420M/58
Eldorado
Even though officially withdrawn from racing, Maserati was commissioned by ice cream company Eldorado Sud in 1958 for a car to compete in the second edition of the Race of Two Worlds. This 500-mile race was organised in an attempt to bring the European and American racing cultures together again, and the renewed Monza track with its high-speed oval was the ideal location for the event that hosted American single-seaters in Europe.
Maserati purpose-built the 420M/58, often simply called the Eldorado after its sponsor, for this race. The engine was derived from the unit used in the 450S sports car, with its capacity reduced to 4.2 litres to meet the Indycar technical regulations. Equipped with four twin-choke Webers, it produced so much power and torque that a two-speed gearbox sufficed; first gear was only used to take off from the pits. The final drive was solid and the typical Borrani wire wheels where replaced by Hallibrand alloys to cope with the high cornering forces typical of oval racing. The Eldorado used a modified version of the 250F chassis, in which the engine was offset to the left to improve balance when driving on a banking. A vertical stabilising fin was added, no luxury given its top speed of more than 350km/h.
Maserati’s former works driver Stirling Moss was signed up for the job, and even though the Americans had again the upper hand, he proved to be the quickest of the European entries. Unfortunately, the steering broke at 250km/h and Moss was lucky to walk away unhurt from what he later described as the scariest motor racing accident of his career.
The damaged car was rebuilt in the view of entering it in the 1959 Indy 500 race. Its body was modified and finished in red but still sporting the Eldorado sponsoring. The car was shipped to the U.S.A. and entered privately by Eldorado Racing. Sadly, problems related to fuel pick-up prevented it from qualifying for the race. The car was later fully restored to its original condition and is today part of the Umberto Panini Collection.
* Il CO₂ è il gas a effetto serra principalmente responsabile del riscaldamento terrestre. Valore medio CO₂ di tutti i modelli di vettura offerti in Svizzera è 129 g/km. L’obiettivo di emissioni di CO₂ è 118 g/km (WLTP).
I valori indicati per i consumi e le emissioni sono stati determinati in conformità alle procedure di misurazione WLTP prescritte dalla legge. La procedura di prova armonizzata a livello mondiale per automobili e veicoli commerciali leggeri (Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure, WLTP) è un metodo di prova più realistico per la misurazione del consumo di carburante e delle emissioni di CO₂. I valori variano in funzione degli equipaggiamenti speciali selezionati. Questi dati possono variare significativamente a secondo dello stile di guida, delle condizioni meteorologiche e del traffico, del carico in vettura, della topografia e anche del periodo dell'anno. I dati dei singoli veicoli possono discostarsi dai dati di riferimento in base all’omologazione svizzera.
Per poter confrontare i consumi energetici delle diverse tipologie di propulsione (benzina, diesel, gas, energia elettrica ecc.), il consumo viene espresso anche nei cosiddetti equivalenti benzina (unità di misura per l’energia).
Sarano possibili delle variazioni tra i modelli e gli equipaggiamenti qui descritti. Ci riserviamo il diritto di apportare modifiche alle grafiche e al offerta dei contenuti, senza preavviso. Consultate il vostro concessionario Maserati per ulteriori informazioni.
Maserati S.p.A.
Viale Ciro Menotti, 322 – 41121, Modena (MO), Italia
Società a socio unico Reg. Imprese Modena
Cod. Fisc. e P.IVA: IT 08245890010
R.E.A. Modena 347990
Capitale Sociale: 80.000.000 € i.v.
Direzione e coordinamento ex art. 2497 c.c.: Stellantis N.V.
maserati@pec.fcagroup.com
www.maserati.com
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