Beschreibung:

Despite 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 Sports Car 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 forced a withdrawal from racing and Maserati's survival strategy for the 1960s centred 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 3500GT, its first road car built in significant numbers. A luxury '2+2', the 3500GT drew heavily on Maserati's competition experience, employing a tubular chassis frame and an engine derived from the 350S competition sports car unit of 1956. Suspension was independent at the front by wishbones and coil springs while at the back there was a conventional live axle/semi-elliptic arrangement. The 3500GT's 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 initially on carburettors, later examples producing 235bhp on Lucas mechanical fuel injection. Built initially with drum brakes and four-speed transmission, the 3500GT was progressively updated, gaining five speeds, front disc brakes and, finally, all-disc braking before production ceased in 1964. This Maserati 3500GT boasts the desirable triple Weber carburettors, front disc brakes and ZF five-speed gearbox, and is equipped with original Borrani Record wire wheels and Connolly leather upholstery. Manufactured in April 1961, the car was delivered to its first owner, Ugo Mondini of Trento, Italy on 30th June 1962. The identity of the next (Milanese) owner is not known but from 1975 to 1995 the Maserati was owned by Walter Stacy of Anderson, California, USA. In 1995 the car passed to Joop Stolze in the Netherlands, who sold it to the current owner in March 2001. The odometer reading at that time was 19,225 kilometres (currently 61,000). In 2002 the car was officially FEHAC licensed (number '7153'). A member of the Maserati Cub Holland's technical commission since 2002, the vendor has toured and rallied the 3500GT extensively across Europe and in 2004 was invited to bring his car to Modena for the 90th Anniversary of the Maserati factory. While in the vendor's possession the Maserati has undergone extensive refurbishment including a cylinder head overhaul, lead-free conversion and full Dinitrol treatment (2002); carburettor, speedometer and rev counter overhaul (2007); new radiator, brake lines, paintwork, re-plating of brightwork and overhaul of the gearbox, dynamo and starter motor (2008); new engine mounts and differential seal (2009); and a new rear bumper, two new Blockley tyres and Connolly leather interior (2012). Finished in its original factory colour of Tigullio Blue metallic, this classic Maserati GT is described as in generally very good, original condition and offered with sundry restoration invoices, Netherlands registration papers and technical inspection. A tool kit, basic Maserati handbook, Italian-language 3500GT manual, new spare tyre and original safety starter switch are included in the sale. We are advised that the engine was probably replaced at the Maserati factory. Cette Maserati 3500 GT à carburateurs Weber, freins à disque, boîte 5 vitesses ZF, roues Borrani et intérieur cuir Connolly (refait en 2012) a bénéficié de travaux de réfection de la culasse (convertie au sans-plomb), des carburateurs, des instruments de bord, d'un radiateur et de canalisations de frein, d'une peinture et d'une réfection des chromes, d'une révision de la dynamo et du démarreur, du changement des supports moteur et des joints de pont arrière, d'un pare-chocs arrière n