The A6G/54, unveiled at the Paris Salon de l’Automobile in 1954, represented the ultimate evolution of the A6 series, Maserati’s first postwar sports car. Developed from the highly successful A6GCS sports racing car and the earlier single-cam A6 road car, the A6G/54 was an exclusive gran turismo. Its fine engineering and exquisite attention to detail embody the best qualities of the Maserati marque.

Based on a lightweight tube-frame Gilco chassis, the A6G/54 borrowed a variety of features from the A6GCS, including many of its race-proven braking, steering, and suspension components. At the heart of the car was a gorgeous, all-aluminum, twin-cam, six-cylinder engine that Gioacchino Colombo had originally developed for racing. To create a more civilized dual-purpose car, Maserati engineer Vittorio Bellentani altered the original design, implementing wet sump lubrication, chain-driven camshafts, and a revised valve train. Equipped with three Weber 40 DCO3 carburetors and twin-plug cylinder head, the A6G/54 was among the best-performing sports cars of its era. Famed automotive journalist Hans Tanner, in testing an A6G/54 for Motor Racing, found that the new Maserati offered “instantaneous acceleration, faultless roadholding and excellent handling.”

In typical Maserati practice, several different body styles were commissioned for the A6G/54 chassis. While Allemano and Frua offered luxurious bodies designed for road use, Carrozzeria Zagato of Milan constructed a series of berlinettas out of lightweight aluminum for customers who demanded that their Maserati be capable of winning races.

In total, 20 Zagato Berlinettas were built during 1955 and 1956, with the limited production distinguished by at least three distinct body styles. These Maseratis were potent, well-rounded sports cars, and they excelled in the two-liter GT category. With competition primarily in the form of Zagato-bodied Fiat 8Vs and Alfa Romeo 1900s, the A6G/54 Berlinettas were frequently raced in Italian hill climbs and major events like the Mille Miglia.

According to the research of marque historian Dott. Adolfo Orsi Jr., the car presented here, chassis 2124, was shipped to Carrozzeria Zagato in Milan on November 23, 1955, and returned to Maserati in Modena on January 26, 1956.

As completed in February 1956, this A6G/54 was originally finished in gray with blue upholstery and equipped with Jaeger instruments, Cibie lights, Borrani wire wheels, and Abarth exhaust. Unlike many Zagato Berlinettas, this example was a true one-off, with a unique front-end treatment, grille ornamentation, and dashboard layout distinguishing it from its brethren. Consistent with its build date, this Zagato body features the decorative side vents and aggressive rear fender haunches that define the look of the late-production A6G/54 Berlinettas.

Soon after completion, 2124 was shipped to Franco Cornacchia, the official Maserati agent in Milan, for use as an exhibition and demonstration car. Part of that program was its official works entry in the XXIII Mille Miglia, where it was entrusted to Luigi Taramazzo, a successful gentleman driver. Between 1950 and 1972, Taramazzo participated in 160 races, achieving 26 overall victories, and 63 class wins. During this period, he drove a remarkable variety of marques and models, including a stint in the Scuderia Centro Sud Maserati 250F during the 1958 Monaco Grand Prix.

For the Mille Miglia, 2124 was issued temporary Bologna registration and starting no. 319. Driving alone, Taramazzo was running 2nd in the two-liter GT class, when his brakes failed during a heavy rainstorm, which led him to lose control and put the Maserati into an embankment, causing an early retirement.

Following the Mille Miglia, 2124 returned to Maserati to be repaired and readied for sale. On August 13, 1956, it was sold to Antonio Cicoira, a French resident living in Dakar, Senegal. That September, he entered the A6G/54 in the Turckheim-Trois Epis Hillclimb in northeastern France, finishing 2nd Overall and 1st in Class. Later that fall, Cicoira campaigned his Maserati in two races at the Montlhéry circuit near Paris: the Coupe d’Automne in September, finishing 1st Overall and setting the fastest lap, and the Coupes du Salon in October.

In May 1957, Cicoira entered 2124 in the Criterium du Senegal. After setting the fastest lap, Cicoira crashed the A6G/54, requiring it to be shipped to Maserati for extensive repairs, as documented in Dott. Orsi’s report. This work included sending the car back to Zagato, where the front bodywork was refinished in a style distinct from the original design. The repairs were completed in September 1957. The following month, 2124 was entered in the Coupes du Salon, where it was driven to a 6th Place finish by Jean Behra’s brother, José.

