At Infineon 2008, Peter LeSaffre drives the ex-Musy Maserati 300S.
From the VeloceToday Archives
By Pete Vack
Color photos by Richard Prince Photography
In his epic book, Maserati 300S, Walter Baumer tells us a fascinating story about a little-known race driver by the name of Benoit Musy. He was the son of a President of Switzerland and “a brave man, who saved the lives of many German Jews in the last months of WWII.” Musy purchased a Maserati 300S, chassis 3057 new from the factory in June of 1955. He bought a truck to haul the car, his beautiful wife Consuela and young son Edouard. In 1955 and 1956, he entered seventeen events throughout Europe, winning six outright. But at Montlhéry in late 1956, Musy entered a Maserati 200S Maserati as the 300S was being overhauled. Tragically, Musy was killed driving the 200S, and his grief stricken wife sold the 300S immediately.
Consuela Musy sits behind the wheel of her husband’s new Maserati 300S. Together with their son Edouard, they traveled from race to race. Courtesy Walter Baumer.
After a long, hard life in Africa 3057 was discovered in 1987 by Swede Stein Johnson, who was tipped off about an “Italian beach buggy”. After its restoration, the car was sold to Michael Hinderer. In the meantime Musy’s son Edouard heard of the car’s existence, and was invited to ride in the car at the Nurburgring in 2001. For Musy it brought back many memories. “I still smell the oil and remember the sound,” he said. “Everything is there–again!”