A prototype of the Maserati MC20, the brand’s new super sportscar, will pay homage to Sir Stirling Moss, the British motor-racing ace who died on 12 April at the age of 90.
The design of the special Maserati MC20 prototype is taken from the Maserati Eldorado, the iconic single-seater driven on its debut in Monza in 1958 by Stirling Moss himself, at the “Trofeo dei due Mondi”.
Maserati has chosen the date of 13 May to recall the great British driver, since it was on this day that Moss scored his victory in the Monaco F1 Grand Prix in 1956, at the wheel of the Maserati 250F. It is a victory that stands out amongst the many trophies in the champion’s collection.
On that day, Moss led the race from the first to the last of the 100 laps around the winding, demanding Monaco circuit. Maserati’s day of triumph was completed by taking third place as well – also in a 250F – by French driver Jean Behra.
Moss, who recorded 16 victories in 66 starts in Formula 1 Grand Prix racing, is one of the most successful drivers never to have won the world title.
Sir Stirling came within a whisker of the crown on more than one occasion, finishing in second place on four occasions, and third in three championships.
In the 1956 season and some 1957 races, Moss drove a Maserati 250F (“his favourite”, as he often recalled), beaten only by Juan Manuel Fangio. Moss’s Argentinian rival took his 1957 title at the wheel of another 250F, confirming the reliability and superiority of the Modena-built car.
The list of Maserati cars driven by the British driver also includes the Tipo 60 Birdcage, the Tipo 61 and the 300 S.
Through this Maserati MC20 prototype, Maserati aims to underline its sporting vocation, and above all return to a leading role on the racing circuits. Maserati’s latest world championship was won in 2010 with another extraordinary car, the MC12.
Read our review of the Maserati Levante Trofeo here.
