Some cars are like a literal Swiss Army knife in the collector car world: They can be taken on any collector car rally (other than London to Brighton), are eligible for any concours on the planet, can serve as vintage race cars, and can also be used for weekend drives. Unfortunately, these cars (think 1950s Ferraris, classic Bugattis, prewar Aston Martins, Bentleys from the W.O. era) are pretty rare and often very expensive. Sometimes thinking outside the box and looking a little left of center can be beneficial when it comes to finding a vehicle like at a somewhat affordable price. My Pick of the Day is one of these rare cars, a 1950 Maserati A6 1500 Berlinetta with coachwork by Pinin Farina, offered on ClassicCars.com by a dealer in St. Louis, Missouri.
You may have noticed that I spelled Pinin Farina as two words above. No, it’s not a typo. It’s because that is how Pininfarina was spelled until 1961.
Introduced at the 1947 Geneva Motor Show, the A6 was Maserati’s first production road car. The A6 1500 was powered by Maserati’s race-bred A6 TR SOHC 1488cc inline six-cylinder engine and featured a magnesium oil sump and an aluminum block. The chassis was just as good. Capitalizing on Maserati’s competition experience, it featured an independent front suspension and tubular frame, making the A6 as competent on the autostrada as it was on a mountain pass. Maserati built a total of only 51 A6 1500 cars, making this example quite rare, even when compared to Ferraris costing many times its price. In addition, every A6 1500 is a little different, making each a sort of one-of-a-kind automobile.
This A6 1500 is one of the final 10 produced, chassis number 0101. It was delivered as a rolling chassis to Carrozzeria Pinin Farina in March 1950 for completion. After construction was complete, it was sold through the marque’s Rome distributor, Gugliemo Dei, to its first owner, Mr. Catullo del Monte. Detailed factory records note that del Monte’s Maserati was equipped with Pirelli Corsa tires, a single Weber 36DCR carburetor, Maserati spark plugs, and a full tool kit. In 1952, this A6 was acquired by an American expatriate, Edwin Henry Morris, who later imported it to the United States.
Since arriving in the U.S., this A6 spent time in California and benefited from a comprehensive restoration by the late renowned Maserati expert Claudio Zampolli. His attention to detail ensured the car retained its authentic character while elevating it to concours standards.
Next the car passed through the hands of a Japanese enthusiast, who took the car on the 2011 edition of the Mille Miglia Storica.
The A6 1500 then returned to the United States in 2014, joining an East Coast collection before being acquired by its current owner. During its latest ownership, the Maserati continued to be exercised as intended, completing in the 2016 Mille Miglia, the Colorado Grand and Copperstate 1000. Demonstrating that “Swiss Army knife” ability, it was also shown at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance and the 2023 Chattanooga Concours d’Elegance, where it earned a Best-in-Class award.
Driving one of these classic Maserati A6 1500s is an amazing experience. Unlike many Italian cars, the driving position is quite normal; the only tricky thing is figuring out what the mostly unmarked switches on the dash do. The rest is typical classic sports car: a nice five-speed gearbox, a responsive engine, and some of the most wonderful-looking gauges ever used in an automobile.
This A6 1500 features period-correct rich red paintwork over Blood Red upholstery and still retains its original numbers-matching inline six-cylinder engine, which is currently fitted with the desirable triple-Weber carburetor setup and a synchronized five-speed gearbox instead of the standard non-synchronized five-speed – upgrades that greatly improve both drivability and performance. Happily – and importantly – this A6 is being sold with its original gearbox and single-carburetor arrangement, ensuring the car can be both enjoyed as-is or returned to factory specification.
This A6 is FIVA-registered, carrying both its FIVA Identity Card and Registro 1000 Miglia certification, offering its next owner an open invitation to the world’s most prestigious historic motoring events. Its history – from Rome and Modena to the California coast and the Mille Miglia – is quite special and makes this A6 1500 a virtual time machine back to the classic era of high-end sports cars. At the asking price of $395,000, I honestly think this 1950 Maserati A6/1500 is a veritable bargain for a ticket to wherever you might want to go in the collector car hobby.
Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com
