Description
- Aimed at around 250 produced 3500 GT Spyder vehicles
- With original engine and factory 5-speed ZF transmission
- Original hardtop with SSD
- Fully restored with over 2, 800 man-hours
- Known history since 1960 and well documented with factory order form, shipping notice and Maserati provenance certificate
Vehicle history:
On 15 November 1960 this distinctive Maserati GT 3500 with a Vignale Spyder body was ordered and assigned chassis number 1093. Among the special features of this order, placed through the Dutch Maserati importers Maasland Company, were a Grigio Montebello coachwork (Max Meyer 16. 003), a neutral Connolly leather interior, the optional ZF gearbox, and a rare removable hardtop. The car was manufactured in December 1960 and delivered to Max Cohen in New York City on 23 January 1961. Since it was known the Maserati would return to Europe, the car was equipped with metric specifications, including instrumentation. After returning to the Netherlands in spring 1963, the car was registered on 11 March 1963.
Mr. Cohen had the hardtop fitted with a sunroof before selling the car to the next owner, John Hootman. He sold the Vignale in 1968 to Bob Haagendoorn. After moving to a new house in early 1975, two Spyders stood in his driveway when Bart van der Weiden approached him. As one of the founding members of the Dutch Maserati Club, the two quickly became friends. Weiden had fallen in love with Haagendoorn’s Spyder and was told he would be first choice when it was time to sell his beloved Maserati.
In 1977 the next major round of repairs and maintenance was due, but due to other commitments the car was stored in a garage until there was time for a restoration. Because the car was not driven, it was deregistered in 1979 and remained there for the following 38 years. On 22 December 2015 Weiden bought the Spyder, together with a Sebring and another 3500 GT, from his friend Marcel Lammerée. It was an emotional moment for all involved, as the garage had not been opened for so long and a tree had to be felled before the Spyder came to light.
As he already had a Spyder in his collection, the car was sold on 2 January 2016 to the current owner. Thanks to Haagendoorn’s careful stewardship, the car was in remarkably good condition and still wore its five-speed gearbox and original hardtop. The bespoke trunk lining was still original and in impressive condition. Even the original license plate, first mounted in 1963, was still on the car.
Restoration of the car began in 2016 and was meticulous. The Maserati was taken to Auto Sauer in Bamberg, where it was carefully dismantled and every part documented to assess its condition, with the restoration team paying particular attention to the car’s unique details. New Cibie headlights and fog lamps were sourced from old stock, a new windscreen was fabricated by URO-Glass in England, and a new wiring loom was obtained from Klaus Müller Kabelbäume.
The chassis and body were stripped to bare metal for a thorough inspection before repainting. After completion of the metalwork, the frame and bodyshell were primed with a dipping primer to ensure full coverage, then treated with an undercoat primer. Unlike the original, the car was repainted in the contemporary shade Grigio Flemington (106-E-6), while the hardtop was repainted in its original colour Grigio Montebello. In total, over 500 hours were spent on bodywork alone.
The mechanicals were treated with equal care as the body. The original numbers-matching engine was completely rebuilt by specialists at Heydt in Bamberg. New pistons, connecting rods, bearings, seals and a timing chain were installed, and the water pump and radiator were overhauled. The five-speed gearbox was sent to transmission specialist Hermann Oberlack, where it was completely dismantled, overhauled and a new clutch installed. Brakes and suspension components were likewise refreshed. The owner chose to replace the original steel wheels with new Borrani wire wheels, and the steering was upgraded with EZ Electric power steering for improved driveability.
Finally the interior was retrimmed with entirely new leather. The Crema colour was chosen over the delicate neutral Connolly leather with Bordo Bleu cores. These works were carried out by Erdmann Saddlery. The instruments were overhauled and the gauges reset to zero after the restoration. The car was fitted with an Autovox radio, offering higher power and an AUX input for use with your phone.
After more than 2, 800 hours of restoration work by renowned specialists, the end result is a spectacular 3500 GT Spyder that invites you to enjoy it. With its well-documented history since 1960 and its magnificent presentation, this Maserati 3500 GT Vignale Spyder is not only a piece of automotive history but also a highly sought-after Concours candidate and is eligible for touring events worldwide.
