Rare Frua-bodied Maserati to make UK debut

| 28 Apr 2023
Classic & Sports Car – One-of-three Maserati to star at Concours of Elegance

One of two surviving Frua-bodied Maserati A6GCS Spiders will be at this year’s Concours of Elegance, on 1-3 September.

Its appearance at Hampton Court Palace in west London will not only be its British debut, but also its first public outing since 2010.

It will join a class of more than 70 concours cars, all vying for the coveted Best of Show award.

Around 1000 other classic cars will be on display across the weekend, including a showcase to commemorate 100 years of the Le Mans 24-hour race.

Classic & Sports Car – One-of-three Maserati to star at Concours of Elegance

Based on the Maserati A6GCS – ‘CS’ for Corsa Sport – the Spider was styled by Carrozzeria Frua of Turin

Based on the motorsport-inspired A6GCS chassis, the Frua Spider was commissioned by the official Maserati dealer for Rome, Gugliemo ‘Mimmo’ Dei.

The standard A6GCS was developed for the World Sports Car Championship, with a 170bhp straight-six engine and a tubular chassis.

Carrozzeria Frua of Turin was tasked with building the open-top variant.

After initially requesting a single car, Gugliemo ‘Mimmo’ Dei liked the Spider so much that he asked the coachbuilder for a further two, including the car heading to Concours of Elegance, chassis number 2110.

Classic & Sports Car – One-of-three Maserati to star at Concours of Elegance

The Frua Spider will join a class of more than 70 concours cars competing for the Best of Show award at Concours of Elegance 2023

Unlike the first car, the two later examples received a dry-sump A6G/54 engine that revs to 7300rpm.

Chassis 2110, completed in the autumn of 1956, stayed in Italy until the late 1950s, when it was shipped to the USA, where it’s been ever since.

It was restored in the early 2000s before an appearance at Villa d’Este in Italy in 2010, at which it was awarded the Best in Show accolade.

That was its last public appearance, so it will be sure to attract attention at this summer’s Concours of Elegance.

Classic & Sports Car – One-of-three Maserati to star at Concours of Elegance

Chassis 2110 is one of just two Maserati A6GCS Frua Spiders still in existence

“We’re absolutely delighted to have secured this exceptional Maserati for our event in September,” said James Brooks-Ward, Concours of Elegance CEO.

“It’s a real tour de force of sports car design and engineering, with supremely elegant 1950s open-top styling that belies true race-bred performance.

“It’s a real privilege to show such a special car – one of just two in existence – on UK soil for the very first time.”

Concours of Elegance takes place from 1-3 September 2023 at Hampton Court Palace and as a Classic & Sports Car reader, you can enjoy our exclusive 2-for-1 ticket offer – and you can join our tour to the event.

Images: Concours of Elegance


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