Maserati 250F - The autobiography of 2528

This is the story of a uniquely special example of the Maserati 250F, the breed of car that epitomises the 2½-litre front-engined Formula 1 era of 1954–60 and took part in the first and last races of that classic period. The finest flowering of the 250F came in 1957 with the lightweight version in which Juan Manuel Fangio won the last of his five World Championship titles.

Three lightweights were built and the one featured in this book, chassis 2528, was driven to victory by Fangio in the Monaco Grand Prix and by Jean Behra in three non-championship Grands Prix at Pau, Modena and Casablanca. The fascinating story of 2528, from its construction to the present day, is accompanied by 400 photographs, many of them never previously published. This fabulous book presents the life of a truly Great Car – the most original and widely raced of all Maserati 250Fs.

• First victory: Behra won the gruelling Pau GP by two laps.

• Finest hour: Fangio’s famous success in the Monaco GP, leading most of the way after skillfully avoiding the chicane mayhem that eliminated Moss, Hawthorn and Collins.

• Near miss: Behra outshone Fangio to lead half of the British GP until 2528’s clutch gave up.

• Home win: on Maserati’s doorstep, Behra dominated the two-heat Modena Grand Prix.

• Swansong: another win for Behra in Morocco, a race that turned out to be Maserati’s last with a works Formula 1 team.

• Privateer owners: more races with Francesco Godia Sales and Ettore Chimeri in 1958 and 1960.

• Rejuvenation: in the ownership of Charles Lucas, 1964–71, 2528 was active in the early days of historic racing in Britain for cars of its era, winning many times.