Maserati 300S

The Maserati 300S was a racing car that Maserati built between 1955 and 1958 to compete in the FIA World Sportscar Championship, with twenty-six examples produced. Its 3.0 litre engine was based on the straight-six of the 250F Formula One car, with a lengthened stroke developed by Vittorio Bellentani that raised the capacity from 2.5 litres, and the compression ratio was cut from 12:1 to 9.5:1 partly because the regulations required road car fuel. Three Weber carburettors fed it, and the car had a trellis frame, an aluminium body by Medardo Fantuzzi, a De Dion rear axle and a four-speed transaxle. After a poor first season the 300S won at the Nürburgring in 1956, and after the 1957 Mille Miglia accident the last examples were sold to customers in the USA. Mark Knopfler is a long-term owner who races his in historic events.