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.