| Maserati Tipo 26 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Maserati |
| Production | 1926-1932[1] |
| Assembly | Bologna, Italy |
| Designer | Alfieri Maserati |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Race car |
| Layout | FR layout |
| Related | Maserati Tipo 26B |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 1.5 L s/c I8 |
| Transmission | 3-speed manual (4-speed since 1927)[2] |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 2,650 mm (104 in) (2,580 mm (102 in) since 1928)[2] |
| Curb weight | 720-780 kg |
| Chronology | |
| Successor | Maserati 4CM |
The Maserati Tipo 26 was a model of Grand Prix racing car and was the first car built by Italian manufacturer Maserati, for a total of 11 examples, between 1926 and 1932.[2]
The Tipo 26 originated from a Grand Prix car that Alfieri Maserati had designed for Diatto: when the collaboration between Maserati and Diatto ended, Alfieri took his design to the Bologna workshop that he had set up with his brothers in 1914.[3]
The design of the Tipo 26 consisted of a steel ladder-type frame supporting a supercharged inline-eight engine displacing 1.5 L (1,492.9 cc), with a bore and stroke of 60 mm × 66 mm (2.36 in × 2.60 in), with a three-speed manual transmission and aluminium two-seater bodywork made by Medardo Fantuzzi.[2][3]
The engine featured a crankshaft-driven Roots supercharger, twin gear-driven overhead camshafts and dry sump lubrication;[2] to comply with the 1926 Grand Prix regulations the displacement was fixed to 1.5-litres.[3]
At its debut race in the 1926 Targa Florio, the Maserati Tipo 26, with Alfieri Maserati driving and a young Guerino Bertocchi as riding mechanic, finished first in the Grand Prix class and ninth overall.[1]
- ^ a b "Maserati Tipo 26". Maserati. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
- ^ a b c d e Tabucchi, Maurizio (2003). Nel segno del Tridente (in Italian). Giorgio Nada Editore. ISBN 9788879112598.
- ^ a b c "Maserati Tipo 26". Supercars.net Publishing. Retrieved 22 February 2014.