Vehicle Description
Chassis No. 101.1858
Throughout its illustrious history as a manufacturer, Maserati's
focus was primarily on motorsports, which was rewarded with
numerous victories in Grand Prix and sports car racing before and
after World War II. The few road cars the firm sold were exclusive
and expensive, heavily relying on components from their racing
machines. Although Juan Manuel Fangio had achieved his fifth and
final World Championship driving for Maserati in 1957, the company
ultimately saw the discontinuation of its factory racing program in
1958. To ensure its financial health, Maserati needed to adopt a
new business strategy and while they continued to offer racing car
services to privateers, the Modena marque would begin building
series production road cars for the first time with the
introduction of the 3500GT.
Debuting at the 1957 Geneva Motor Show, the 3500GT was designed by
chief engineer Giulio Alfieri as a fast and comfortable gran
turismo, wearing elegant 2+2 coachwork by Carrozzeria Touring. It
featured a Maserati 350S-derived straight-six engine adapted
exclusively for road use - a 3485 cc aluminum block with dual
overhead cams, twin-plug ignition, and three twin-choke Weber
carburetors that generated 230 horsepower and 254 lb-ft of torque.
Initially, a four-speed all-synchromesh gearbox supplied by ZF was
standard, but was upgraded to a five-speed unit in 1960.
Additionally, a limited-slip differential and four-wheel disc
brakes became desirable options from 1959 onwards.
This stunning Maserati 3500GT was originally completed as a
left-hand drive Touring-bodied coupe in November 1961, finished in
Amaranto (dark red) over a Pelle Neutra interior. According to a
digital copy of the car's original delivery notice on file, chassis
number 1858 was delivered new to Copenhagen, Denmark in 1962 via
Fiat importer Borch-Christensen, with an additional handwritten
note listing P. Knudsen and Sons as the client. Additional
equipment listed on the notice includes folding seats, armrests,
seat belts, and a radio. The Maserati is understood to have been
involved in an accident in 1965, at which point its owner opted to
have the car completely rebodied.
Despite the increasing rarity of custom coachwork due to the
prevalence of unibody construction, its owner nevertheless saw fit
to transform the Maserati with a bespoke design. Enlisting the help
of Moretti S.p.A. - an Italian coachbuilder and automaker renowned
for modifying Fiats and later developing their own designs -
chassis number 1858 received a one-off, low-slung body featuring a
long hood and graceful fastback silhouette. Period photographs on
file show the freshly-rebodied Maserati on display at the Morreti
booth during the 1966 Geneva Auto Salon wearing a dark red finish
and Danish registration.
The car's history over the next several years resumes with an
acquisition by a German collector in the 1980s. In 2000, the car
was reportedly purchased out of Germany by respected Maserati
collector Alfredo Brener who relocated the car to the United
States. Within Brener's devoted care, the Maserati underwent a
cosmetic refurbishment which included repainting the unique
coachwork in its current bright red and retrimming the interior in
white leather hides. Remaining in California for the next 23 years,
the car joined legendary collector Don Williams' esteemed Blackhawk
Museum in 2014 where it is understood to have undergone further
refurbishment.
With its five-speed manual transmission and optional four-wheel
disc brakes, this gorgeously presented example of an already
special luxury grand tourer is further complemented by a Maserati
Certificate of Origin confirming the car's original build date and
chassis number. Widely recognized as the model that secured the
financial future of one of the world's most exclusive
high-performance marques, this distinctive coachbuilt 3500GT Coupe
would make a wonderful acquisition for any collector of important,
bespoke GT cars.