1960 Maserati 3500 GT
- Presented in original colours of Bleu Cobalto and Pelle Rosso
- Matching-numbers engine and gearbox
- Supplied new to the USA
- Fully documented bare-metal restoration
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION
During the late 1950s and early ’60s, the Maserati 3500 GT was a refined and stylish choice for everyone from captains of industry to glamorous socialites, and this particular car is looking resplendent following a recent restoration.
Maserati records show that chassis number 101.1142 was built on 10 November 1960, and dispatched seven days later to Maserati Representatives of California, which was based on Wilshire Boulevard in upmarket Beverly Hills.
It subsequently spent some time in Maryland and was in Ohio by the mid-1990s, before eventually being brought over to the UK by musician Guy Berryman – bass player for the band Coldplay and a noted car enthusiast. He embarked on what was intended to be a full rebuild, with Jaguar Panels carrying out a bare-metal restoration of the bodywork.
The Maserati was then sold to its current owner as an unfinished project, and was taken through to completion by Rafal Platek – a Krakow-based specialist who is renowned for his work on Italian cars of the 1960s.
The end result is a 3500 GT that is beautifully presented in its original colour scheme of Bleu Cobalto with a Pelle Rossa interior. As part of a full retrim, the leather was supplied by Connolly to the original pattern and colour, while Wilton did the same with the carpets. All of the mechanical components were fully overhauled, including the powerful and sonorous straight-six engine, which received new pistons as part of a comprehensive rebuild.
The Maserati Classiche documentation that accompanies the car shows that it retains its matching-numbers engine and gearbox, and there is also a full photographic record of its restoration. It is now being offered for sale as an extremely original and well-sorted example of this elegantly understated Grand Tourer.
MODEL HISTORY
Maserati had achieved great motorsport success during the 1950s, but despite taking Juan Manuel Fangio to his fifth and final Formula 1 World Championship in 1957, it announced its withdrawal from racing that year.
Until that point, the Italian company had built production road cars in only very small numbers. That changed in 1957 with the introduction at the Geneva Salon of the 3500 GT, which drew on Maserati’s racing experience but would be produced in far greater quantities than previous road cars.
Originally launched as a 2+2 coupé, the 3500 GT featured bodywork by Carrozzeria Touring that was mounted on a tubular chassis. Beneath the bonnet was a 3485cc straight-six thatproduced in the region of 220bhp. It was closely related to the marque’s competition engines and boasted twin overhead camshafts, twin-plug ignition and a trio of twin-choke Webers.
The front suspension featured double wishbones and coil springs, and at the rear there was a Salisbury axle and semi-elliptic leaf springs. Girling drum brakes were fitted to the early cars, and steering was via a recirculating-ball set-up.
Upgrades applied during the model’s production run included a five-speed gearbox in place of the previous four-speeder and, from 1962 onwards, all-round disc brakes, while the 3500GTI gained a Lucas fuel-injection system in place of the Weber carburettors.
Following the success of the coupé, Maserati commissioned a short-wheelbase Spyder variant that had been created by Giovanni Michelotti for Vignale. Road & Track magazine compared the Spyder favourably to the Ferrari 250 GT when it tested one, and with a top speed approaching 140mph, it certainly had the performance to go with its good looks.
Production of the coupé had reached just under 2000 cars by the time Maserati replaced the 3500 GT in 1964, and it remains an extremely significant model in the long and illustrious history of the Modena-based marque.