Maserati and Ferrari have never had an easy coexistence. Rivals in historic grand prix racing, and then both owned by Fiat, Maserati was never allowed to directly compete with Ferrari. Its somewhat castrated existence lead to some neglect over the years, but the Maserati Birdcage 75th concept car highlighted the marque’s ambition remained.
Maserati’s one shining moment in recent history was the MC12, a Ferrari Enzo-based homologation special. Clearly a track car with number plates, the MC12 proved to be a highly successful racing car and now a very collectable road machine. Off the back of the MC12 project came the opportunity for famed Italian design house Pininfarina to use the supercar as the basis for a memorable concept machine.
Marking the 75th anniversary of Pininfarina, the reborn Maserati Birdcage was quite something to behold. Minimalist flowing lines give it a real elegance, something that cocooned a fighter-jet inspired glass canopy. Low and wide, its shouted purebred, but its clean styling gave it just a hint of futurism. In fact, I think the design has stood the test of time and could easily find a home on a show stand tomorrow.
A show stopping feature of the Birdcage 75th concept has to be that canopy and how the driver gets in or out. Notice how there are very few shut-lines on this car? That’s because the whole frontal section of bodywork lifts with the glass dome, allowing for a dramatic means of unimpeded access. The curvaceous rear clamshell opened symmetrically to the canopy, creating quite the spectacle.
The interior somewhat foreshadowed the future with integrated cameras instead of wing mirrors – something now found on cars such as the Honda E and Audi e-Tron. Naked blue carbon fibre lines the rather spartan interior, but the most curious element of this space are its seats. These posts are moulded into the chassis and are covered in the same blue fabric as the floor.
If you thought the Maserati Birdcage 75th was just a clay model, think again! This concept is a genuine runner and was built on the bones of an MC12 GT1 racer. Behind the cockpit is the same F140 V12 engine from the MC12, and by extension the Enzo. Possessing 700bhp, it is connected to the rear wheels via a six-speed automated manual transmission. While no performance figures were ever released, the MC12 could hit 205mph. The Birdcage weighs more than the car on which it’s based, but it is more powerful and features sleeker aerodynamics.
When revealed back in 2005, this magnificent supercar had a magnetic quality at every show it attended. In the same year it collected no less than three awards including; Louis Vuitton Classic Concept Award, Best Concept of the Geneva Motor Show and L’automobile più bella del mondo. Sadly, the concept car hasn’t been seen in public for some time.
So there you have it, the Maserati Birdcage 75th is lost to time no more.
Keyword: Forgotten concept cars: Maserati Birdcage 75th