Maserati 3500 GT

Maserati
3500 GT
Production period:	1957-1966
Class :	Upper class
Body versions :	Coupé , convertible
Engines:	Petrol engines : 3.5 liters (162–173 kW)
Length:	4450-4780 mm
Width:	1613-1760 mm
Height:	1300-1330 mm
Wheelbase :	2500-2600 mm
Empty weight :	1420-1466 kg
Previous model	Maserati A6G54
successor	Maserati Mistral

Front section of the 3500 GT with touring body

Flowing lines: the touring body for the 3500 GT

The Maserati 3500 GT (later 3500 GTI ) was a luxury sports car produced by the Italian car manufacturer Maserati from 1957 to 1966. With him began the series production of street sports cars at Maserati; all earlier models were more or less one-offs suitable for competition. The Coupé Maserati 3500 GTI S was derived from the 3500 GTI in 1962 and was sold under the name Sebring from 1965.

Development history of the series model

At the 1957 Geneva Motor Show, Maserati presented the successor to the A6 G54, the 3500 GT with a 3.5-liter in-line six-cylinder engine with two overhead camshafts. The chassis was kept rather simple with the rear leaf spring rigid axle. The 3500 GT was offered as a coupe and as a spider.

engine

The engine of the 3500 GT was derived from the Tipo 350S racing model, but was significantly modified for road use. Maserati increased the stroke with a modified crankshaft; at the same time, the speed level fell significantly compared to the racing engine. The camshafts were driven by a timing chain, while the Tipo 300S was driven by gear wheels. Initially, three Weber twin carburetors prepared the mixture; From 1962 a version with petrol injection from Lucas was available as an alternative . The carburetor engines made 220 to 230 hp; the performance of the injection version known as the 3500 GTI was given as 235 hp. One advantage of gasoline injection was improved running smoothness and increased pulling power. The engine had double ignition with two spark plugs per cylinder and separate electrical circuits.

landing gear

The body of the Maserati 3500 GT rested on a tubular frame. The front wheels were individually suspended and sprung from coil springs. The suspension components were supplied by the British specialist Alford & Alder. The rear axle, however, was a rigid axle on leaf springs. It was obtained from the Salisbury Wheel Company in the UK. The rear axle design in particular gave rise to criticism in the 1960s; it was seen as outdated and uncomfortable.

The brakes were obtained from Girling. Initially, Maserati used drum brakes on all four wheels. From 1959 disc brakes could optionally be ordered for the front wheels; from 1960 onwards they were installed in series.

A manually shifted four-speed or (from 1961) five-speed gearbox from ZF served as power transmission ; later, an automatic three-speed gearbox from BorgWarner was also available as an option .

body

Gran Tourismo

Rear view of the 3500 GT

The 3500 GT made its debut in 1957 as a 2 + 2-seater Gran Turismo . At the Geneva Motor Show in March 1957, Maserati presented two different bodies side by side: One version - a notchback coupé with a wide B-pillar - was bodyworked by Allemano , the second by Touring in Milan . After the end of the exhibition, the company management decided, taking into account the reactions of potential customers, for the series production of the body of the Carrozzeria Touring, which at about the same time also clad the competitor Aston Martin DB4 .

Touring's body layout was basically similar to that of the Ford Thunderbird , which, according to some sources, is said to have served as a model: The belt line was horizontal and stretched, and the passenger cell was kept tight and followed the trapezoidal shape. The front fenders ended in a large round headlight. The low-lying grille was barred and carried the Trident, the company's trademark. There have been a few minor changes over the years. In 1961, for example, the roofline was lowered slightly and the radiator grille was made smaller. At the same time, the wide doors were given rear triangular windows.

The production of the 3500 GT and GTI was detoured. Maserati first created the central longitudinal member frame that was transported to Touring. This is where the structure was built. Touring used its own patented “Superleggera” method: thin aluminum sheets were pulled over a steel frame that was previously connected to the longitudinal frame. After the construction was completed, the vehicle was transported back to Maserati, where the engine, chassis and interior were installed.

