The Maserati Tipo 151 is a racing car manufactured by Italian automobile manufacturer Maserati for the 1962 LeMans season to compete in the experimental GT car class. Three cars were built in total, one for Johnny Simone of Maserati France (151 002) with a red exterior colour and white tri-stripes whilst two were built for Briggs Cunningham (151 004 and 151 006) for his racing team. These cars had a white body with two blue stripes. Design and specifications The Tipo 151 marked a return to more traditional concepts of car design and used a frame comprising a trellis of both round and oval large tubes, an independent front suspension and a De Dion axle which was modified to act like a swing-arm axle. The V8 engine was derived from the 450S with a reduced displacement of just under 4.0 litres due to a restriction imposed by the FIA that the participants in the experimental GT cars should have 4-litre engines. The block featured a smaller bore (91 mm, down from 94 mm) and an even shorter stroke (76 mm instead of 81 mm) along with a compression rato of 9.7:1. Other changes included four gear-driven camshafts, a dry sump lubrication system and four Weber 45 IDMs carburettors. The engine was rated at . The aluminium body was designed by Giulio Alfieri and refined using a wind tunnel at Milan University. It was reminiscent of the Frank Costin designed Zagato bodied 450S, but with an accentuated Kamm Tail. The mandatory doors opened halfway up the side due to the longitudinal tubes of the frame and the lateral fuel tanks. The chassis was designed by Giorgio Molinari while the suspension was designed by Gianpaolo Dallara who had recently joined Maserati. Early testing revealed handling problems which were solved by adding a homokinetic joint to the suspension system suggested by Bruce McLaren, one of the drivers of the Cunningham team. There were also ventilation problems and excessive rear tyre wear which were never resolved because of lack of proper testing due to the cars being completed shortly before the LeMans race. Competition history The cars proved quick at the qualifying sessions, with one Cunningham car driven by Dick Thompson and Bill Kimberley qualifying in third place with the second Cunningham car driven by Walt Hansgen and Bruce McLaren qualifying at the fifth place while the Maserati France car qualified at the seventh