Amalgam Maserati 250F - German Grand Prix 1957 - Juan Manuel Fangio 1:8 - 1/8

Description

Amalgam Maserati 250F - German Grand Prix 1957 - Juan Manuel Fangio 1:8

• Limited edition of 199 pieces
• Each model is built and assembled by hand by a small team of craftsmen
• 1:8 scale model, over 50 cm/19 inches long
• Made from the highest quality materials
• Over 4500 hours spent developing the model
• Over 450 hours to build each model
• Thousands of precisely engineered parts: Castings, photo etchings and CNC machined metal components
• Created using original CAD designs developed from the scan of an original 250F

The Maserati 250F is probably the most beautiful Formula 1 car ever driven, and certainly one of the most iconic racing cars of the post-war era. The Maserati 250F was as remarkable for the longevity of its successful racing career as it was for the list of drivers who drove it. The 250F raced at the pinnacles of motorsport in an era of rapid development, debuting in 1954 and still fighting hard in 1960 to span a golden, if often difficult and dangerous, era of Grand Prix racing. Most famously driven by two of the greats of Grand Prix history, Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss, the 250F is widely regarded as the definitive front-engined Grand Prix racing car.

Born from the 2.5-litre regulations that were new for the 1954 Formula 1 season, the 250F followed the lines of Maserati's 1952 and 1953 Formula 2 racing cars, with former Ferrari engineers Gioacchino Colombo and Valerio Colotti being lured from Maranello to Modena to work with project leader Giulio Alfieri. A simple tubular frame carried the suspension, aluminium body panels and the engine. The front suspension was independent of wishbones and coil springs. The rear wheel used a DeDion axle, popularised in the 1930s by the front-engined Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix racing cars. All in all, the setup was far from revolutionary, but the straight-line design made it a popular choice with privateers, including a certain Stirling Moss, who bought one with his racing winnings.

A completely new multi-tube spaceframe chassis was designed for 1957. It followed the same lines, but was considerably lighter and stronger than the much more conventional original. The drum brakes remained, but with improved braking performance and cooling characteristics. The latest version of the in-line six-cylinder engine was carried over, but not relocated to the new „Tipo 2“ or „T2“ chassis. Work on a brand new engine with two overhead camshafts began in 1956. The 2.5-litre V12, a technical work of art, produced 320 hp at an astonishing 12,000 rpm. That was a whole 50 hp more than the straight-six. The V12 only had one race outing for the works team before the financially troubled brand withdrew from international racing at the end of the 1957 season. It remained the most powerful car built during the 2.5-litre era.

In total, the 250F was entered in 46 Formula 1 World Championship races with a mammoth 277 appearances, scoring eight wins, eight pole positions and 10 fastest laps. Success was not limited to official events, with race wins at Goodwood, Pescara, Pau, Aintree, Oulton Park, Modena, Buenos Aires, Rome and Bordeaux to name but a few. Famous drivers include Fangio and Moss, who took all eight of these official victories, as well as Jean Behra, Hans Herrmann, Jo Bonnier, Masten Gregory, Maria Teresa de Filippis, Peter Collins, Roy Salvadori and Luigi Musso. 26 cars were built over the 250F's five-year production run, and each car was unique and constructed with different features as the design evolved. Other cars may have been more successful, but few have ever succeeded with such style.

This fine 1:8 scale model of the Maserati 250F is a perfect replica of the car Juan Manuel Fangio drove to a legendary victory in the German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring on 4 August 1957. Regularly referred to as Fangio's greatest drive if not The 46-year-old Argentinian, the greatest in racing history, turned round a deficit of almost a minute to win the race and his fifth world title. Fangio started on pole ahead of the Ferrari Mike Hawthorn, but while the Ferrari would run a traditional non-stop race, the Maserati would be looking for fresh tyres and fuel. A slow start would see the Argentine drop behind Hawthorn and teammate Peter Collins to start from fourth, but Fangio would reclaim the lead in third. He maintained his lead, setting four new lap records in the process, and finally pulled in for his pit stop at the end of lap 12.

The pit stop was a disaster; the mechanic removing the rear left wheel lost the wheel nut under the car and took half a minute to find it. Fangio came into the pit lane with a 28-second lead; he left 48 seconds behind Collins in second place, who himself had driven faster than Fangio's new record. After running a few laps on his tyres, Fangio began to charge, gaining as much as a second per mile on lap 15. Setting lap record after lap record, the Argentine caught up with his Ferrari rivals, both passing on the 21st and penultimate lap, and held off the British duo for a race win by 2.8 seconds that would cement his and the 250F's name in Formula One folklore forever. Perhaps it was fitting then that this would be Fangio's last victory in Formula 1.

This beautiful 1/8th scale model of the Maserati 250F was hand-built in our workshops and finished using CAD developed from a detailed digital scan of an original car. The model's intensive research and development cycle using archive photos and reports required over 4500 hours of labour, and the first prototype model was only released after Amalgam's team of technical experts were completely satisfied with its accuracy of representation.

The Maserati 250 is strictly limited to just 199 1:8 scale models.
Item number: 250F