1961 Maserati 3500 GT SpyderChassis no. AM101.1039

1961 Maserati 3500 GT SpyderCoachwork by VignaleChassis no. AM101.1039
3,485cc DOHC Twin-Plug Inline 6-Cylinder Engine3 Weber Twin-Choke Carburetors220bhp at 5,500rpm5-Speed Manual Transmission Independent Front Suspension - Live Rear AxleFront Disc – Rear Drum Brakes*Rare and desirable Vignale Spyder with documented provenance and low mileage*Retains original and preserved interior and top *Professional paint and brightwork restoration*Shown at the Amelia Island Concours d'EleganceTHE MASERATI 3500 GTDespite numerous racetrack successes that included Juan Manuel Fangio's fifth World Championship (at the wheel of a 250F) and runner-up spot in the World Sportscar Championship with the fabulous 450S, both in 1957 (the marque's most successful season), Maserati was by that time facing a bleak future. Its parent company's financial difficulties eventually forced a withdrawal from racing and Maserati's survival strategy for the 1960s centered on establishing the company as a producer of road cars. The Modena marque's new era began in 1957 with the launch of the Touring-bodied 3500 GT, its first road model built in significant numbers. A luxury "2+2," the 3500 GT drew on Maserati's competition experience, employing a tubular chassis frame and an engine derived from the 350S sports car unit of 1956. Its designer was none other than Giulio Alfieri, creator of the immortal Tipo 60/61 "Birdcage" sports-racer and the man responsible for developing the 250F into a World Championship winner. The twin-overhead-camshaft, six-cylinder engine was a close relative of that used in the 250F and developed around 220bhp. Built initially with drum brakes and a four-speed gearbox, the 3500 GT was gradually improved, gaining five speeds, front disc brakes and, finally, all-disc braking. A car possessing such impeccable antecedents not unnaturally attracted the attention of Italy's finest carrozzerie: Allemano, Bertone, and Frua all created bodies for the 3500 GT chassis. Most Coupes were the work of Touring, while all but one (a Frua-bodied example) of the much less common Spyder version were the work of Carrozzeria Vignale. Introduced in 1959 at the Turin Motor Show, Vignale's Maserati 3500 GT Spyder was the creation of Giovanni Michelotti, at that time the company's star designer. Built on a slightly shorter wheelbase—250cm as opposed to 260cm—than the coupé and constructed of steel panels rather than the closed car's aluminum, the Spyder lasted in production until 1964. Which at that time, 242 (some sources say 245) cars had been made, representing a little over 10% of 3500 GT production.THE MOTORCAR OFFEREDThis beautifully preserved example of the legendary Maserati 3500 GT was originally delivered with its splendid Vignale Spider coachwork in white paint with black leather interior and sold new by the Maserati distributor Cornacchia Automobili of Rome, Italy, to Vasco Migliacci—renowned Italian songwriter and composer, also from Rome. It was later purchased by a lady in Naples who, it seems, had the car color changed from white to Rosso Rubino, the beautiful Ruby Red it presents in today. The interior was not touched and remains as it was when delivered from the factory in Modena. The Napolitana kept the car until 1980, when it was acquired by Pierre Honegger, a race car driver and entrepreneur in Princeton, New Jersey. Honegger maintained the 3500 GT in his collection. Correspondence with the race driver confirmed that when he received the Maserati, other than the paint, the car was totally original, without any evidence of accident or modification. He sold the Maserati in March 1997, to noted collector Peter Starr, with 29,037 kms on the odometer, believed to be the original reading. The current consignor states that when Starr took possession of the car it had already been fitted with another Maserati 3500 GT factory replacement engine - a correct 3.5-liter 6-cylinder motor exactly as the original one. It is unclear whether the engine change was at the request of a previous owner or whether it was Honegger who switched out the motor, which seems most likely. In 2006, Starr commissioned Ayer European Auto Restorations in Gardiner, Maine, to perform a respray, taking the body back to bare metal to ensure a first-class result. At the same time the chrome was sent to D&S Plating Co., the Pebble Beach award winning specialist based in Holyoke, Massachusetts. Following many years careful maintenance and meticulous service, the Maserati was presented at the Amelia Island Concours in 2014 as the only Vignale Spyder at the 100th Anniversary celebration of the marque. After two decades of ownership, Starr sold the car to the current steward, a long-time enthusiast with a large and eclectic collection, including numerous Maseratis. This gorgeous 3500 GT Spyder is believed to be dressed with the original top and interior, and other than a small tear in the top canvas and some insignificant paint flaking on the dash, the overall condition of the car is amazingly well-preserved with a patina of careful wear over its fifty-seven years. It has three Weber carburetors and disc brakes in the front with drum in the rear and a lovely set of Borrani steel wheels, as well as the desirable 5-speed manual transmission. This fabulous Ruby Red Maserati is one of fewer than 250 of the 3500 GT Spyder's built, with less than 40,000 kilometers on the clock, it is a highly desirable and drivable marque icon.