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The Name Game



by Peter Vack
October 16, 2002

When is a Maserati not a Maserati? When it is a Boyle Special.

Years ago, sometime after the Great War, Indianapolis sponsors acquired the nasty habit of naming cars by the sponsors name rather than by the make, a rather deplorable situation which continues to this day. When Wilbur Shaw won the 1939 and 1940 Indianapolis 500s in this 3 Liter, 360 hp 8CTF Maserati, it was called the Boyle Special, after Michael Boyle, Shaw’s sponsor.

Handy, one might think, as at the time cars from the land of Mussolini were probably not particularly popular anyway. But because of the sponsor’s ego, few Americans realized that Maserati had won the 500 two times in a row and very nearly three, as Shaw retired in the lead during the 1941 event. The same car appeared again in 1946, this time driven by Ted Horn, and finished third in a race which featured four Maseratis. These Maseratis, built to compete with the 3 liter Mercedes Benz and Auto Union Grand Prix cars, were far more successful on the Indianapolis oval than the road circuits of Europe. By winning at Indy, Maserati provided Americans with a glimpse of Italian engineering at its best. Perhaps if Mr. Boyle had called a spade a spade, the name of Maserati would hold much more import than it does today.




Past Issues



Date
Topic


1-16-08
Ferrari 712 Can Am


1-6-08
Articles on or about OSCA


1-6-08
Articles on or about Maserati


1-6-08
Articles on or about Lancia


1-6-08
Articles on or about Fiat


12-19-7
Fiat Dino, Body


12-19-7
Fiat Dino, Chassis


12-12-07
Serenissima F1


10-31-07
Winningest OSCA


10-24-07
Alfa 164 V10


10-17-07
Ramponi's Delage


10-17-07
OSCA Berlinettas


10-3-07
Maserati 250F Remembered


9-26-07
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9-26-07
Lancia Rally 037 and S4


8-29-07
Alpine Adventures


8-08-07
Bandini, Giaurs, Siatas etc.


7-18-07
Alpine A110


7-11-07
Classic Fiat 500s in Turin


7-11-07
New Fiat 500 hits the streets


7-11-07
New Fiat 500 Intro


7-04-07
Fiat 500 Restoration


6-27-07
Fiat 500 pushed and pulled


6-13-07
Fiat 500 Art


6-13-07
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6-6-07
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Fortune 500 (Fiat)


4-18-07
Giulietta Racing Part 2


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Giulietta Racing P1


4-4-07
Appia Specials


4-4-07
Appia Series 3


2-21-07
Appia Series 2


2-14-07
Appia Restoration


2-07-07
Appia Series 1


1-24-07
Kalikow on the 612K


1-10-07
Articles on Alfa Romeo


1-03-07
Fiat Balilla Berlinetta



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