Maserati 350S

The Maserati 350S refers to a series of three racing cars that Maserati built to experiment with a new straight-six engine while a new V8 was being developed at the factory. Giulio Alfieri built them, with an aluminium body designed by Medardo Fantuzzi, on a tubular steel chassis based on that of the 300S with additional strengthening. Two variants of the heavily revised engine were made, one with dry sump and one with wet sump lubrication, with outputs from 290 to 325 hp. The first chassis, from 1955, used the 3.5 litre straight-six then under development for the future 3500 GT; Stirling Moss crashed it in the 1956 Mille Miglia and the factory rebuilt it as the first 450S prototype. The third car first ran the straight-six, later received a 3.5 litre V12, and raced in 1957 with drivers including Luigi Piotti, Hans Herrmann and Jean Behra.