Descrição
MASERATI 3500 GT TOURING SUPERLEGGERA
The Maserati 3500 GT is a grand touring automobile produced from 1957 to 1964. It is the result of cooperation between engineer Giulio Alfieri and the Carrozzeria Touring,
Fascinating for her style that many consider a real success, whose “homogeneity” gives the car its unique charm, the 3500 GT is the first major commercial success of the Italian manufacturer. The Maserati 3500 GT Touring is one of those timeless Italian sportscars with tons of style. Probably one of the finest designs made by coachbuilder Touring Superleggera, and today still an epitome of Italian style.
Beside the beauty of the body and interior, the 3500 GT also has a fantastic 3. 5 liter six-in-line engine which is an evolution of the famous Maserati racecars of the fifties. With 220 horsepower and a top speed of 230 km/ h, it offered impressive performance. Only 2, 226 were produced between 1957 and 1964, making it a rare and sought-after classic. The 3500 GT attracted the attention of celebrities and car enthusiasts, making it a status symbol.
“Collection by Vermant” is very happy to be able to offer you this exclusive and exquisite car with a fantastic history. This Maserati was delivered new on 15 January 1960 to the Swiss businessman and racing driver Jean-Pierre Kunstle, who was living at the time at Carmel, in California. He raced a great deal in the States throughout the 1950s, first with a Panhard-engined Devin and then a Porsche 550. In 1955, at a race at Palm Springs, he finished second, just ahead of a certain James Dean, who took third place with his Porsche 356 Speedster!
In 1984, the car was still in California when it was sold to E. Condor from Los Angeles. In 2006, it was found in a garage in Beverly Hills and the following year, it was sold to an Italian gentleman who shipped it back to Italy. It was then red and had never been restored.
It was then bought by an Austrian enthusiast who set about a complete restoration by a renowned specialist, AutoKlassik in Graz, who did the work to a high standard. The chassis was stripped to bare metal and the aluminium body completely rebuilt. Ermano Cozza, who looked after Maserati's historical department at the time, confirmed it was originally finished in Bianco Polo Park. It was therefore decided to repaint it in a shade of white recalling its original colour, with the roof an elegant burgundy.
After this major restoration, the 3500 GT was sold to a collector in Switzerland and then sold at auction in Monaco in 2014 to its current owner, who was won over by its superb condition. Since being restored, it has covered little more than 1000 km and its owner has been at pains to preserve its fine condition. It won a Grand Touring prize at the Concours d'Élégance Prestige at Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat and, in 2020, underwent a full service.
As Fabio Collina of Maserati Classiche pointed out, it has its original engine and is an interesting first-series car with round front indicators. Finished in white with a burgundy roof, it has a magnificently restored beige leather interior. Still looking resplendent after a meticulous restoration carried out more than ten years ago, this car embodies the birth of Grand Touring through two prestigious names, Maserati and the Carrozzeria Touring.
