Video: Italy’s only Indy 500 winner

05th March 2026

Adam Wilkins

There was a landmark moment in Maserati’s history in 1937, when the founding brothers sold their eponymous company to Adolfo Orsi. An influx of funding meant that the Italian constructor could once again take on state-funded German rivals, and the 8CTF was Maserati’s answer to the dominant Silver Arrows.

The twin-supercharged car had tremendous pace, that’s for sure, but reliability wasn’t its strong suit. Many DNFs stood in its way, until 1939 and ’40 when it claimed back-to-back wins at the Indianapolis 500. The winning car had an altered firing order, which resulted in durability to match its pace. Dallara chassis aside, it remains the only Italian car to have won the Indy 500.

Goodwood Revival

Goodwood Revival will celebrate Maserati in 2026

This is the first of three built, run in period by Ecurie Bleue. The French team, run by American ex-pats, had two Maseratis both driven by French drivers in Indianapolis. They had one DNF and one tenth place, so were in the shadow of the double-winning car. However, this car did have an outright win in the hands of Louis Unser on the loose surface at Pikes Peak, showing its versatility.

One of the joys of the Goodwood Revival is being able to see such historically significant cars in action, and Andy Willis was the man at the wheel in the 2025 Goodwood Trophy. Since it’s quite different to the cars he normally drives, he was able to familiarise himself with the car at the Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard two months prior. The most important thing to remember? The throttle pedal is in the middle and the brake is on the right.

Goodwood Revival

The Goodwood Trophy

In this video, we hear from Revs Institute founder Miles Collier about the car’s fascinating history, while Andy Willis gives insight from behind the wheel — and it’s all wrapped up with spectacular footage of the car in action. It’s certainly getting us in the mood for the Maserati celebrations at this year’s Goodwood Revival.

Tickets for the 2026 Goodwood Revival are now on sale. If you’re not already part of the GRRC, you can sign up to the Fellowship today and save ten per cent on your 2026 tickets and grandstand passes, as well as enjoying a whole host of other on-event perks.