Grand Prix-winning Maserati 300 S at Carmel auction

Legendary, two-time GP race winner to join the “Year of the Race Cars” sale

San Francisco – This is the year of the pedigree race cars. Following the recent stream of news of Bonhams’ competition cars, such as the Jaguar Le Mans, Ferrari F1, Ferrari Tour de France, Lotus Indianapolis, not to mention the incredible Group B Rally Cars, or the McLaren F1 for that matter, another very newsworthy car has been consigned.

The 1956 Maserati 300 S Sports-Racer driven by Juan Manual Fangio to victory at the Portuguese Grand Prix and Brazilian Grand Prix will be offered at auction during the Pebble Beach/Monterey Car Week.

Built specifically to compete against the larger capacity cars from Ferrari and Jaguar, Maserati engineers developed their successful 250 F engine into what would become the beefy, all-aluminum, straight six-cylinder 300 S engine. Featuring a twin overhead camshaft cylinder head with three 45mm Weber carburetors, the effectively 3000cc 300 S was capable of producing 260bhp and battling quite effectively against its rivals.

The chassis was a modern, intricate spaceframe design, which, like all tubular-style frames, greatly reduced weight without sacrificing rigidity and strength. The aluminum paneled body was likewise light in weight, aerodynamic and boasted beautiful proportions. Although purpose-built to win races, the car appears predatory yet sensual, a contradictory but somehow complimentary realization. And in the right hands the result was victory.

This historic, legendary Italian sports-racer will be offered at Bonhams Quail Lodge Auction on Friday, August 18th in Carmel, California. To learn more, visit Bonhams.com/Quail.

ABOUT THE VENUE

The spacious and easily accessible Quail Lodge & Golf Club is located in sunny Carmel Valley, California. Please note that entry to Bonhams’ preview and auction does not require a ticket to The Quail Motorsports Gathering. More information about the auction can be found at Bonhams.com/Quail.

ABOUT BONHAMS

Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world's largest auctioneers of fine art and antiques. Today, the auction house offers more sales than any of its rivals. The main salerooms are in London, New York and Hong Kong. Sales are also held in the UK in Knightsbridge and Edinburgh; in the US, in San Francisco and Los Angeles; in Europe, in Paris and Stuttgart; and in Sydney, Australia. Bonhams also has a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 25 countries offering sales advice and valuation services in 60 specialist areas. For a full listing of forthcoming sales, plus details of Bonhams specialist departments, please visit Bonhams.com.