Maserati 300S
Encyclopedia
The Maserati 300S was a racing car produced by Maserati
of Italy
between 1955-58, which competed in the FIA's World Sportscar Championship
. Twenty eight examples were produced.
The 3.0-litre (approx 245 bhp at 6200 rpm) engine was based on the Straight-6
design of the Maserati 250F
and incorporated a lengthened stroke developed by Vittorio Bellentani
to increase the capacity from the original 2.5-litres. The compression ratio was reduced from 12:1 to 9.5:1, partly due to the FIA regulations requiring the engine to be run on road car fuel.
It used three Weber carburettors, initially 42DCO3, later 45DCO3.
A trellis
structure was used instead of the tubular one of the 250F, and the aluminium
body was by Medardo Fantuzzi
. The brakes were the same as the 250F, beautifully machined alloy drums with extensive fining. The suspension was also of the same design as the 250F but with some strengthening to cope with the rougher tracks and road surfaces encountered in WSC racing. New features for the 300S included the incorporation of a DeDion type rear axle, a transverse four speed gearbox and two chain driven camshafts.
After a poor showing in the first season (1955) due mainly to mechanical malfunctions and development problems, it won at the Nurburgring in 1956 and finished second overall.
It was second to the Maserati 450S
, and was followed by the Maserati 350S
. After the Guidizzolo accident (1957), the last few 300S were sold to customers in the USA. Giulio Alfieri
gave up an attempt to fit it with fuel injection
.
One 300S was developed with the new V12 engine
, becoming the Maserati 350S
.
Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits fame is a long term owner of a 300S and has regularly raced the car in historic competitions.
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...
of Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
between 1955-58, which competed in the FIA's World Sportscar Championship
World Sportscar Championship
The World Sportscar Championship was the world series run for sports car racing by the FIA from 1953 to 1992.The championship evolved from a small collection of the most important sportscar, endurance and road racing events in Europe and North America with dozens of gentleman drivers at the grid,...
. Twenty eight examples were produced.
The 3.0-litre (approx 245 bhp at 6200 rpm) engine was based on the Straight-6
Straight-6
The straight-six engine or inline-six engine is a six-cylinder internal combustion engine with all six cylinders mounted in a straight line along the crankcase...
design of the Maserati 250F
Maserati 250F
The Maserati 250F was a racing car made by Maserati of Italy used in '2.5 litre' Formula One racing between January 1954 and November 1960. Twenty-six examples were made.-Mechanical details:...
and incorporated a lengthened stroke developed by Vittorio Bellentani
Vittorio Bellentani
Vittorio Bellentani was an Italian automobile engineer and racing driver.He studied in Germany at University of Freiburg before joining Enzo Ferrari in 1940, where he first worked on the Auto Avio Costruzioni 815 .He then worked for Maserati , developing the Maserati A6 , and Maserati 250F, that...
to increase the capacity from the original 2.5-litres. The compression ratio was reduced from 12:1 to 9.5:1, partly due to the FIA regulations requiring the engine to be run on road car fuel.
It used three Weber carburettors, initially 42DCO3, later 45DCO3.
A trellis
Trellis
Trellis may refer to:* Trellis Drainage System* Trellis , an architectural structure often used to support plants* Trellis , a special kind of graph, often used in coding...
structure was used instead of the tubular one of the 250F, and the aluminium
Aluminium
Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
body was by Medardo Fantuzzi
Medardo Fantuzzi
Medardo Fantuzzi was an Italian automotive engineer, known for his Carrozzeria Fantuzzi body workshop.He and his brother, Gino Fantuzzi were famous for their affiliation with Maserati, where they got involved in building the Maserati A6 GCS , Maserati 350S and Maserati 200S...
. The brakes were the same as the 250F, beautifully machined alloy drums with extensive fining. The suspension was also of the same design as the 250F but with some strengthening to cope with the rougher tracks and road surfaces encountered in WSC racing. New features for the 300S included the incorporation of a DeDion type rear axle, a transverse four speed gearbox and two chain driven camshafts.
After a poor showing in the first season (1955) due mainly to mechanical malfunctions and development problems, it won at the Nurburgring in 1956 and finished second overall.
It was second to the Maserati 450S
Maserati 450S
Maserati 450S were nine racing cars made by Maserati of Italy, and used in FIA's endurance World Sportscar Championship racing....
, and was followed by the Maserati 350S
Maserati 350S
Maserati 350S were three racing cars made by Maserati of Italy, built by Giulio Alfieri, aluminum body design by Medardo Fantuzzi, both Maserati engineers....
. After the Guidizzolo accident (1957), the last few 300S were sold to customers in the USA. Giulio Alfieri
Giulio Alfieri
Giulio Alfieri was an Italian automobile engineer, affiliated with Maserati in Modena, Italy since 1953, where he was central to the development of racing and production cars in the 1950s and 1960s.Alfieri was born in Parma...
gave up an attempt to fit it with fuel injection
Fuel injection
Fuel injection is a system for admitting fuel into an internal combustion engine. It has become the primary fuel delivery system used in automotive petrol engines, having almost completely replaced carburetors in the late 1980s....
.
One 300S was developed with the new V12 engine
V12 engine
A V12 engine is a V engine with 12 cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of six cylinders, usually but not always at a 60° angle to each other, with all 12 pistons driving a common crankshaft....
, becoming the Maserati 350S
Maserati 350S
Maserati 350S were three racing cars made by Maserati of Italy, built by Giulio Alfieri, aluminum body design by Medardo Fantuzzi, both Maserati engineers....
.
Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits fame is a long term owner of a 300S and has regularly raced the car in historic competitions.