One to Buy: 1961 Paris Motor Show Maserati 3500 GT Spyder
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Prior to the 3500 GT’s arrival, Maserati’s road cars had been low volume coachbuilt specials manufactured in an insufficient number to cover the firm’s extensive racing activities. By contrast, the handsome 3500 GT arrived as an off-the-peg Gran Turismo that became the most popular vehicle in its class.
Offered to the public as a long wheelbase Touring-bodied Coupe or a short wheelbase Vignale-bodied Spyder, it was the more spacious Fixed Head version that sold best, especially in Italy where customers typically favoured discrete Coupes as opposed to flashier Drop Heads.
By the time production ended in 1964, Maserati has sold roughly six times as many 3500 GT Coupes to Spyders with just 242 copies of the Convertible eventually being completed. Production was split between the original carb-fed and later fuel-injected versions while during the car’s lifetime Maserati also most notably introduced a five-speed gearbox and disc brakes.
Today, arguably the most desirable specification for a 3500 GT Spyder is the combination of Maserati’s uncomplicated carburettor engine with disc brakes and the five-speed ‘box as found on this historically significant example currently residing at the Thiesen Automobile showroom in Hamburg.
Configured in its original colour scheme of Argento over Nero upholstery and supplied with the rarely seen Hardtop option, this particular car was displayed by Maserati’s French distributor, Jean Thepenier, at the 1961 Paris Motor Show which opened on October 5th and ran for ten days.
Subsequently acquired by Frenchman Monsieur Dupre (original invoice on file), the car (showing a little under 49,000km) has more recently undergone an extensive and well-documented restoration by a renowned Maserati / Ferrari specialist.
