VIN: Aga Khan IV's Maserati 5000 GT chassis 060
History of chassis 060
Chassis 060 was one of two late production examples of the Maserati 5000 GT that received coachwork by Frua of Turin. It was commissioned by 25 year old Paris-domiciled Shah Karim al-Husayni, better known as Aga Khan IV, 49th Imam of the Nizari Ismailis.
Al Husayni ascended to the role of Aga Khan IV on July 11th 1957 when he succeeded his grandfather while stlll a 20 year old university student. His grandfather, Aga Khan III, bypassed Al Husayni’s father, Prince Aly Khan, and his uncle and fellow motoring enthusiast, Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan, who were in direct line to succession as Aga Khan III was convinced it was in the best interests of the Nizari Ismaili community that he should be succeeded by a young man brought up in the new age.
Aga Khan IV ordered chassis 060 after the French Maserati distributor, Jean Thepenier, had loaned him the first Frua-bodied 5000 GT (chassis 048) during the spring of 1962. Aga Khan IV was so impressed he ordered his own example on May 24th.
Whereas chassis 048 was painted Oro Chiaro (gold), Aga Khan IV’s example was finished in Savidin Peombra, a deep metallic grey with hints of purple and pink. Inside, chassis 060 was upholstered in beige leather with a black dashboard.
The two cars also differed from one another in terms of their cockpit layout. Instead of electric window switches on the doors, 060’s were located on the central control panel. A radio was mounted where 048’s clock resided alongside an array of flick switches mounted on a chrome panel. 060’s clock was moved to the right-hand side of the speedometer and the voltmeter was positioned on the left so an oil temperature gauge could be housed in the main instrument binnacle. A Philips record player was located in front of the passenger instead of a glovebox. The transmission tunnel was home to a fully gaitered gear lever, an ashtray and a custom armrest complete with concealed storage box and grab handle. A passenger-side headrest was another unique feature.
Chassis 060 was delivered to Thepenier on August 8th 1962 and Aga Khan IV took delivery soon afterwards.
The car returned to Maserati in February 1963 when a 10,000km service was carried out and the original 16-inch diameter wheels were switched to 15-inch items to improve the ride quality. It was back in Modena for another service during August 1966, at which point the odometer showed 22,000km.
Chassis 060 subsequently disappeared from view for around three decades. The Frua-bodied car emerged again in the mid 1990s, by which time it had been exported to USA.
Since then 060 has been restored to its original condition and received a second in class award at the 1999 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Maserati - https://maserati.com
