30/03/2022
A rare 1955 Maserati 160T4 will be sold by H&H Classics on Wednesday, 6th April at the National Motorcycle Museum, Solihull for an estimate of £9, 000 - £11, 000.
Mike Davis, Head of H&H Classics Motorcycles, says: “This rare motorcycle was produced by Maserati in the 1950s. It has been a much loved part of a collection of Italian classics for a number of years and restored by a previous owner with a good degree of originality. It would make a great addition to any collection.”
The bike features Maserati's own 160cc single cylinder four stroke engine and fitted with a sports seat, alloy rims and period correct tyres. It will need recommissioning. It comes to sale with a current V5C.
Maserati, more famous for manufacturing cars, began their association with two wheels when Carlo Maserati started his engineering career building single cylinder engines to mount on bicycles, working from a workshop just outside Milan.
During the First World War Alfieri Maserati, on completing his military service, set up a spark plug factory in Milan and in 1937 the Orsi family acquired the Maserati concern. When the home market showed signs of an increasing need for cheap motorised transport, especially on two wheels, Maserati decided to enter the motorcycle market by taking over the established Italmoto factory in Bologna. In 1953 all motorcycle production was transferred to the Maserati factory in Modena, with early production of motorcycles consisting of the 160cc four-stroke previously produced by Italmoto but now sporting the Trident logo and renamed the Tipo 160/ T4.
The company established a new department to design and produce their own bikes and the first model, the L/ 125/ T2, was influenced greatly by the German DKW design. Over the following years several new models were introduced with engine sizes varying from 50 cc to 250 cc but in 1957 news of serious financial difficulties within the Orsi group began to leak out. This was followed by the news of Maserati's withdrawal from Formula One and other official competition. In 1960 the banks decided to 'pull the plug', marking the end for motorcycle manufacturing and the Maserati trident would in future only be seen on four wheeled vehicles.
This 1955 160T4 four stroke was restored a few years ago by a previous owner keeping a good degree of originality. Finished in typical Italian red with plenty of aluminium its undoubtedly a very pretty and extremely rare bike with its sports seat and alloy wheel rims. Part of a private collection for a number of years and supplied with a current V5C, it will need some recommissioning before use.
Find out more about this lot here.
Register to bid ahead of the auction here.
