Beschreibung
This 1959 Maserati Tipo 61 Birdcage carries chassis number 2473. It was built by Crosthwaite & Gardiner in late 1989 and early 1990, commissioned by Don Orosco, the American racing driver and team leader as an exact reproduction of his original Maserati Birdcage. As Orosco, well known on the international historic racing scene said in his own words of this car in 2015, “Rod Jolley reproduced the body utilizing my original body as the basis for his efforts. Crosthwaite & Gardiner already had reproduced the Birdcage’s transaxle and engine for other Birdcage owners by that time. I had the frame copied as well from my original car, first being Tig welded, and then gas welded over the top to approximate what the welds would have looked like coming from Maserati. The same holds true for the aluminium bodywork, where Rod Jolley rolled the body out first on his English wheel, I then had him go over the entire body with a hammer and dolly, as the Italian coach builders seldom used a wheel to form aluminium bodies. I knew the car would be closely scrutinized, so I went to unusual lengths to get the Birdcage accurate in every detail.” To provide an indication of the quality of the work and faithful construction to the original carried out on this car consider that, Crosthwaite & Gardiner are the most recent recipients of the International Historic Motoring Awards Specialist of the Year Award, as well as having been commissioned by Audi to create brand new recreations of the famous Auto Union cars. Seven new builds later, covering all of the models including the AVUS streamliner car and having worked on all of the original Auto Unions in existence, Crosthwaite and Gardiner are the experts in the pre-war Silver Arrows. Rod Jolley, meanwhile, was taught as a panel beater by Wally Parr. Wally built the body work for Sir Malcolm Campbell's Bluebird, a car that was refitted some years later by Rod Jolley Coachbuilding. Many of the world's most important historic cars have, at some time, passed through the Rod Jolley Coachbuilding workshops, including the Shah of Iran's Bugatti T57 with a Van Vooren body styled after Figonl et Falaschi and many classic Ferraris receiving care and attention of the highest level. Rod Jolley told Mossgreen, “The two rolling chassis were delivered by Dick Crosthwaite from Crosthwaite and Gardiner in their usual superb state of construction alongside an original Tipo 61. Body bucks were created from the original car and aluminium bodies were hand beaten in the original Italian method and not wheeled.” The current owner has had this Birdcage for ten years, having purchased it from Canepa Design of Scotts Valley, California, since when it has been used sparingly. The car came to Australia in 2008 and has of course its Vehicle Import Approval document. Most importantly, Birdcage chassis number 2473, is accompanied by an FIA Historic Technical Passport meaning that it is open to invitation to the major international historic racing events in the two-seater racing car category, period 1947 to 1960, sanctioned by the FIA.
