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The 450S engine was a big lump by any standards, and once installed in the chassis was relatively difficult to work on except for access to camshafts and of course the four twin-choke vertical carburettors. Bore and stroke was 93.8mrn x 81mm final capacity being 4477 cc, which at 7200 rpm developed 400 bhp, although later versions pushed this to 420 bhp. The twin aluminium cylinder heads had two plugs per pot, valve seats were shrunk in to the normal hemispherical combustion chamber shape. The crankshaft ran in five main bearings, the H section con-rods carrying lightweight aluminium pistons with four rings each. Dry cast iron liners were shrunk into the aluminium block. Twin Marelli magnetos lay horizontally from the front of the head driven by an intermediate gear between each pair of camshafts. Below these were the two water pumps and single high pressure oil pump. A five speed syncromesh gearbox was fitted together with the limited ZF differential, and on some a two-speed transfer box was fitted behind the multi-plate clutch housing. The chassis was electrically welded lightweight space frame made up of oval and round steel tubing. Borrani wheels carried 600 x 16 at front and 700 x 16 Pirelli Corsa tyres at the rear. The well proportioned body was made of aluminium and riveted to the frame, with a full wrap around perspex screen. Rear fuel tank was 35 gallons capacity, mounted alongside the 10 gallon capacity oil tank. 450S - #4510 owned by John Fellowes The cars were of course very fast, but did not always have the stamina for long-distance sports cars races invariably retiring with silly problems. For some history I now quote from Jenks' letter to me on this subject dated 19th December 1971. 'Have been through my note books and found the details on the attached sheet. They should confuse you completely, especially as regards 'date left factory' column in the list you sent me. I don't think there is any doubt that the factory used 4501, 4503 and 4505 for the works team in 1957 and 4503 was the original hack. The Le Mans coupé could have been 4505 or 4506 with 4501 on it to use the carnet and log book. Maserati were always doing this. Notes on the four-five Maserati taken at the time. 1957 February 4 - 93.8mm x 81mm - 4477 cc 400 bhp at 7000 rpm on petrol with 9:5A compression 993.8mm x 75.8mm - 4190 cc (4.2) 425 bhp at 7000 rpm on alcohol April - Sebring 4½ being road-tested by Behra 4503. Engine already in the second 1957 car 4505. Later: Behra testing 4½ at Monza May 2nd - V8 4 on test bed 59.5 kg at 6700 rpm-400 bhp-test bed 57.5 kg at 6800 rpm-388 bhp-readings Flat power about 355 bhp from 5500 to 6500 rpm Type 54 - 8 V8 engines being built Paravanno (USA) having one 4½ and two 4.2 Factory having five 4½ litres Six chassis being built There were then two in 1956 with 3½ litre six cylinder engines Three 1957 works cars Moss car (number two) had special 2-speed transfer box behind engine, operated by a push-pull control that stuck through bulkhead. 5-speed gearbox was in unit with rear axle/de Dion assembly. Object was to provide two sets of ratios, five high ones for the early part of the race and long straights and five low ones (actually the normal ones) for the mountain sections. Valerio Colotti designed this 2 speed box, with single dog-clutch arrangement and he visualised us selecting which set of 5 speeds we wanted while at control point. During testing in the normal ratios Moss got me to pull the control to see what would happen. We were in 5th (low) and the mechanism worked like a charm and gave us a 6th gear (5th high). We altered the control so that he could get at it and he drove the car as if with an overdrive. We did one 0-180 mph acceleration test on the Autostrada going up to 7000 rpm in lst, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and then pulled the wire ring control and we were in 6th and pulling 6800 rpm. It was fantastic of course, many of the ratios were very similar such as low 3rd and high 2nd being almost the same and high 3rd being like low 4th, so that although we had ten speeds available there was no point in using them all. We felt the overdrive 6th was going to be the most useful. 1957 May 26th. ADAC 1000 kms Nurburgring Moss/Fangio 4½ - number 2 car (Mille Miglia car) 4505. Schell/Hermann 4#189; - rebuilt Sebring, Behra car number one - 4503. Moss 5th lap 1. Then 4th then 2nd on lap 6. Took lead on lap 8. Retired lap 10 when rear hub shaft broke off like a carrot. (If we had not broken the brake pedal I computed on a mileage/strain basis it would have broken the hub shaft at about 180 mph just before Pescara in the Mille Miglia). At Nurburgring broke shaft, hub and wheel came off and Moss spun through the Schwalbenswanz without hitting anything. Schell was 2nd in other car. Fangio took over and then Moss took it over. It retired with a broken or split oil cooler. Le Mans 1957 Costin coupé 4#189; on chassis 4501 weighed 2603 Ibs for Moss/Schell. Open 4#189; on chassis 4503 weighed 2459 Ibs. for Behra/Andre Simon Both cars 93.9mm x 81mm - 4487 cc now Front brakes were 3 cm larger (presumably I meant wider) than Mille Miglia car. Both cars have two speed boxes and five speed at rear. This was the first note I had of chassis numbers, so I presume 4503 was Sebring/Behra: Mille Miglia car as we had number 2, presumably 4505, so 4501 was rebuilt into the coupé. Monza 500 Behra had 4503 with 4.2 engine 93.8mm x 76mm - 4144 cc - 370 bhp at 7000 rpm on 9.5:1 compression ratio Swedish GP August 11th 1957 I have: 4501 open 4#189; - Behra/Scarlatti 4503 open 4#189; - Moss/Schell with a note that '#4501 looked very new. Is it really the Le Mans coupé rebodied or is it #4505?' My guess is it was 4505 with 4501 plate and carnet. Anyway, it won the race. Moss led in 4503, Schell took over and blew it up so Moss took over from Behra on 4501 (4505) and they won. In Venezuela at the end of 1957 the two works cars crashed and burnt out. I suspect they were 4501 (4505 actually) and 4503 as the coupé lay derelict at the factory in the Autumn of 1957. May 1958 I have a note which says: 'Le Mans coupé sold to American 4.5 engine June 1958 Monza 500 Moss in Eldorado Special - 4203 from your list 4.2 V8 two speed gearbox on rear axle no differential 222 kph in 1st 292 kph in 2nd at 6500 rpm September 2nd 1958 I have note which says: Le Mans coupé lengthened and tarted up painted black for sale to America. End of notes on 4.5 Just found another vital note written late May early June 1957. 