Maserati, 1947, A6 1500

Maserati "A6 1500" by Pinin Farina, 1947

The first Maserati road car. An icon of Italian design.
The Maserati A6 1500 marked an epoch-making turning point for the House of the Trident: it was the first road car produced by Maserati, designed to combine sporty performance and grand touring comfort, paving the way for the era of the gentleman-driver.
The genesis of this model began in 1940, when the company - taken over by Comm. Adolfo Orsi and transferred to the new Modena plants - began the study of an elite granturismo. The project was interrupted by the war, but in 1947 the first prototype took shape, presented at the Geneva Motor Show: an elegant coupé with pop-up headlights, bodied by Pininfarina, one of the most illustrious names in Italian car design.
The Maserati A6 1500 in the Museo Nicolis is an exceptional and unique example: the second unit built. In the same year, it was exhibited by Carrozzeria Pinin Farina at the 1st Exhibition of Italian Carrozzerias at the Palazzo della Triennale in Milan, testifying to its high stylistic and design value.
Compared to the first prototype, this car featured aesthetic variations such as integrated headlights, double side windows and a different rear window and tail design.

In 1950 the car was exported in Argentina. Come back in Italy at the end of the 1970s, it was bought in 2007 by Luciano Nicolis, founder of the Museum and great collector, disappeared in 2012. Thanks to the Adolfo Orsi historical advice, nephew of the builder, the A6 was subjected to a careful restoration, which brought to light the original characteristics in its minimal details, giving back to the Italian motoring history an authentic masterpiece, which risked to be lost. The color scheme is of a rare elegance: a delicate shade champagne, embellished with bright red vents, in such a refined and strong contrast. In 2012, the car was selected for the Museo Casa Enzo Ferrari inauguration as one of the significant cars born in Modena. In the same year it participates to the prestigious “Concorso d’Eleganza di Villa d’Este”, symbol of motoring excellence and beauty at international level.

This car represents the last restauration directly cured by Luciano Nicolis. A few months after its disappearance, it is exactly this Maserati which tells – on the rives of Como Lake – about his passion, his vision and his contribute to the motoring Italian history.

2012 Inaugural exhibition Museo MEF “Casa Enzo Ferrari” 
2012 Concorso di Eleganza Villa d’Este
2012 Mostra “Enrico Ghinato: L’auto, la forma e i riflessi” MAUTO Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile di Torino
2013 Mostra “Enrico Ghinato: L’auto, la forma e i riflessi” al MEF Museo casa Enzo Ferrari.
2014 Mostra  "Maserati 100 – A Century of Pure Italian Luxury Sports Cars" Modena
2018 Poste Italiane chose this car for a philatelic postcard.
2021 Shooting, Maserati FuoriSerie, Garage Italia.
2022 Shooting, Ruoteclassiche