Maserati 450S

The Maserati 450S, also known as the Tipo 54, is a sports prototype that Maserati built to compete in the FIA World Sportscar Championship, with nine made in total. Development began in 1954 under Vittorio Bellentani and Guido Taddeucci, who wanted larger engines than Maserati had used before. The heart of the car was a 4,478 cc short-stroke V8 with Weber carburettors and double overhead camshafts, rated at 400 PS at 7,200 rpm, with later cars taking 4.7 and 5.6 litre units. The project was shelved after a crash at Le Mans in 1955 and revived in 1956 when Tony Parravano commissioned a large V8, tested in a lengthened 350S chassis. In 1957 Maserati finished as runner-up to Ferrari, with wins at Sebring and Kristianstad, and stopped entering the car when all its entries crashed in Venezuela. Between 1956 and 1962 the 450S made 119 appearances and won 31 times.