Maserati A6
The Maserati A6 makes this list
as much for its looks as for performance. The platform came available with a
1.5 straight-six engine, putting out a
tiny-by-today’s-standards-but-a-lot-back-then 65 bhp. This was phased out in
1950, when a new 2l six-pot was fitted, generating a heady 120 bhp considering
the weight of a two-seater A6 was just 630 kg.
The A6 was named for the
company’s founder, Alfieri, while the 6 derives not from the number of gears
(of which there are 4) but from the number of cylinders. The car’s classic
long-bonnet, sleek lines Italian combo would go on to form the basis of
coach-built works from the likes of Pininfarina, Bertone and Zagato – who you
may have heard of.
Despite the miniscule weight, the
A6 was sold as a grand tourer, more for cruising through Alpine tunnels than
round the banking at Monza.
