In 1959, when Ferrari and Aston Martin battled for supremacy in the World Sports Car Championship, Maserati returned to the racing scene with an amazing sportsracer, revolutionary in concept: the 2-liter Tipo 60. Nicknamed "Birdcage" because of the design of the chassis, the car was immediately successful. The 3-liter version, the Tip 61, appeared soon after in response to demand from the many racers determined to make the Ferraris eat dust. From 1959 to 1961, twenty-two Birdcages left the Modena workshop. Light and fast, by 1967, they accumulated almost 170 victories. This is their story, and those of the drivers and racing teams that campaigned them on the tracks of Europe and North America.