The A6 1500 was Maserati’s first production road car, with 61 units built between 1947 and 1951. Early brochures identified it as the “Maserati Sport A6 – 1500 cc.” and shortly afterwards as the “Maserati A6 1500 c.c. Turismo”. Design work on the car started in 1941 under the guidance of the Maserati brothers, who remained in charge of development despite having sold the company to the Modenese industrialist Adolfo Orsi. It was Orsi who decided that Maserati should not limit itself solely to the production of racing cars and thus triggered the creation of the A6 1500 for its sporting clientele. In 1942 a test mule was assembled and Gigi Villoresi tested the car, however by that time the factory was too heavily involved in the war effort to pursue its development. The marque’s first road model was finalized after the hostilities in Europe ceased, and was presented at the Geneva motor show in March 1947, where it created quite a stir.

Mechanically, the A6 1500 was powered by a straight-six long-stroke  engine, with a single overhead camshaft and a single carburetor, producing 65 hp from a 1.5 liter power plant. Performance ranged from 146 to 154 kph (91 to 96 mph) depending on the reduction ratio. From 1949 onwards a small number of cars were fitted with triple carburetors. The modern tubular frame chassis was established on a 2.55 meter wheelbase with coil-sprung suspension and all round Houdaille hydraulic shock absorbers.

The first prototype sported a strikingly modern two-seat coupé body designed by Pinin Farina, which the coachbuilder from Turin toned down only slightly for the start of the actual production run. The styling evolved from early two-seat notchback coupés (with optional Plexiglas sunroof) to 2+2 fastback versions. Zagato was responsible for the coachwork for one car in the series, while Pinin Farina also added a convertible body, of which two were produced. This historical partnership with Pininfarina was renewed decades later with the introduction of the GranTurismo, which takes its name from the A6 series. From 1950 the model was gradually replaced by the 2 liter A6G 2000.