Maserati, 1970, Indy America 4700

Maserati "Indy America 4700", Vignale, 1970

Driven by Wilbur Shaw, the Maserati 8 CTF won the 1939 Indianapolis 500 and Maserati was the first European (and Italian) car company to win it after Peugeot in 1914. The little Bolognese firm succeeded in what Fiat, Mercedes, Alfa Romeo, and Bugatti failed to. The same car, driven again by Wilbur Shaw, won the 1940 edition too and entered the automobile legend as the first car that won the most important American race twice in a row.
To remember these triumphs, Maserati called “Indy” its new 4200 cc car introduced at the 1968 Turin Motor Show. The Indy was the obvious evolution of the Mexico, a fastback coupé with enough room for four people.
During the production years, the most important modifications concerned the engine; in 1970 it was enlarged to 4.700 cc and the car got the name Indy America; from 1973 on, only the 4.9 liter version (the same unit already fitted to the Ghibli SS) remained available.
The Indy was a good commercial success and kept being produced under the new Citroen administration that later took over the Modenese company.