Valerio Colotti commenced the initial design of the tubular chassis and body of Maserati 450S in 1954, the model was known internally as the Tipo 54.

Sharing some components with the 3 litre / 183 cui Maserati 300S the 450S, which was first raced in 1957, is differentiated by employing a 4,478 cc / 273 cui short-stroke V8 motor equipped with four Weber carburetors which produced 400hp.

Future Indy 500 entrant Jim Kimberly took delivery of today’s featured 450S chassis #4504 in time to race it at Road America where he finished 6th in June 1957, Jim’s only other known result is a 16th place finish in the 1958 Cudan Grand Prix.

By July 1958 Harry Rollins had become the owner of #4504 and drove it in 3 events over the SCCA Carnival of Speed weekend at Walterboro winning the ITA Drag Event, finishing 2nd in race 3 and retiring from race 5.

Don Perkins bought the car in October 1958 and entered it in three meetings one each for John Haas, Ed Crawford and Hal Ullrich.

Ed scored a best 2nd overall and 1st in class in the 1958 Memorial Trophy during the Nassau Speed Week.

At some point during the 1960’s the motor was taken out and used for a speed boat project.

In 1980 Virgil Milette is credited is reuniting the motor and chassis. Under the ownership of Luigi Mancini in 1987 #4504 was restored by Carrozzeria Garuti in Modena Italy.

I believe that Robson Walton who is seen driving the car in these photographs by Geoffrey Horton at the 2013 Laguna Seca Rolex Reunion has owned #4504 since 1999.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton as ever for sharing his photographs.

Thanks for joining me on this “Drag Winner” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at an Amilcar. Don’t forget to come back now !