IBnterclassics and Autoworld, Brussels

The Interclassics show title perhaps requires a brief explanation, as the first car to bear the hallowed Maserati name did not exist until 1927/28. The company ‘Alfieri Maserati’, named after one of six surviving brothers (one died in infancy), bearing the family name in Voghera near Bologna was registered to ‘repair and garage automobiles’ on 1 December,1914, which became ‘Officine Alfieri Maserati’ in 1923 to manufacture engines and complete cars. Some 20 cars were on display in very atmospheric, if in places somewhat subdued, lighting. These ranged from a 1928 Tipo 26 finished in pale blue via more traditionally red-painted models including a 1936 6CM; 1950 A6GCS Monofaro; a 1954 250F alongside a child’s replica; the 1955 300S that finished second in the 1000kms at Buenos Aires in 1957; a 1955 2 litre A6GCS Spyder that was third in class in that year’s Mille Miglia and many road cars up to the present day. Elsewhere in the show Autoworld displayed an A6GCS/53 Berlinetta by Pininfarina but built by Guglielmo ‘Mimmo’ Dei who bought the concept from the coachbuilder, as Pininfarina were contracted to Ferrari at the time. The car was beautifully presented and won ‘Best in Show’. Another earlier Maserati, a 1930/31 Tipo 26 owned in 1932 by R F ‘Dickie’ Oates was on the Vander Haeghen stand, one of very many continental based dealers present, with a huge variety of cars in the well attended show.

Autoworld’s special exhibition featured 12 vehicles chosen by four Belgian born car designers, Lowrie Vermeersch, Louis De Fabribeckers, Pierre Leclercq and Steve Crijnes. The cars chosen were a 1924 Bugatti Type 35A painted as a tribute to artist Sonia Delaunay, a 1927 Voisin Lumineuse finished in a typical Art Deco design, a 1937 Delage D8-120 Coach Profile by Marcel Pourtout for Chapron, 1953 Pegaso Z-102 Thrill, a 1998 Audi TT, 1947 Cisitalia 202 Pininfarina, 1959 Ferrari 250 SWB, 1955 Citroen ID/DS, 1961 Jaguar E-type Coupe, 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing, 1966 Lamborghini Miura P400 and a 1963 Chevrolet Corvette C2 Sting Ray. So much to enjoy whether one agrees with the choice or not.

Autoworld takes over the Maserati theme with a special exhibition of some 50 Maseratis, possibly the most complete collection of Maserati cars ever brought together, that will run until 23 February. All this in addition to the rest of the vast collection which was started by Ghislain Mahy just after World War 2 when he was an established car dealer in Belgium. It is now run by a large and dedicated team led by historic racer (and ex-Prime Minister of Belgium) Guy Verhofstadt and is a world class museum. In 2024 they reported a record number of visitors.