Maserati Tipo 61

The Maserati Tipo 61 is the 3 litre version of the Tipo 60/61 series, commonly called the Birdcage, sports racing cars that Maserati produced between 1959 and 1961 for privateers racing in events including the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In 1958 technical director Giulio Alfieri devised a chassis of about 200 small chromoly steel tubes welded into a cage-like space frame, which was both more rigid and lighter than other racing chassis of the time and gave the series its nickname. The Tipo 60 used a 2.0 litre four-cylinder engine from the 200S, tilted at 45 degrees; for the American teams in the 3 litre class the engine was enlarged to 2.9 litres, rated at 250 hp, and the revised car was called the Tipo 61. The Camoradi team became famous racing it and won the 1000 km Nürburgring in 1960 and 1961, but reliability kept the Birdcage from winning Le Mans.