Maserati 3500 GT History

After Maserati officially withdrew from factory motorsport following the 1957 Mille Miglia tragedy, all resources pivoted to road cars. The 3500 GT — two prototypes shown at Geneva in March 1957, deliveries beginning in late 1957 — was the result. Bodied by Carrozzeria Touring of Milan using its Superleggera aluminium-over-tubular-steel technique, it was immediately praised for its elegant lines and was the first Maserati built in meaningful volume.

Power came from a 3.5-litre twin-cam inline-six derived from the 350S racing engine, initially with triple Weber carburetors producing around 220 hp and a top speed of approximately 134 mph. A Spyder (open) version joined the coupe in 1959. For 1961 the engine gained Bosch fuel injection as an option — the 3500 GTI — making the car one of the earliest fuel-injected grand tourers sold commercially.

More than 2,000 examples were built before the model was replaced in 1964. The 3500 GT is historically significant as the vehicle that transformed Maserati from a tiny race-car constructor into a genuine luxury road-car maker and, quite literally, kept the company solvent.