Tipo 4CL - 1939 to 1946

The Alfa Romeo 158's arrival on the scene rendered the 6CM, until this point Maserati's greatest weapon in the vital «pony car» (?) category, obsolete. Ernesto Maserati's new engine was incredibly innovative: the need for big rpms and reduced piston linear velocity, meant that he had to design a «square» engine, i.e. one with identical bore and stroke measurements.

Another prestige feature of the new engine was its four valves per cylinder, a very much sought-after solution at the time. The model proved a resounding success and was continually developed until it went out of production in 1947. The most striking of the «special» versions of the 4CL was the aerodynamically bodied model that Gigi Villoresi drove in the 1939 Tripoli Grand Prix, setting the best time in qualifying of 213 Km/h.