A partially finished Birdcage chassis at the factory. (Photo: William Oosthoek) » More Photos

IF YOU BUILD IT THEY WILL COME

Although no longer active in competition, Maserati realized the publicity value of a victory by a car scheduled to go into production for sale to private teams, so the Tipo 60 was sent off to France under supervision of chief mechanic Guerrino Bertocchi. At Rouen the small team ran into trouble with the scrutineers, who demanded various modifications; the front fenders were too narrow and the windshield not high enough. Taillights, rear view mirror and windshield wiper were still missing. After much work the Tipo 60 made it to the starting grid. Moss led from start to finish, recording the fastest lap. Maserati was definitely back. It did not take long for the first order to arrive in Modena, spurred by early rumors of a new innovative sports racer. This came in April 1959 from Joe Lubin, a Los Angeles–based tractor parts dealer who ran a private team of Aston Martins and bobtail Coopers. Lubin placed his order for the 2.0-liter Tipo 60, but when he ran into Alfieri by chance during a business trip to David Brown of Aston Martin, he confided that he really wanted a three-liter car, to compete in Dmodified class in California. Having already done development work on a 2.9- liter version of the 4-cylinder Tipo 60 unit, Alfieri promised that Lubin would get the larger-engined model instead.

MORE IS BETTER

Announcing the 2.9-liter version, Maserati called it the Tipo 61. The car was virtually identical to the Tipo 60, with the exception of its larger 240hp engine fed by two 48 DCO3 Webers. Slightly heavier at 600 kilos (1322lb), its claimed top speed was 285kph (177mph).

By now word was out and U.S. demand for the Tipo 61 took off. Since the Italian market still showed no interest in the Tipo 60, the production line consisted of six 2.9-liter cars. Unlike Lubin, who had the inside track at the factory after a previous favor related to machine tool shipments to Mexico, new customers placed their orders through East Coast distributor Rallye Motors of Glen Cove, Long Island. A Tipo 61 cost $12,000, shipment included. The first Tipo 61-chassis 2452-was finished in September 1959. Lubin had hoped to enter it in the Times Grand Prix at Riverside in October but, in spite of the obvious publicity value for the organizers, they refused the owner's request for airfreight reimbursement. As a result, the car was put on a slow boat to California, where it wouldn't see its maiden race until December 1959.

In October the first new competition Maserati in the U.S. arrived at Rallye Motors. It was chassis 2453, ordered by E.D. Martin. Chassis 2454 (for Loyal Katskee) and 2455 (for Mike Garber) followed a month later. Chassis 2457 (for Dave Causey) did not arrive until January 1960, while it took until February before Jack Hinkle could take possession of chassis 2456. By then U.S. journalists finally had the opportunity to closely examine the model they had heard so much about.

Although it had already been called a number of names in Europe, the American nickname "Birdcage" was the one that would stick. One look at the complex space frame exposed under the windshield explained it all.