Unveiling planned for September at “MMXX: The Way Forward”

May 13 was a checkered-flag day for Maserati and Stirling Moss in 1956. The renowned British racecar driver won the Monaco F1 Grand Prix on that day, piloting a Maserati 250F. The victory stands out among the many trophies in the champion’s collection. And in tribute, Maserati announced on May 13, 2020, that a prototype of the Maserati MC20, the new Maserati super sportscar, will pay homage to Sir Stirling Moss, the British motor-racing ace who died April 12 at the age of 90. Testing of the Trident’s new super sports car continues.

The design used for this prototype is taken from the Maserati Eldorado, the iconic single-seater driven on its debut in Monza in 1958 by Stirling Moss at the “Trofeo dei due Mondi.” The “Race of the Two Worlds” was open to European and American cars.

According to a report in DriveMag.com, the Maserati Eldorado, “wrote history as it became the first single-seater in Europe to be sponsored by a brand not connected to the world of motorsport — in this case, a company that made ice-cream [Eldorado Sud].”

The 1958 Eldorado was based on the Maserati 250F Formula One racer, according to a report in Wikipedia, and given the chassis number 4203. The car was then identified as the 420M/58. Its twin cam V-8 engine was adapted from the Maserati 450S endurance racer and was capable of speeds to 217 mph.

An amazing win

It is very fitting that the Trident brand has chosen the date of May 13 to recall the great British driver, Maserati said in a statement. His victory that day at the Monaco Grand Prix was an amazing win. Moss led the race from the first to the last of the 100 laps around the winding Monaco circuit. It was a doubly good day for Maserati as the brand took 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, a Maserati spokesperson said in the release. “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. For this reason, he was known as the ‘king without a crown.’ ”

In the 1956 season and some 1957 races, Moss drove a Maserati 250F (“his favorite,” he often recalled), beaten only by Juan Manuel Fangio. Moreover, Moss’ Argentinian rival took his 1957 title at the wheel of another 250F, confirming the reliability and superiority of the Modena-built car.

With the Stirling Moss “signature” for the MC20 prototype, Maserati commemorates one of the greatest names in the annals of world motorsports, who wrote some of the finest pages in its own racing history.

The list of Masers piloted by the British driver also includes the Tipo 60 Birdcage, Tipo 61 and 300 S.

Important car for Maserati

The prototype of the MC20 is an important car for Maserati as it aims to return to a leading role on the racing circuits. Its most recent world championship was won in 2010 with another extraordinary car, the MC12.

The arrival of the MC20, “Maserati Corse 2020,” will be the first car to adopt a new engine 100 percent designed, developed and produced by Maserati, the spokesperson said. “But like all new Maserati models, it also will be available in an electrified version.”

The new MC20 sports car will be produced at the Viale Ciro Menotti plant in Modena, where major production line upgrades are underway.
Maserati will mark the new era and relaunch of the Maserati brand and unveil the MC20 at its special event in September, “MMXX: The Way Forward.”