1965 Maserati Tipo 65
Pilots: J. Siffert, J. Neerpasch
Team: J. H. Simone
Race: DNF (class GTP 5000+) at Le Mans in 1965
Leo Models - ? (diecast)
Published 05/02/17
The Tipo 65 only came to be because of an accident. Maserati had basically given up on the Tipo 63 and Tipo 64 rear-engined prototypes, but close to the Le Mans race of 1965, Maserati France needed a car after Lucky Casner fatally crashed their only Tipo 151/4 at the Le Mans practice. With no cars available, Maserati resurrected a Tipo 63 chassis that had been scrapped almost three years earlier (probably chassis 63.008). The old chassis had to be enlarged and strengthened to accommodate the Tipo 151/4’s big engine and wider tires. The engine was a big V8 with 5044 cm³ that produced 430 hp.
Maserati completed the car in just 30 days, and the finished car ended up 420 kg heavier than the original Tipo 63. The race started smoothly but 10 minutes into the race, with only 3 laps completed, Siffert hit the hay bales. Tipo 65 #8 was out and that was the end of Maserati’s role at La Sarthe that year. Another very cheap pw model, and your guess is as good as mine about who made it (Leo Models?). Cheap, but a pretty solid one. In fact, I’ll only moan about the absence of a proper grill at the rear and cut-out air intakes. So for a very cheap representation in 1:43 of the only ugly Maserati that I know of, it’s okay. Miles from an Atlas pw, but still okay I guess.