Some cars are built in series; a very few are built once.
The 1954 Maserati A6G/54 2000 Spyder Zagato offered through RM Sotheby's Sealed is one of those singular machines: a one-off, hand-built Modena prototype that stands in the same company as the Mercedes-Benz 'Uhlenhaut Coupé' and the ex-Rossellini Ferrari 375 MM.
Chassis number 2101 is the prototype for the A6G/54 series and the only Zagato spyder ever built on the platform. It was the very first car fitted with the new A6G/54 dual overhead cam engine, and it was originally ordered by Argentine president Juan Perón, before politics changed its course.
One-Off Specification and Provenance
This vehicle pairs one-off coachwork with an unrepeatable history:
- One-Off Zagato Coachwork: The only open-bodied Zagato A6G/54, and the first of the Zagato-bodied cars. Just 60 A6G/54 chassis were built in total, split between Allemano, Frua, and Zagato.
- Presidential Order: Factory records and research by marque authority Adolfo Orsi confirm it was ordered by Juan Perón, whose requested modifications define its final configuration.
- Salon History: Exhibited at the 1955 Geneva Salon and the 1956 Paris Salon.
- Concours Pedigree: Double awarded at the 2024 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, winning the Maserati class and the Jules Heumann Award for Most Elegant Open Car. It also took Best of Show at the 2005 Italian Competition.
- Matching Numbers: Retains its matching-numbers engine, transmission, and front and rear axles, following a full 2024 restoration by Fast Cars Ltd.
From Paris to Pebble Beach
The A6G/54 was a roadgoing evolution of Maserati's A6GCS/53 sports-racers, powered by a freshly developed two-litre dual overhead cam engine tuned for street use with chain-driven timing and wet sump lubrication. Zagato's lightweight aluminum-alloy bodies made theirs the sporting choice among the three coachbuilders.
After Perón's exile in 1955, the Spyder was shown again at the 1956 Paris Salon, then sold in 1959 to American diplomat Louis W. Schroeder, who drove it to the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans. It later spent roughly 30 years in storage in California, preserving its originality, before a long run of concours appearances, museum exhibitions in Modena, and the 2022 Colorado Grand 1000.
Documented with factory build records, its original owner's manual and tool roll, and a detailed history report by Adolfo Orsi, chassis 2101 represents a singular opportunity to secure a defining piece of 1950s Italian design.
