Untangling the Mystery: New Zealand and the 250F Maserati
By Terry Collier
One of the many wonderful aspects of our hobby is that periodically devoted enthusiasts will take on “passion projects” that, while considered by some to be “esoterica,” fill a valuable void in the greater preservation of history. Untangling the Mystery is one such wonderful work.
Kiwi author Terry Collier has taken on the task of chronicling the escapades of the Maserati 250F—specifically in New Zealand—from 1955 to 1962. While this might on the surface appear to be a fairly “narrow” scope of study, in truth, not only did the 250F enjoy a rich racing record in NZ (including Prince Bira’s win in the NZGP at Ardmore in ’55), but a number of extremely significant examples (including the ex-Moss car that won the 1956 NZGP and the ex-Owen Racing Organisation car) went on to have extended lives racing in the country.
Despite this—and the fact that the 250F’s last competitive international race was at Ardmore in 1959—surprisingly little had been previously documented about the various chassis that raced and/or remained in NZ. Fortunately, Collier has taken on the task of filling in all the gaps, with this self-published, 56-page, softbound book that gathers all the loose threads to paint a complete picture of the Maserati 250F’s history and place in the Land of the Long White Cloud. While not necessarily for the casual enthusiast, this will be a welcome work for both devotees of the 250F and/or NZ racing history.
US$40 (including postage), email [email protected]
