Auction description (but it still doesn't explain why it had two headrests!):
chassis # 1002
engine # 2429
4-cylinder, 1994 cc - 186 HP
Maserati 200 SI engine
fully restored
eligible for most major events
ultra rare
Maserati WRE 1960
It was in spring time of 1959 when a Maserati 2 litre engined neat little car first arose interest in the spectators by its gorgeous performance at a race in Napels, Italy. The car was driven by Tony Settember, an Englishman living in Italy. Together with John Wadsworth who had previously worked for Willment Speed Shop in England where he had built his own race cars, Settember founded “World Racing Enterprises”, WRE for short, in Modena.
The WRE had a beautifully designed all-aluminum Spider body built over a tubular frame chassis and powered by the Maserati 200 SI engine. This was a 4-cylinder power source with 1994,3 cc, double ignition system, two Weber 45 DCO carburetors and dry sump lubrication producing 186 BHP at 7200 rpm. With a total weight of only 612 kg the top speed reached 260 km/h.
Shortly after the first appearence of the WRE, a Napels originated private race driver, Mr. Belluci, was able to buy this car. Subsequently the car was successful in many local races in Italy with Belluci at the wheel. Belluci became a partner at the WRE company and founded the “ Sporting Club Autonautico” as a works race stable. In 1960 WREs were extensively raced at Italien hill climb races but also on the circuits like the Grand Prix of Naples or the Trento-Bondone where one of these cars finished 3rd. A WRE was also successfully entered at the 1960 Targa Florio by Mennato Boffa, running with starting number 186. In 1961 the compnay suspended the production and the cars were sold to privat race drivers.
Our WRE underwent a thorough restoration in Italy in the mid eighties and was since then part of a private Swiss collection. It is still in the same beautiful condition as when it came out of the restoration shop and benefitted recently from a differential overhaul and a new set of gears. Being a pure race car it only has a Swiss customs document (13.20 A).
