The Maserati 26M were thirteen Grand Prix

Grand Prix motor racing

Grand Prix motor racing has its roots in organised automobile racing that began in France as far back as 1894. It quickly evolved from a simple road race from one town to the next, to endurance tests for car and driver...

 race cars made by Maserati

Maserati

Maserati is an Italian luxury car manufacturer established on December 1, 1914, in Bologna. The company's headquarters is now in Modena, and its emblem is a trident. It has been owned by the Italian car giant Fiat S.p.A. since 1993...

 in Bologna

Bologna

Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...

 between 1930 and 1932.

Before the 26M, the original 8-cylinder Tipo 26/8C 1500 from 1926 had evolved into
version such as 26B, 26C/8C 2100 and 26R. Based on these,
the 26M was designed in 1930 as
mostly single-seaters (M meaning monoposto) and also
referred to as 8C 2500 (8 cylinder, 2500 ccm). Six of the 26M were made into
26M Sport for long endurance purposes.
Special two-seaters for road use, were the 26M Grand Sport
by Carrozzeria Castagna

Carrozzeria Castagna

Carrozzeria Castagna is an Italian coachbuilding company from Milan. The company history startsin 1849 when Carlo Castagna bought the Ferrari coachbuilding business. In the end of 1800 was made first coach to automobile with...

, and the Sport Tipo 1000 Miglia

Mille Miglia

The Mille Miglia was an open-road endurance race which took place in Italy twenty-four times from 1927 to 1957 ....

by Ugo Zagato

Ugo Zagato

Ugo Zagato was an Italian automobile designer, known for establishing and running the Zagato coachbuilder, famous for its lightweight designs....

. Two four-seaters were later
referred to as the company's first attempt at non-racing cars.

The 26M/8C 2500 dominated the 1930 Grand Prix season

1930 Grand Prix season

The 1930 Grand Prix season was dominated by the Italian constructors Bugatti and Maserati. All six finishers at the Monaco Grand Prix were driving Bugattis. Achille Varzi won two races driving a Maserati.-Grandes Épreuves:-Other Grands Prix:...

 having its debut at
VI Premio Reale di Roma

Rome Grand Prix

The Rome Grand Prix was an automobile race held in Rome, Italy from 1925 until 1991....

 (Luigi Arcangeli

Luigi Arcangeli

Luigi Arcangeli was an Italian motorcycle racer and race car driver, his first notable appearance was a win in 1928 at the Circuito di Senigallia with a 2 litre Bugatti. After Bugatti he drove...

 won, 25 May 1930),
IV Coppa Ciano

Coppa Ciano

The Coppa Ciano was an automobile race held in Italy. Originally referred to as Coppa Montenero or Circuito Montenero, the Coppa Ciano name being used between 1927 and 1939....

 (Luigi Fagioli

Luigi Fagioli

Luigi Fagioli , nicknamed "the Abruzzi robber", was an Italian motor racing driver.-Career:Born in the small city of Osimo, Ancona Province in the Marche region of central Italy, as a boy Luigi Fagioli was fascinated by the relatively new invention of the automobile and the ensuing racing...

 won, 21 July 1930),
VI Coppa Acerbo

Coppa Acerbo

The Coppa Acerbo was an automobile race held in Italy, named after Tito Acerbo, the brother of Giacomo Acerbo, a prominent fascist politician. Following Italy's defeat in World War II, and the consequent demise of fascism, the race was renamed the Circuito di Pescara, and in some years was also...

 (Achille Varzi

Achille Varzi

Achille Varzi , was an Italian Grand Prix driver.-Career:Born in Galliate, province of Novara , Achille Varzi was the son of a prosperous textile manufacturer...

 won, Ernesto Maserati

Ernesto Maserati

Ernesto Maserati was an Italian automotive engineer and racer, with Maserati of Modena since its inception in Bologna on 14 December 1914, together with his brothers Alfieri Maserati , Ettore Maserati, Bindo Maserati and others.Ernesto led the workshop during World War I, as his brothers joined...

 second, 17 August 1930),
III Gran Premio di Monza

Monza Grand Prix

The Monza Grand Prix was an automobile race held at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza at Monza, Italy.Following the terrible accident during the 1928 Italian Grand Prix, where Emilio Materassi and 27 spectators lost their lives, the Italian Grand Prix was cancelled in 1929 and 1930...

