This car, Lot 128, sold for $1,004,064 (€931,500), including buyer’s premium, at Bonhams Cars’ sale in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, FRA, on May 10, 2024.
The A6G/2000, also known as the A6G/54, is the model that put Maserati on the map as a high-performance road-car manufacturer. Until then, the brand was mostly celebrated for its racing successes. Indeed, in this period its 250F was doing well in Formula 1, with Stirling Moss winning the 1956 Monaco Grand Prix and Juan Manuel Fangio winning the World Championship in 1957.
Road racer
Created by Vittorio Bellentani, the A6G/2000 had the aim of revamping the previous A6G model, which was held back by its limited power. Benefiting from the experience achieved with the 2000 Sports, the A6G/2000 was a commercial success. In its naming convention, “A” refers to Alfieri Maserati (the company founder and the most skilled of the Maserati brothers), “6” indicates the number of cylinders and “G” the cast-iron (ghisa in Italian) engine block.
A racing thoroughbred detuned to be drivable on the road, the A6G/2000 had several coachbuilders working on its Gilco tubular chassis. Sixty units were manufactured by Maserati, with Zagato and Frua dressing them with both open (one Zagato, 11 Frua) and closed (20 Zagato, seven Frua) versions. Meanwhile, Allemano manufactured 21 coupes.
Carrozzeria Allemano, while lesser known than contemporaries such as Pinin Farina or Touring, produced good work, both in style and quality. Founded in Turin in 1928 by Serafino Allemano as a general body shop, it quickly shifted towards more-refined jobs. Beginning in 1935, Carrozzeria Allemano focused solely on the preparation of one-off and show cars, beginning a highly successful period. Indeed, the first Ferrari to win the Mille Miglia, in 1948, was a berlinetta made by Allemano. With Maserati, Allemano had an important relationship, dressing several models including the range-topping 5000 and, of course, the A6G/54, with a design created by Giovanni Michelotti.
Rallied and restored
Our subject car, chassis 2147, has an interesting history. It was manufactured in 1956 as the eleventh A6G/2000 Allemano, originally as chassis 2144, and equipped with a multitude of specific rally race options for its original American owner. Subsequently, the car was crashed and the damaged vehicle returned to Maserati. For unknown reasons, the chassis was restamped with a new number. The car was then used for advertising and promotional photography by Maserati before it was sold to a new owner, a resident of Milan, sporting the same two-tone Alfa Red over black color combo that it wears today. Following another Italian owner, the car was exported to the U.S. in 1976.
In February 1997, the car’s original engine, matching its first chassis number, was sold at auction. In 1998, the A6G/2000 entered the Rosso et Bianco Collection, and in 2004 joined the collection of Evert Louwman in the Netherlands. Bonhams sold the car at its 2006 Gstaad auction (SCM# 43824), along with engine number 2180, which came from the important prototype 1956 A6G/54 Spider manufactured by Frua.
In 2008, 2147 began a full restoration in Italy, taking approximately two years, with the body restored by Bacchelli & Villa, the mechanicals by Candini and the interior by Maieli. The work executed is top level — as is to be expected of the shops used — with dedicated attention to details.
Artcurial offered our subject car in 2013, then still appearing freshly restored, but without success. Later, Gooding & Company sold the car at its 2015 Pebble Beach auction for $1,045,000 (SCM# 266038).
Ulterior motives
I consider this sale a greater success for the seller than the buyer, even if the car has lost some value over the past decade. An A6G/2000 Coupe Allemano, while a wonderful car to drive and to look at, is not the easiest car to sell in today’s market. Potential buyers usually prefer the more-celebrated Zagato body. Even considering the uniqueness of s/n 2147, and its perfect condition, the selling price here seems quite high.
There is a simple explanation for this, but it isn’t the rarity or features of this particular car. Instead, remember that the prototype A6G/54 Spider, chassis 2180, had donated its original engine to our subject car. The Spider’s American owner had plans to reunite that car with its correct engine and went the extra mile to acquire it — to the seller’s benefit. ♦
