1958 Maserati TIPO 420/M/58 Eldorado

Built specifically for the 1958 Race of Two Worlds, also known as the 500 Miglia di Monza or Monzanapolis, the car was driven by Stirling Moss. In the first of three heats he finished fourth, while in the second he placed fifth. Unfortunately, in the third round, the steering collapsed on the 40th lap, sending Moss off the track at 260 km/h. Amazingly, he was unhurt and the car was still ranked seventh at the end of the race. The “Eldorado” was the first racing car in Europe to be sponsored completely by a company outside the automotive world: the ice-cream manufacturer Eldorado. The Eldorado featured a chassis inspired by the lightened 250F road series, with a front suspension originating from the 450S, a De Dion type rear axle and the engine originating from the 4500 cc engine capacity reduced to 4200. The Race of Two Worlds was intended as an exhibition event, allowing American teams from the United States Auto Club (USAC) National Championship to compete directly against teams from the Formula One World Championship based in Europe. The two types of cars competed on the banked oval at Monza which had been completed in 1955. Due to the similarity to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where the USAC teams ran the Indianapolis 500, the event earned the nickname Monzanapolis. After that, it was decided to enter it in the Indianapolis 500, but major problems with fuel feed meant it failed to get beyond the qualifying sessions.