The ultimate italian coachbuilder site
The ultimate italian coachbuilder site
Two prototypes for a sleek new four-seat Maserati were shown at the 1968 Turin Auto Show, one each from Carrozzerie Vignale and Ghia who both had history with Maserati. The Vignale prototype was selected and shown in production form as the Maserati Indy Vignale Coupe at the Geneva Auto Show in 1969.
Driven by Wilbur Shaw, the Maserati 8 CTF won the 1939 Indianapolis 500 Miles race and Maserati was the first European (and Italian) car industry to win it after Peugeot in 1914. The little Bolognese firm succeeded in what Fiat, Mercedes, Alfa Romeo, and Bugatti failed. The same car, again driven by Wilbur Shaw, won the 1940 Indy edition too and entered the automobile legend as for the first time in the most important American race history a car won two editions. To remember these triumphs, Maserati called “Indy” the car introduced at the 1968 Turin Motor Show. The Indy was the obvious evolution of the Mexico, that is a fast coupé also comfortable for four people. During the production years, the most important modifications concerned the engine; in 1970 it was enlarged to 4.700cc and the car got the name Indy America; since 1973 only the version fitted with the 4.900cc engine (the same unit already fitted to the Ghibli SS) remained in production. Indy had a good sale success and was produced also after the Citroen took over the Modenese company.
Photo courtesy of Hyman Ltd.
The story of Carrozzeria Vignale represents one of the many somewhat forgotten success stories born against the backdrop of an Italy that was torn apart by the Second World War and which, starting from the end of the 1950s, was able to recover enough to know a real miracle. economical just a few years later.
