CMC Maserati Tipo 61 Birdcage, engine with display case - 1/18

Description

CMC Maserati Tipo 61 Birdcage, engine with display case, M-126

In order to be able to serve the potential market for racing sports cars, which at the end of the 1950s was clearly in the USA, and also to make ends meet economically, Maserati owner Orsi and his chief designer Gulio Alfieri were forced to take action and develop a three-litre engine for their Birdcage. Alfieri achieved a masterstroke that has gone down in racing history with the chassis/engine combination he christened the Tipo 61.
In the course of the Tipo 61 development, the engine, which was very closely related to the Type 200 SI, was reworked in many areas. Chief designer Giulio Alfieri was aware that performance had to be pushed to the very limit in order to be able to compete with overpowering rivals such as Ferrari or Aston Martin.
Key components of the revision of the naturally aspirated in-line four-cylinder engine included the production of the cylinder block and cylinder heads from light alloy. The bore and stroke were increased to 95.5 x 92 mm, resulting in a total displacement of 2,890 cc. The valves are controlled by two overhead camshafts driven by a gear set. Two Weber twin carburettors supply the engine's four cylinders in a fuel-saving manner.
The installation concept of the engine was designed in such a way that the unit was positioned far behind the front axle, essentially creating a front-mid engine. The engine itself was installed at an angle of 45° to the right in order to keep the front end of the car flat. This arrangement also maintained the desired low centre of gravity. However, the engine oil sump had to be modified and adapted to the inclined installation position.
All in all, the result was a high-performance engine with an output of 250 hp, which, with dry sump lubrication and a separate oil cooler, was also expected to provide the necessary stability. This characteristic was impressively demonstrated with the sensational victory in the 1,000 km endurance race at the Nürburgring in 1960 and another victory a year later in the same race.
Item number: M-126