Maserati celebrates diamond jubilee victory of its Tipo 61 model

Maserati, the Italian luxury automaker, recently celebrated the 60th anniversary of the victory by its Tipo 61 model at the seventh edition of the Nürburgring 1,000 kilometres held at Nordschleife in Germany. Popularly known for testing the endurance of the racing cars, this race saw a consecutive win by Maserati after the victory in 1960.

The Tipo 61 range had five models and its unusual chassis earned it a nickname called ‘Birdcage’. Designed by Giulio Alfieri, an Italian automobile engineer, this chassis was an intricate structure assembled with around 200 tubes that almost resembled a birdcage. This construction made the body of the racing car lighter than its competitors back then.

It was a two-seater barchetta that was slightly upgraded by the luxury automaker who began manufacturing Tipo 60 in 1959. These technical uplifts were carried out to make the car more worthy of competing in one of the most challenging races, Le Mans 24 Hours. The displacement of the four-cylinder engine was modified to 2,900 cc, which increased its power output to 250 hp at 7,000 rpm. Following the layouts of Tipo 60, the upgraded model’s weight increased from 570 to 600 kg and its top speed touched 285 kmph, compared to its predecessor's 270 kmph.

Despite its noteworthy output, its fuel consumption remained considerably low making it fit for endurance races where race cars used to frequently halt for refueling. The models Tipo 60 and Tipo 61 carved their own niche in the international racing scene, said Maserati in a press release. Currently, Maserati’s new MC20, a two-seater sports car that takes inspiration from the bygone victories of its forerunners, is all set to bring the luxury automaker back in the limelight of the racing world.