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While its chassis represented a radical new direction, the rest of the Birdcage design made use of tried-and-true Maserati components. The car\u2019s independent front suspension and De Dion rear axle were derived from the highly successful 250F Formula 1 car, as was its rear-mounted, five-speed transaxle. Advances in sports car design allowed Alfieri to utilize four-wheel disc brakes, rack and pinion steering, and Koni telescopic dampers at each corner, giving the featherweight Birdcage unmatched cornering and stopping power. This remarkable mechanical package was clothed in equally daring Allegretti coachwork, characterized by its low body line, protruding wheel arches, aerodynamically effective Kamm tail, and steeply raked windscreen, which not only complied with strict FIA regulations, but also offered a glimpse into the Birdcage\u2019s complex inner workings.<\/p>\n
As the Tipo 60 was intended for customer use, Alfieri decided to use the proven two-liter, four-cylinder engine from the earlier 200S. To lower the car\u2019s center of gravity, the engine was mounted well behind the front axle, converted to dry sump lubrication, and canted over 45\u00ba to the right. After early tests showed that the chassis was capable of handling significantly more power, Alfieri decided to produce a 2.9-liter version of the Birdcage \u2013 with 50 additional horsepower \u2013 called the Tipo 61. The larger capacity Tipo 61 was extremely popular in North America and gave Maserati a real contender in the FIA World Sportscar Championship, where the Birdcage\u2019s clever design provided an instant advantage on tight, technical circuits.<\/p>\n
As Maserati had shuttered its factory racing program after the 1957 season, the fate of the Birdcage was left in the hands of well-heeled privateers like Briggs Cunningham and Lloyd \u201cLucky\u201d Casner\u2019s Camoradi Racing Team.<\/p>\n
Despite the lack of factory backing, the Birdcage proved itself at the highest levels of sports car racing, dominating the Italian hill climb championship, winning the Nu\u0308rburgring 1000 Km in 1960 and 1961, and capturing the 1960 SCCA D-Modified National Championship. Not only was the Birdcage successful in competition, but its outstanding dynamic qualities made it a favorite among amateur and professional racers alike. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n According to Maserati records, this Tipo 61, chassis 2454, was completed on November 9, 1959, making it the third of just 17 examples built. Originally finished in black with red upholstery, the Birdcage was sold new to Loyal Katskee, an Omaha, Nebraska-based British car dealer, who had been campaigning a Ferrari 750<\/a> Monza since 1956.<\/p>\n On November 13, 1959, #2454 was flown from Italy to Miami, Florida, arriving in time for Katskee to debut the spectacular new Maserati at the annual Bahamas Speed Week<\/a> in Nassau. Despite the new car suffering from a failing De Dion bridge, Katskee managed to place 11th Overall in the Governor\u2019s Trophy and 16th Overall in the Nassau Trophy.<\/p>\n After Nassau, Katskee repainted the Birdcage white with fluorescent orange racing numbers. In February 1960, he entered it in the first La Libertad Grand Prix in Havana, Cuba. Facing a competitive field that included several Porsche 718 Spiders<\/a>, a Ferrari TR59 driven by Pedro Rodriguez, and another Tipo 61 Maserati driven by Stirling Moss, Katskee had 2454 running in 4th Place when an engine failure forced his retirement after just 16 laps. <\/p>\n Throughout the remainder of the 1960 season, Katskee campaigned his Birdcage in USAC races across North America, beginning with Continental Divide in June and finishing the season that October following the Los Angeles Times Grand Prix at Riverside and the USAC Pacific Grand Prix at Laguna Seca<\/a>. His best result with 2454 occurred at Road America,<\/a> where he placed 3rd Overall behind two long-tail Birdcages.<\/p>\n Following the 1960 season, Katskee sold 2454 to Donald Skogmo of Minneapolis, an heir to the Gamble-Skogmo merchandising chain. Skogmo, who already owned another Birdcage and would go on to acquire at least two others, campaigned his fleet of Maseratis under the \u201cDirty Bird Racing Team\u201d banner throughout the early 1960s.