath the slender bumper. Another distinctive characteristic was the truncated rear, reflecting the strong focus on aerodynamic efficiency in the design phase.

Initially, the engine was a 4,136 cc V8 with a bore of 88mm and stroke of 85mm, four Weber 42 DCNF carburettors and single-plug transistor ignition with battery and regulating distributor. The standard transmission was five-speed manual, with the automatic gearbox on request. Its power output was 260 hp and top speed peaked at 250 km/h. In 1970 the Indy was also offered with the 4,719 cc V8 engine, equipped with the new electronic ignition system developed by Bosch. The maximum power output was boosted to 290 hp, with a top speed of 280 km/h.

From 1971, the 300 hp, a 4,930 cc engine was introduced alongside the existing powerplants, and from 1973 this became the only propulsion unit available for the Indy. The Maserati Indy boasted a high specification as standard: leather seat upholstery, mechanical anti-theft system, adjustable steering wheel, heated rear window, tinted power windows, reclining front seats with headrests and iodine headlights. Automatic gearbox, power steering and radio were available as optional. From 1973, an air-conditioning system was added as standard. In total, from 1969 to 1975, the Modena plant built 1,102 Indy cars.

Prominent customers included Abdorreza Pahlavi, the Shah of Persia’s brother, who ordered an Indy in 1974, specifying a number of options including an opening sunroof. The car was prepared to his requirements and delivered at the company headquarters in February 1975. The car still survives and is now in a private collection.

Key technical features of the Maserati Indy:

Production dates: 1969 - 1975

Chassis: semi-monocoque with front subframe

Engine: 90° V8

Displacement: from 4,136 cc to 4,930 cc

Power: from 260 hp to 300 hp

Transmission: mechanical five-speed; Borg-Warner three-speed automatic on request

Braking system: ventilated discs with a servo system

Weight: from 1,500 kg to 1,650 kg

Top speed: from 250 Km/h to 280 Km/h

FINDING THE VERY FIRST HELP LOCATE THE LOTUS MARK I

FINDING THE VERY FIRST 

HELP LOCATE THE LOTUS MARK I

Hazel Chapman in the Lotus Mark I. Copyright the Colin Chapman Foundation

• The campaign to find founder Colin Chapman’s first car
• Lotus Mark, I built in London in 1948
• Whereabouts unknown for over 60 years
• The inception of Lotus’ performance-orientated approach
• Search marks 70 years since Chapman’s founding principles

Calling on enthusiasts, collectors and car hunters worldwide, Lotus needs your help in tracking down the long-lost Lotus Mark I, the first car built by company founder Colin Chapman

As the British marque continues its 70th celebrations, it wants fans from around the world to pick up the trail of the most elusive Lotus ever – the competition car that the young engineer hand-built in a small London garage owned by his then girlfriend’s parents. Overcoming the standard car’s limitation Chapman applied innovative approaches to improve its performance in challenging trials competitions.

Despite its existence being well documented, the current whereabouts of the Mark I remain a mystery. Built by Chapman, with the help of friends and his girlfriend (who later became his wife), Hazel, he entered a number of events in 1948 with immediate success. However, Colin was constantly innovating, and was soon hard at work on the Mark II. The first car was sold in November 1950 but, from there, the car’s trail goes cold. Despite much research over the years, its whereabouts have never been established.

Joining Lotus in the hunt for the origin of its species is the son of the company’s founder, and director of Classic Team Lotus, Clive Chapman. “The Mark I is the holy grail of Lotus’ history,” explains Clive. “It’s the first time that my father was able to put his theories for improved performance into practice when designing and building a car. To locate this landmark Lotus, as we celebrate the 70th anniversary, would be a monumental achievement. We want fans to take this opportunity to look in every garage, shed, barn and lock up they’re allowed to. It’s even possible that the Mark I was shipped from the UK, and we’d love to know if it survives in another country.”

Caption: Colin Chapman competing in the Lotus Mark I. Copyright the Colin Chapman Foundation

The birth of the Lotus legend

In 1948 Colin Chapman built his first competition car, following his own theories for improved performance. Chapman’s way of thinking and his principles remain as relevant today as they were 70 years ago and his ethos still allows the company to optimise mass and aerodynamics in order to maximise performance and handling.

Covering everything from suspension configuration and layout, making sure that ground clearance was not compromised, improvements included reinforcing the chassis, cladding the body in lightweight bespoke panels and ensuring that components frequently damaged in competition could be quickly reattached. Applying theories learnt from this formal training as an engineer, Colin was already developing the principles that would go on to define Lotus cars of the future. One notable decision was to extend the rear of the car, and include two spare wheels. This allowed for the better allocation of ballast, distributing weight within the car to maximise traction for each event.

In a lock-up borrowed from Hazel’s parents, Colin re-imagined and re-engineered the Austin Seven to create the first Lotus. Built by hand, and with Hazel (his then-girlfriend) helping where needed, he completed the car in the spring of 1948 and immediately entered it in competitive trials. With Hazel in the passenger seat and Colin behind the wheel, they picked up two class awards in the car’s first events.

Originally finished in bare, unpolished alloy, the car was then painted white, before repainted in red. A restless engineer, Chapman was soon working on the next car, the Mark II, designed using the lessons learned from his first and the experience gain through the competitions he’d entered. As a result, an advert placed in Motor Sport magazine, describing an Austin Seven Special four-seater sports-cum-trials car saw the Mark I sold in November 1950. Chapman received £135 for the car, but the only thing now known about the new owner was that they were based in the north of England.

Over the years many enthusiasts have looked for the car, but to no avail. Lotus has previously called on experts to help locate the lost vehicle but, as the company gears up for the highpoint of its anniversary celebrations at the end of September, it’s hoped that a renewed search, on a global scale, will help track down the landmark car

Source:Lotus Cars