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Stirling Moss-crashed 1956 Maserati 450S to be auctioned in Monaco

RM Auctions has some very special and expensive Italian sportscars of the 50s and 60s consigned for its auction in Monaco on May 10, but the one that currently carries the highest estimated value at between 4 and 5.5 million euros ($5.5 - $7.5 million) is a 1956 Maserati 450S with some very interesting provenance.
The Maserati started its life as a six-cylinder 350S that Stirling Moss drove in the 1956 Mille Miglia race. Unfortunately, the brakes failed, and it crashed into a tree and nearly into a ravine. Moss and his co-driver weren't injured, but the car was kaputt.
Maserati repaired it and used the chassis as a test mule for its new 5.7-liter V8 racecar called the 450S. It featured an extended wheelbase to fit the larger engine and a new body with a single seat. The racer hit the track again at the hands of Moss and Juan Manuel Fangio in the 1957 Buenos Aires 1000 KM but retired with transmission issues. Later that season, it crashed again at the 1957 Mille Miglia at the hands of driver Jean Behra. After that, the car sat around the workshop until it was sold without an engine in 1965.

Maserati Levante production starting next year, Alfieri could come within 28 months

Maserati is on a roll. The new Ghibli and Quattroporte have been huge successes, and it unveiled the gorgeous Alfieri concept (pictured above) at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show. The next step for the brand is getting the Levante crossover into production.
"We are getting Mirafiori ready for production [of the Levante]. The first bodies are expected for 2015," said Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne to Reuters in Geneva. He also said that there isn't much keeping the Alfieri off the streets. "The platforms and motors are there. Technically, production could start in 24-28 months," he said. However, Marchionne refused to say whether the company would actually give the concept a green light to be built.
Fiat hopes to be profitable again by 2016, and while its acquisition of Chrysler is certainly going to help, rejuvenating Alfa Romeo and Maserati are also a major part of the plan. In 2013, the Italian luxury brand saw sales more than double to 15,400 vehicles. Maser is still far away from its goal of selling 50,000 units by 2015, but it's quite a start. Fiat bought Maserati in 1993, but business went through a decade or more of doldrums and falling sales. It appears that the century-old brand is finally finding a path forward with some gorgeous new cars.

Maserati to recall Quattroporte and Ghibli over shifter

On Thursday, documents on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's website revealed that Maserati is preparing to recall 13,092 2014 Quattroporte and Ghibli sedans because of a "counter-intuitive" gear shift lever. The shifter may lead drivers to believe the car is in park while it's actually in reverse, potentially causing the car to roll away. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Maserati's parent company, has recalled 1.1 million vehicles worldwide for this same issue. The affected vehicles span several model years and all share a ZF-designed eight-speed automatic transmission. The shifter design in these vehicles is similar to but not exactly like the one in the two Maseratis. Currently, 41 injuries have been attributed to this issue. There seems to be no indication of hardware failure for any of these incidents. In the United States, the 2012-14 Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300 and 2014-15 Jeep Grand Cherokee were named in this first recall. Actor Anton Yelchin's recent death, caused when he was crushed by his 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee, may be related. As of the current model year, the Charger, 300, and Grand Cherokee have an updated shifter design. According to the documents, FCA is currently working on a software update that will remedy the issue. Because the solution must be tested and verified, the company doesn't expect it to be ready for another few months. Both recalls were brought about after a NHTSA investigation. In May, NHTSA suggested Maserati issue a recall and on June 1 the company agreed with the group's assessment, though Maserati did tell NHTSA that they have had no complaints of vehicles rolling away. We're currently waiting on comment from Maserati North America and will update the story when more information is available. Related Video: Recalls Maserati Luxury Sedan maserati ghibli