1956 Moss in Mille Miglia 5 speed 3½ litre 6 cylinder 2nd car built. 1st car was not used, sold to Luigi Piotti (presumably 4501). 2nd car crashed by us (presumably 4502). 2nd car rebuilt with 42' litre V8-raced in Sweden-not good. Discarded and chassis redesigned. 1st new car to Paravano (presumably 4503 but I suspect 4504). 2nd new car Argentine 1000 kms 1957 this was 4503 clutch rod broke. 2nd new car was 1st at Sebring. Behra tested Modena-Siena-Modena did 500 kms at Monza on test, also at Nürburgring. Bertocchi claimed 293 kph on open road behind Modena. Behra set off for Mille Miglia practice lap in car. We found him near Pescara with centre locating bolt of rear transverse spring broken. Wheels leaning sideways. Moss tried (with me) up mountains with 2 speed transfer box fitted. Complete rebuild ready for Behra Mille Miglia. He crashed on Friday while testing on open road. 450S Maserati V-8 engine #4510 owned by John Fellowes 3rd new car 4505 for Moss and me. ADAC 1000 kms 4505 and Behra car. New car being built for Jim Kimberley (presumably 4506) or could 4506 have been Le Mans coupé and Kimberley car 4507?' I am indebted to Jenks for researching his notes made at the time, even if it does leave us all in an increased mystified state! It would be helpful for any Maserati member in the USA who knows the whereabouts of the Le Mans coup6 to furnish me with the engine and chassis numbers. This car to my recollection was lying around Michigan about five years ago, and was certainly advertised in Road & Track within the last three. The 450S was of course the swan-song of the big sports racing Maseratis, it being reported at the time that their temperamental ways were financially ruining the factory. This may have been so, for they did not race factory cars after 1959. The article which appeared in "Trident" number five has prompted some additional information on the brutish 450S cars. From California it has been confirmed that the Briggs-Cunningham Museum houses a static exhibit of a 450S engine of 5.65 litres, number 4525. This concurs with the factory records, although the Cunningham. Museum make no mention of their engine being a marine version. I am going to assume that engine 4525 was therefore one of the 570S engines which Hans Tanner makes mention of in his Maseratis Owner's Handt)ook. Concerning the spare engine which John Fellowes purchased from the USA, this most definitely has no number stamped on it, and I get the impression the owner is still rubbing his eyes from looking! A long letter from Capt R S Stevens, an AC/OSCA/Maserati enthusiast from USA, completes some history on the Costin coupe. I quote from his letter, "Jim Hall quite probably drove a Tipo 54 with the 5.7 litre engine at Riverside in October, 1960 (the Times-Mirror GP for sports cars, I believe). This car was sold shortly thereafter to a Jack McCann mostly in a basket I understand, missing some pistons, carburettors and odd bits. McCann owned it as late as 1964. Concerning the Costin coupe, the car was resurrected at the instigation of Byron Staver of Minneapolis in the Spring of 1958. He was unable to shape it up and, being disappointed, and after showing it in several emporiums sold it to Harry Heinl of Toledo. He bought the car in late 1962, from Heinl it went to Walter B Weimer in late Spring 1963, then to Pete Sherman in the Summer of 1970. The car has been worked over considerably, Staver had it restored in this country after the engine coughed up once or twice. Weimer had it gone over in 1967 and 1969. Sherman is supposed to have replaced the engine. It was a brute to drive with completely unpredictable handling probably because of the extra two feet in length grafted on in 1958 (or was it one foot?) One gentleman told me he was pertified of what he called the 'Medusa Head' of ignition wiring, what with four coils and sixteen plugs. I hear rumours that the engine room heat often cooks the wiring therein." Another 450S although in a bad state has come into the possession of Simeon Shortman, the engine for this car is owned by Joel Finn of Connecticut, and it is hoped that the two get together and reconstruct the car. So the present whereabouts of the 450S cars is as follows: 5402 - Cameron Millar, England. (complete and running) 4508 - With engine 4511. Jim Hall, USA (complete and running) 4509 - John Fellowes, England. (complete and running) 4510 - John Fellowes, England. (complete and running) Simeon Shortman, USA (bad condition, no engine) Joel Finn, USA (engine only, condition unknown) 4525 - Briggs Cunningham, USA (engine only) Costin Coupé, Pete Sherman, USA (complete and running). This just about completes what current details I have on these remarkable sports racing cars. Like Jenks says, the factory were always changing numbers on chassis and engines to comply with border controls, so nothing is absolutely certain least of all subsequent history since the cars stopped being raced by the works in 1959. Cameron Millar's Tipo 450S These articles first appeared in the Spring and Summer 1974 issues of Trident

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