The 1956 Maserati 450S Prototype by Fantuzzi will cross the block on May 10 during the Grand Prix de Monaco Historique weekend. RM Auctions estimates a selling value between $5.5 and $7.5 million (€4 to €5.5 million) for the Italian racer crashed by Stirling Moss at the 1956 Mille Miglia open-road endurance race.
Originally a 350S, chassis #3501 returned to the Maserati factory after the Mille Miglia crash, where it was rebuilt from the ground up. The original six-cylinder engine was swapped with a V8 mill, thus gaining the 450S Prototype name. Almost ten years after the race, the car was sold engineless to a customer in the United States.
Over the Atlantic it was fitted with a Chevy V8 engine and a Ferrari five-speed gearbox. This sacrilege was corrected after the current owner bought the car in 1981, rebuilding it to original 450S specifications at the Maserati factory, 5.7-liter Maserati V8 with 520 horsepower included. The Monaco sale on May 10 represents the first time the vehicle has been provided for sale in 33 years, presenting a quite exclusive ownership and investment opportunity.
Out of the eleven units ever produced, this is the most valuable of them all. It's so valuable that RM Auctions analysts estimated it over the asking price of other great historical cars like the 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB/C and 1959 Ferrari 250 GT Pinin Farina Cabriolet Series I. The single-day event will feature more than 80 blue-chip classic automobiles, out of which seven vehicles are estimated in extra of €1,000,000 ($1,371,625).
For a more in-depth look at the Maserati 450S, check out the press release, gallery and video below.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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