 (Varzi won, Arcangeli second, 7 September 1930)
and
VII Gran Premio de España

Spanish Grand Prix

The Spanish Grand Prix is a Formula One race currently held at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain, as part of the annual Formula One championship season.-History:...

 (Varzi won, Aymo Maggi

Aymo Maggi

Aymo Maggi was an Italian racing car driver from Brescia. He was the conte di Gradella based in Pandino outside Cremona....

 second, 5 October 1930).
.

In the first half of the 1931 Grand Prix season

1931 Grand Prix season

The 1931 Grand Prix season was the first AIACR European Championship season. The championship was won by Ferdinando Minoia, driving for the Alfa Corse team. Minoia won the championship despite not winning a single race during the championship season...

 it lost to Alfa Romeo 8C

Alfa Romeo 8C

-1935 Monoposto 8C 35 Type C:Eight 3.8 litre versions, sharing no castings with the earlier blocks, were individually built for racing in five months, most being used in the Alfa Romeo Monoposto 8C 35 Type C, as raced by Scuderia Ferrari. The 3.8 produced at 5500 rpm, and had from...

 and Bugatti T51.
A higher bore and carburators
from Edoardo Weber

Edoardo Weber

Eduardo Weber was an Italian engineer and businessman, famous for creating the Weber carburetor.He was born in Torino to a swiss father and mother from Piemonte. After graduating in mechanical engineering from the Università degli Studi di Torino he moved to Bologna to work for Fiat...

 of Bologna

Bologna

Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...

, became the 26M/8C 2800 that
won at the IV Gran Premio di Monza

Monza Grand Prix

The Monza Grand Prix was an automobile race held at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza at Monza, Italy.Following the terrible accident during the 1928 Italian Grand Prix, where Emilio Materassi and 27 spectators lost their lives, the Italian Grand Prix was cancelled in 1929 and 1930...

 (Luigi Fagioli

Luigi Fagioli

Luigi Fagioli , nicknamed "the Abruzzi robber", was an Italian motor racing driver.-Career:Born in the small city of Osimo, Ancona Province in the Marche region of central Italy, as a boy Luigi Fagioli was fascinated by the relatively new invention of the automobile and the ensuing racing...

, 6 September 1931) and
I Mountains Championship at Brooklands

Brooklands

Brooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England. It opened in 1907, and was the world's first purpose-built motorsport venue, as well as one of Britain's first airfields...

 (Tim Birkin, 17 October 1931).
Other drivers of 26M this year were Clemente Biondetti

Clemente Biondetti

Clemente Biondetti was an Italian auto racing driver.-Biography:Born in Buddusò, Sardinia, into a working class family, Biondetti began racing motorcycles in 1923 but in 1927 turned to automobiles...

, Luigi Parenti,
George Eyston

George Eyston

- References :*...

, Pietro Ghersi

Pietro Ghersi

Pietro Ghersi was an Italian motorcycle racer and, since 1927, also a racecar driver from Genoa.With his brother Mario Ghersi and Luigi Arcangeli he biked in the 1926 Isle of Man TT and 1930 Isle of Man TT in Moto Guzzi....

, Umberto Klinger and René Dreyfus

René Dreyfus

René Dreyfus was a French driver who raced automobiles for 14 years in the 1920s and 1930s, the Golden Era of Grand Prix motor racing.-Early life:...

.
Later victories were with
Tim Birkin's 26M,
III Mountains Championship

Brooklands

Brooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England. It opened in 1907, and was the world's first purpose-built motorsport venue, as well as one of Britain's first airfields...

 (Whitney Straight

Whitney Straight

Air Commodore Whitney Willard Straight CBE, MC, DFC was a Grand Prix motor racing driver, aviator, businessman, and a member of the prominent Whitney family of the United States....

, 21 October 1933)
and as an 8C at
Circuit d'Albi

Circuit d'Albi

The Circuit d'Albi is an auto racing circuit near the small South Western French town of Le Séquestre. The circuit has 70 years of history in motor-racing .- External links :**...

 GP (Buddy Featherstonhaugh

Buddy Featherstonhaugh

Rupert Edward Lee "Buddy" Featherstonhaugh was an English jazz saxophonist.Featherstonhaugh studied in Sussex, and had his first professional gig with Pat O'Malley in 1927. He was with Spike Hughes from 1930 to 1932, and toured England in Billy Mason's band behind Louis Armstrong that same year...

, 22 July 1934).