Maserati Tipo 61 Birdcage I (Tipo 61) gallery (1959–1961)

The Maserati Tipo 61, internationally celebrated under the moniker Birdcage, was an exceptionally engineered sports racing car developed by chief engineer Giulio Alfieri for international sports car competition. The defining feature of the vehicle was its revolutionary and intricate chassis, constructed from an interconnected web of over two hundred small-diameter (10 to 15 mm) steel tubes welded together into a complex triangular truss. This structural design yielded unprecedented torsional rigidity while weighing a mere 36 kilograms. Clothed in a wind-cheating aluminum roadster body, the Tipo 61 was powered by an evolution of the Tipo 60 engine: a 2.9-liter (2,890 cc) naturally aspirated inline-four cylinder unit producing approximately 250 to 260 horsepower. To achieve a low center of gravity and an aerodynamic low-profile front nose, the engine was canted at a sharp 45-degree angle in the front engine bay. It featured dual overhead camshafts, dry-sump lubrication, twin Weber 45 DCOE carburetors, and was coupled to a five-speed manual transaxle at the rear axle. Equipped with independent front suspension and a De Dion rear axle with disc brakes all around, sixteen examples were built between 1959 and 1961, achieving historic consecutive victories at the Nürburgring 1,000 km in 1960 and 1961 for the Camoradi racing team.