VIN: the John Simone / Antonio Alecce / King Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Maserati 5000 GT chassis 048-060
History of chassis 048-060
Chassis 048 was the first of two Maserati 5000 GTs equipped with coachwork by Frua.
Although not officially signed off until June 18th 1962, chassis 048 was completed in time to go on display at the Geneva Motor Show during March 1962 where it appeared in the stunning colour scheme of Oro Chiaro Metallizzato with Nero upholstery.
Following this appearance, chassis 048 was dispatched to the French Maserati distributor, Jean Thepenier in Paris. During the next few months the car was frequently used by Thepenier’s business partner, John Simone, who was a major supporter of Maserati’s racing department.
Simone had ordered one of the three Maserati Tipo 151s being assembled for the 1962 Le Mans 24 Hour race (the other pair having been commissioned by Briggs Cunningham). In the build up to that year’s event, Simone reputedly drove chassis 048 between his base in Paris, the Maserati factory in Modena and also to Le Mans.
Throughout this period the car was also loaned to 25 year old Paris-domiciled Shah Karim al-Husayni, better known as Aga Khan IV, 49th Imam of the Nizari Ismailis. Aga Khan IV was so impressed that he ordered his own Frua-bodied 5000 GT on May 24th (chassis 060).
Chassis 048 returned to the Maserati factory over the summer of 1962 where it was prepared for the Paris Motor Show in October. The car underwent a comprehensive refurbishment which included the installation of new Camsocio beige chamois-style upholstery.
Maserati subsequently went on to display chassis 048 at the Concorso di Eleganza per Automobili organised by the Automobile Club of Belluno which took place at the Miramonti Majestic Grand Hotel in Cortina d'Ampezzo during the summer of 1963.
Later that year, chassis 048 underwent another overhaul at Maserati, during which the colour was changed to Rosso Rubino and the car was re-numbered as chassis 060.
In November the effectively as-new machine was sold to Antonio Alecce, president and founder of the Istituto Farmacoterapico Italiano in Rome which created and distributed medicines and other pharmaceutical products throughout Italy.
A couple of years later, chassis 048-060 was back at the Maserati factory where further customisation was carried out for King Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Saud who was gifted the car by his son, Prince Abdel Majis bin-Saud.
At the time, the family were living as exiles in Cairo following King Saud’s forced abdication on November 2nd 1964. The situation had come about as a result of a power struggle between the King and his brother, Prince Faisal, owing to the King’s profligacy, corruption and inability to meet the challenge of Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser who Faisal perceived as a threat.
King Saud had Maserati carry out a number of modifications to include the installation of twin headlights per side, new Quattroporte-style front light clusters, new tail light assemblies, elaborate chrome trims for the engine cooling vents and a smaller Maserati emblem for the upper nose intake.
Following the Six-Day War of 1967, Gamal Abdel Nasser was forced to order King Saud and his family to leave Cairo from where they headed to Athens.
Chassis 048-060 was seized by the Egyptian authorities and impounded for the King’s failure to pay the appropriate taxes.
It remained in storage for over three decades until it was sold by the authorities, after which the unrestored car headed to Bonhams & Brooks’ Monaco auction in May 2000 where it sold for over £220,000. Since then, the car has been restored to its late 1963 configuration.
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Maserati - https://maserati.com
