Maserati 4CLT

The Maserati 4CLT is the tubular-chassis development of the Maserati 4CL, single-seat open-wheel Grand Prix racing cars designed and built by Maserati. The 4CL was introduced at the beginning of the 1939 season as a rival to the Alfa Romeo 158 and ERA models in the voiturette class, with a new square-bore inline four-cylinder engine of 1,490.85 cc, four valves per cylinder and a more powerful supercharger. It was a front runner when racing resumed after the war, and experiments with two-stage supercharging and tubular chassis construction led to the 4CLT in 1948, the T denoting the tubular chassis, with power up to about 260 bhp from the 4CL's 220. The 4CLT/48 Sanremo won on its debut at the 1948 San Remo Grand Prix with Alberto Ascari, and the ultimate 4CLT/50 was introduced for the first Formula One World Championship season in 1950, when the 4CLT was the car of choice for many privateers.