Description
** The Birth of the Gran Turismo** But let's look back first: Maserati, founded in Bologna in 1914, was sold in 1937 by the industrialist Adolfo Orsi. Orsi moved the company headquarters to Modena, and while Maserati achieved racing successes, the company's financial situation remained precarious until the early 1960s. With the A6 and its many derivatives, produced from 1947 onwards, the Italians offered a road-worthy model, but it wasn't until March 1957, when a white Maserati 3500 GT was presented alongside the new Mercedes 300 SL and a Pininfarina-designed Ferrari 250 GT Spider at the 27th Geneva Motor Show, that sales figures began to rise to a level that made series production and financial success possible. In the mid-1950s, a new segment of sports car buyers emerged. Businessmen, celebrities, and other successful individuals craved fast, luxurious sports cars; they wanted to travel quickly on the ever-improving road network, not to race. Maserati, or rather, its engineer Giulio Alfieri, quickly recognized this trend and built an elegant two-plus-two seater sports car that combined existing technology with new ideas. And new ideas were essential at a time when Maserati was struggling with serious financial problems. Naturally, Maserati had looked to its neighbor in Maranello, where the Ferrari 250 GT Gran Turismo was a huge success. They also had a suitable engine in Modena: the 3. 5-liter inline six-cylinder from the 350S racing car could be adapted relatively easily. The approximately 220–240 hp of the early versions, fed by three Weber double-barrel carburetors, provided good performance, even though the Maserati, at 1. 4 tons, was no lightweight. Initially, the car had a four-speed manual transmission; from 1961 onwards, a five-speed ZF transmission was available. The 3500 GT was built on a classic tubular frame. The front wheels were independently suspended by double wishbones and sprung by coil springs. The rear axle was a solid axle, sourced from Salisbury Wheels in England – this was one of the main criticisms of the 3500 GT, along with the Girling drum brakes used initially. From 1960, disc brakes were fitted at the front. Compared to the Ferrari 250 GT Coupe, the Maserati was designed for greater comfort. The design, however, was universally praised. At the 1957 Geneva Motor Show, two body styles were on display: one by Allemano and the other by Touring, which was then adopted for series production. Touring was also supposed to build the convertible, but the design looked rather clumsy, so the order went to Vignale, where Giovanni Michelotti designed a beautiful model with an elegant flowing silhouette. By 1964, a total of 1972 examples of the Touring coupe body style had been produced, including the 3500 GTI with manifold fuel injection, which was introduced in 1962. In addition, 245 Vignale Spider models and a few one-off examples by other Italian coachbuilders were built. ** Racing technology for the road** The engine, however, was still based on a racing engine. With this 3. 5-liter six-cylinder engine, Stirling Moss competed in the Mille Miglia in 1956 and went on to win the Formula 1 championship in 1957. Two overhead camshafts and dual ignition were therefore considered standard features, as were three double-barrel carburetors. With reduced peak power and revs, and with a timing chain instead of gears, the lightweight aluminum engine still delivered a respectable 220 hp at 5500 rpm. In the competitive landscape of contemporary super sports cars, it positioned itself between the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (215 hp) and the Ferrari 250 GT (240 hp). With a displacement of 3, 485 cubic centimeters, the six-cylinder engine was also the largest production engine of its time in Italy. While the engine was developed by chief engineer Giulio Alfieri, the remaining technical components were sourced from external suppliers. The four-speed gearbox (a five-speed gearbox was introduced in 1961) and the rack-and-pinion steering came from ZF, the drum brakes from Gerling, and the differential from Salisbury. This ensured that all components would function reliably even at top speeds of up to 230 km/ h, and saved valuable time that would otherwise have been spent on developing these components in-house. The entire technical package was integrated into a tubular space frame with two robust longitudinal beams and exceptionally strong side sills. Unlike a monocoque design, this made the 3500 GT ideally suited for the construction of custom bodywork. ** What makes this vehicle special?** The 3500 GT is part of the prestigious Maserati collection "Tridente Colonia - Collezione perfetta del Curbs Club". This collection is currently offered for sale as a complete package and comprises the following vehicles: Maserati Ghibli 4700 (Restored to perfect condition) Maserati Mistral 3700 GTI 2-seater (Pre-production, restored) Maserati 3500 GT Dark Blue (Pre-production model, restored to perfection) Maserati 3500 GT White...
