Page 1 of 1 Maserati surprised the motor racing fraternity when it launched a topless mid-engined sports racer on 14 December 1991 - over 35 years after its Tipo 65. The Barchetta was earmarked for the single-make Grantrofeo Barchetta championship. Six races took place on Italian tracks in 1992 and 10 during 1993, two of which on foreign circuits. A very few cars were later equipped with headlights and road car gear, but even the Barchetta stradale offered no kind of weather protection at all.
The Barchetta featured a central backbone chassis with integral fuel tank inspired by the Chubasco supercar concept announced in December 1990. Additional sub-frames carried the front suspension and the drivetrain and rear suspension. The suspension itself was race-inspired, with pushrods and pullrods operating inboard-mounted dampers and springs.
Just 10 Maserati Barchettas were assembled at De Tomaso Automobili on the outskirts of Modena. The Barchetta chassis survives in modified form in the limited-production De Tomaso Guarà. Page 1 of 1
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Barchetta Stradale
Maserati surprised the motor racing fraternity when it launched a topless mid-engined sports racer on 14 December 1991 - over 35 years after its Tipo 65. The Barchetta was earmarked for the single-make Grantrofeo Barchetta championship. Six races took place on Italian tracks in 1992 and 10 during 1993, two of which on foreign circuits. A very few cars were later equipped with headlights and road car gear, but even the Barchetta stradale offered no kind of weather protection at all.