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n In 1965, Don Skogmo advertised 2454 for sale, asking $2,300 for the Maserati, which, by this point, had neither an engine nor transaxle fitted. The aging Tipo 61 was sold to a new owner in Florida, then passed through a subsequent owner in New York, before being purchased by an Englishman around 1970. Under his ownership, 2454 received a sympathetic restoration and was fitted with a two-liter engine and four-speed transaxle from a Maserati 300S. In the mid-1970s, the Birdcage was sold back to the US; renowned Italian collector Giulio Dubbini acquired it from there in 1978.<\/p>\n Based in Padova, Italy, Dubbini was well known for his impressive stable of sports and racing cars, which included important Alfa Romeos, Maseratis, and many of the finest Ferraris, including a 250 Testa Rossa, 250 MM Berlinetta, 500 TRC, and 250 GT SWB Berlinetta. In addition to his extraordinary automotive holdings, Dubbini was an avid enthusiast who helped organize many historic events including the Coppa d\u2019Oro delle Dolomiti Storica. Chassis 2454 remained in his impressive collection for the next decade, during which time it was fitted with a correct-type Tipo 61 engine and five-speed transaxle.<\/p>\n In 1989, after Mr. Dubbini\u2019s passing, 2454 was sold to Swiss collector Karl Bl\u00f6chle. An avid car collector and fine artist specializing in automotive models, Mr. Bl\u00f6chle campaigned the Tipo 61 in European historic events through 1997, when it was sold to German collector Hein Gericke. <\/p>\n In 2000, respected Swiss collector and historic racer Carlo V\u00f6gele acquired 2454. Under his ownership, the Maserati was entrusted to Capricorn Group, the German engineering company well known for producing high-quality restorations and reproduction racing engines. The restoration of the Tipo 61 was performed with the goal of competing at the highest levels of historic racing and Mr. V\u00f6gele did just that, entering it in several rounds of the Shell Ferrari Historic Challenge.<\/p>\n During his ownership, Mr. V\u00f6gele also had 2454 inspected and certified by Maserati Classiche. According to the accompanying Maserati Classiche Certificazione di Autenticit\u00e0, this Birdcage retains its original chassis and bodywork, and has a correct-type engine and transaxle. It is believed that this Tipo 61 is one of as few as two examples certified by Maserati Classiche before the company ended the program.<\/p>\n Mr. V\u00f6gele owned 2454 until 2011, when it was sold to German collector Klaus Werner, who continued to race it in historic events at Spa, Nu\u0308rburgring, and Goodwood.<\/p>\n Since 2012, the Birdcage has been a fixture in a prominent North American collection, benefiting from meticulous maintenance and sparing use. Soon after acquiring the Maserati, the consignor sent it to the renowned Canepa Motorsport of Scotts Valley, California, for a thorough inspection and race preparation. Detailed photos and invoices on file confirm that 2454 was carefully disassembled, inspected, and repaired as needed to prepare it for its debut at the 2014 Monterey Historic Automobile Races at Laguna Seca. For vintage racing purposes, the Birdcage is currently fitted with a reproduction engine built by UK-based Maserati specialist Steve Hart. Another reproduction race engine and the disassembled period Tipo 61 engine, no. 2477, accompany the car at auction.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nHighlights<\/h2>\n
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Technical Specs<\/h2>\n
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<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\nChassis 2454<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>For 1961, Skogmo installed a new engine in 2454 and entered it in a variety of events, from local SCCA races to the famous Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, finishing the racing season at Nassau. After two additional Birdcages joined Skogmo\u2019s team for the 1962 season, 2454 was primarily kept as a backup car, taking part in a few additional SCCA races throughout the Midwest and one final edition of the Bahamas Speed Week before retiring after the 1963 season.<\/p>\nRacing History<\/h2>\n
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<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\nSecond Life<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nGooding & Co<\/a><\/h2>\n