1960 Maserati 3500 GT Coupé

Coachwork by Carrozzeria

Footnotes

'The 3500 GT Maserati is a much underrated motor car, being overshadowed by the prancing horse from up the road in Modena. But it is not so long ago that the prancing horse was very much on the prongs of the Maserati trident in motor racing and there is that lovely big six-cylinder engine under the bonnet to remind one of the glories of the 250F.' - Edward Eves, Autocar 3rd July 1976.

Despite numerous racetrack successes that included Juan Manuel Fangio's fifth World Championship - at the wheel of a 250F - and runner-up spot in the World Sports Car Championship with the fabulous 450S - both in 1957, the marque's most successful season - Maserati was by that time facing a bleak future. Its parent company's financial difficulties forced a withdrawal from racing, and Maserati's survival strategy for the 1960s centred on establishing the company as a producer of road cars.

The Modena marque's new era began in 1957 with the launch of the 3500 GT, its first road car built in significant numbers. A luxury 2+2 featuring beautiful Superleggera aluminium coachwork by Carrozzeria Touring, the 3500 GT drew heavily on Maserati's competition experience, employing a tubular chassis frame and an engine derived from the 350S sportscar unit of 1956. Suspension was independent at the front by wishbones and coil springs, while at the back there was a conventional live axle/semi-elliptic arrangement.

The 3500 GT's designer was none other than Giulio Alfieri, creator of the immortal Tipo 60/61 'Birdcage' sports-racer and the man responsible for developing the 250F into a World Championship winner. The twin-overhead-camshaft, six-cylinder engine was a close relative of that used in the 250F and developed around 220bhp initially, later examples producing 235bhp on Lucas mechanical fuel injection. Built initially with drum brakes and four-speed transmission, the 3500 GT was progressively updated, gaining five speeds, front disc brakes and, finally, all-disc braking.

A car possessing such impeccable antecedents not unnaturally attracted the attention of Italy's finest carrozzeria: Allemano, Bertone and Frua all created bodies for the 3500 GT chassis. Most coupés were the work of Touring, while all but one (a Frua-bodied example) of the much less common Spyder version were the work of Carrozzeria Vignale.
Completed in October 1960 and delivered new to the UK, chassis number '1120' is one of only 12 3500 GT Coupés built in right-hand drive configuration. The Maserati's early history is not known, though by 1980 it was in the private collection belonging to Bobby McIntyre. In 1988 the car was sold at auction described as 'requiring restoration'. The new owner commissioned renowned marque specialist Bill McGrath to carry out the rebuild, which had not been finished when the car was sold to the current vendor in 1993. Works already completed by then included restoration of the chassis, overhauling the engine, and re-trimming the interior.

McGrath duly completed the restoration for the current owner, who has used the Maserati continuously since then for pleasure and classic rallying, enjoying success on the 'Scottish Malts', 'Rallye des Alpes', etc. The cylinder head was overhauled in 2008, while in 2013 a further bodywork restoration, repaint, and overhaul of the electrics was followed by a class win at the Maserati Centennial Concours. The sensible installation of up-rated road springs and anti-roll bar, together with EZ electric power steering, are the only notified deviations from factory specification. Accompanying documentation consists of sundry restoration invoices, MoT to June 2018, and a V5C Registration Certificate.

Fastidiously maintained by McGrath Maserati and ready to use, this rare right-hand drive 3500 GT represents an exciting opportunity to acquire one of these most sought after of classic Maseratis.