Maserati 3500 GT Coupé Frua

Vehicle Overview

In 1953 Orsi hired the engineer Giulio Alfieri whose first task was to design a Grand Touring Maserati better suited to everyday use. He developed the 3500 GT, that was such a success that 1,975 examples were produced between 1957 and 1965. It was powered by a 3.5-litre six-cylinder engine derived from that of the 350 S, with twin OHC and dual ignition. With triple Weber carburettors, it produced 220 bhp, capable of a top speed of 210 km/h. It was mated to a ZF box with four or five gears. The passenger compartment was luxuriously equipped, with a superb dashboard sporting five instruments and leather upholstery. Several coachbuilders submitted proposals to design the body, including Zagato, Frua and Allemano, who had already collaborated with the marque on earlier models. However, it was the design by Touring that finally won the Orsi family’s approval, and it is in this form that the Maserati 3500 GT coupé is generally known. The other coachbuilders continued to propose other projects, as was the custom in Italy : Allemano (four prototypes in 1958/1959), Bertone (one speciment in 1959), Boneschi (two coupés in 1962/1963), Moretti (one example in 1966), Vignale (one Spider in addition to the version adopted as the official Spider). Pietro Frua also created a Spider in 1959 along with four special coupés in 1961 and 1962, one of which is the example on offer. Frua, who had previously collaborated on the A6G/2000, offered a very individual style that fused elegance with a sense of aggression, giving the 3500 GT an appearance that prefigured the future Sebring: a grill with four lights, a high waistline and a large area of glass.