1957 Maserati 450S Gallery

Maserati wasn’t able to compete for outright victory in most large international races in the early 1950s.

They decided they wanted to beat Ferrari, Aston Martin and Jaguar so they built the Maserati 450S, an 8-cylinder beast. The Maserati 450S was Maserati’s 8-cylinder answer to the big guns of motorsport at the time.

Developed throughout the later part of 1956, the 4.5 liter engine made its competition debut at the 1000 km race in Argentina, driven by Moss and Fangio. The car blew away the competition early on before have some mechanical issues. Ferrari won that race.

Maserati had their revenge, though, at that year’s Twelve Hours of Sebring, with Fangio and Behra taking the 450S home in top spot. Other impressive finishes, including a win in Sweden, brought Maserati within striking distance for the World Sportscar Championship in 1957, but in the end the more reliable Ferraris took the crown.

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