The new Pininfarina-designed Maserati concept car which was presented last week at the Geneva Motor Show has been awarded the prestigious 'Best Concept' at the show by the highly respected Autoweek magazine.

The Pininfarina Birdcage 75th won ‘Best Concept’ in the 'Editors’ Choice Awards' category of the American magazine, Autoweek. The motivation behind this award was simply “100% passion”. The Piedmont designer’s Birdcage was constructed by Maserati mechanics in collaboration with Motorola.

“I am pleased with this concept car as it represents the best of Maserati spirit, its tradition and its vision of the future”, stated Karl-Heinz Kalbfell, Maserati’s recently-appointed new CEO.

The Birdcage 75th, which is based on the awesome Maserati MC 12 sportscar, is a true 'dream car', which harks back to the days of the 1960s and 1970s when designer's visions were unfettered by constraints that are sadly all to prevalent today. The new concept is named after the highly-successful Maserati 'Birdcage' racer. In its first guise, as the Tipo 60, it appeared at Rouen in 1959, while it went onto claim notable wins, including a double victory in the gruelling Nuerburgring 1000kms.
 

Pininfarina's concept, built in conjunction with mobile phone company Motorola, is a real, genuine successor to this idea and draws on the original for inspiration so well. Its sweeping, flamboyantly-brushed lines, its slim side flanks, the hinging forward cockpit cover, and its aluminium dashboard and steering column framework, all update the legendary Birdcage's most famous visual assets cleverly for the 21st century.

Visitors to the show have streamed past this gorgeous concept all week, stopping to take in its stunning lines, and take a trip back through Maserati's history.

At the same time as admirers have made this journey, they have also been able to recall an era when automotive designer's were free to pursue their wildest fantasies, and for this last point especially, Pininfarina's team must be warmly congratulated.