Although this outing at Montlhéry is thought to be the last period competition outing under Cicoira’s ownership, he retained the car until late 1959 or early 1960, when it was sold to Fivas Ravis, a former Greek Army officer turned actor residing in Nice, France. Soon after acquiring the Zagato Berlinetta, Ravis had the Maserati factory overhaul the car, including a partial rebuild of the engine and gearbox, and a repaint in a light metallic gray. Following a minor road accident, 2124 was again returned to the factory for repairs in August 1960.

The Maserati then remained in France, although little is known about its whereabouts until 1978, when it was discovered in a Paris garage by Claude Pibarot. Two years later, 2124 was sold to Jean-Pierre Bisiaux, president of the Maserati Owners Club of France, who had it restored in Italy. Having been refinished in red over black, the Zagato Berlinetta was featured on the cover of the book Maserati, Toute l’Historie, profiled in several French car magazines, and took part in the 1000 Miglia in 1986 and 1987.

Spanish collector Juan Quintano acquired the Maserati in 1996 and retained it for over 10 years before selling it to Mauro Lotti of Florence, Italy. During his ownership, Mr. Lotti had 2124 repainted silver and entered it in two editions of the 1000 Miglia before selling it to Belgian collector Philippe Lancksweert in May 2012.

Later that year, 2124 was sold to Jim Utaski of New Jersey, a respected collector with a passion for the finest postwar European sports cars. Under his ownership, the Maserati underwent a complete, no-expense-spared restoration with the goal of returning the car to its as-delivered appearance. The award-winning specialists at Steel Wings in Pennsylvania were commissioned to oversee the entire restoration, while the drivetrain components were entrusted to the renowned Italian car specialists Epifani Restorations of Berkeley, California. During the restoration process, two other Zagato Berlinettas were carefully studied, and every effort was made to save as much of the original aluminum coachwork as possible. In total, more than $700,000 was spent during the two-year restoration process, as documented by invoices and correspondence on file.

The quality of the restoration was immediately rewarded with a string of impressive honors, beginning with its debut at Pebble Beach in August 2014, where it earned Second in Class and the Vitesse Elegance Award. From there, the Maserati went on to capture Best in Class honors at Amelia Island and Villa d’Este in 2015.

Since 2017, this Zagato-bodied Maserati has been part of an exclusive private collection in Washington State. The current owner – a collector, long-standing Pebble Beach judge, and renowned restorer – is a recognized authority on coachbuilt Italian sports and racing cars. Over the past two decades, he has restored many important cars, and his exceptional work has been rewarded with numerous accolades at the leading concours d’elegance, including multiple First in Class and Best of Show awards at Pebble Beach. While in his ownership, 2124 has been further improved, with a great effort made to fine-tune the car’s mechanical operation and road manners. This detail-oriented process included rebuilding the carburetors and Houdaille shock absorbers, adjusting the suspension, correcting various details, and installing an Alfa Romeo Giulietta five-speed gearbox, which greatly improves shifting and overall performance. No detail of the car’s presentation has been overlooked. It retains its important original components, including its matching-numbers engine and original Maserati four-speed gearbox, which is included with the sale.

Today, the Maserati remains in pristine, concours-quality condition and is accompanied by a period-correct tool kit, factory-original literature, and an exceedingly rare owner’s manual. In addition to these important accessories, 2124 is offered with a beautifully prepared research binder that includes copies of Maserati build records, certificate of origin, literature relating to the A6G/54 model, registration documents, archival photographs, articles, detailed restoration records, and a signed, numbered copy of Walter Bäumer’s book, Maserati A6G/2000 Zagato. Most importantly, 2124 is accompanied by a comprehensive history report prepared by leading Maserati historian Dott. Adolfo Orsi Jr.

An exclusive and sophisticated mid-1950s GT, the Zagato-bodied A6G/54s were the first in an important line of sporting postwar Maseratis that were instrumental in reviving the marque’s glorious competition heritage. An important part of this model’s history, 2124 possesses a fantastic period-competition record, including a works-supported entry in the legendary Mille Miglia, a well-documented provenance, and a brilliant, award-winning restoration overseen by the most respected names in the hobby. Arguably the finest example of this rare breed, this Zagato-bodied A6G/54 ought to appeal to the connoisseur of fine Italian sports cars and is worthy of a place in the most esteemed collections.