In addition to the series body from Touring, various body manufacturers produced special bodies, which, however, remained individual pieces or were only produced in very small numbers.

Spider

Maserati 3500 GT Spider with Vignale body

In addition to the closed 3500 GT, open versions of the new Maserati were also available.

Touring produced the first two convertibles in 1958. Apart from the roof, they largely corresponded to the closed models: the wheelbase was unchanged and the belt line was horizontal. The touring version, however, was not produced in series.

Instead, the order for series production went to Carrozzeria Vignale . Here Giovanni Michelotti had designed an independent body on a chassis shortened by 10 cm, which had a noticeable swing of the hips over the rear wheels. Unlike in the case of the Gran Turismo , the body of the Spider was not made of aluminum, but largely of steel. Aluminum was only used for the doors, the bonnet and the trunk lid.

Vignale's prototype was presented at the Turin Motor Show in March 1959. Series production began a year later. It lasted until 1964. From a technical point of view, the Spider followed the developments of the closed model without any delay. This also includes the introduction of the optionally available injection engine, which was only rarely used in the Spider.

Special bodies

In addition to the factory bodies from Touring and Vignale, numerous Italian bodyworks produced special bodies for the 3500 GT or 3500 GTI on behalf of customers:

• Allemano delivered four coupés (1958 and 1959).
• In 1959, Bertone designed a 2 + 2-seater coupé with a narrow passenger cell and a very long trunk.
• In 1963, the Boneschi body shop in Milan built two straight-lined coupés with a high passenger compartment and a front panoramic window, which are sometimes described in the literature as strangely stiff looking.
• Pietro Frua designed a total of four coupés for Carrozzeria Italsuisse , which can be seen as the stylistic forerunners of the Maserati Sebring . As early as 1959, Frua produced a unique Spider with a rear design reminiscent of the Renault Floride (also designed by Frua) .
• In 1965, the Turin-based car and body manufacturer Moretti built a hatchback coupé on the chassis of the 3500 GTI, which cited the lines of the Iso Grifo . Dany Brawand designed the body for Michelotti .
• In 1963, Pininfarina designed a unique Spider with a very tight roof structure, which anticipated the lines of the Fiat Dino Spider .

The Maserati 3500 GTI S

Maserati 3500 GTI S (Sebring)

→ Main article : Maserati 3500 GTI S

At the 1962 Turin Salon, Maserati presented the 3500 GTI S for the first time, a 2 + 2-seater coupé on the shorter wheelbase of the 3500 GT convertible with lines by Michelotti . The technology corresponded to the previous 3500 GTI (Touring), but the body was completely independent. From 1965 the vehicle was given the designation Maserati Sebring.

Distribution and current market situation

A total of 1972 examples of the closed 3500 GT and GTI models with factory bodies (Touring) were built by 1964; there are also 245 Vignale Spider.

As a luxury vehicle, the 3500 GT found numerous buyers from politics, society and show business. In addition to Prince Rainier III. from Monaco , Tony Curtis , Stewart Granger , Rock Hudson , Dean Martin and Anthony Quinn drove a 3500.

Both the 3500 GT and the Spider are coveted classics today. In November 2014 Classic Analytics listed a price of 109,000 euros for a neat 3500 GT, 115,000 euros for a 3500 GTi (both with a closed touring body) and 678,000 euros for a 3500 GT Spider. Significantly higher prices are paid for original or restored vehicles, even when they are in good condition. This puts them in a similar price range as the classic Maserati Ghibli.

Technical specifications

Maserati 3500 GT / GTI and Spider
Parameter	3500 GT	3500 GTI	Spider Vignale
Engine:	Six-cylinder in-line engine (four-stroke)
Displacement:	3485 cc
Bore × stroke:	86 × 100 mm
Compression:	8.5: 1
Performance at 1 / min:	162–169 kW (220–230 hp) at 5500	173 kW (235 hp) at 5800	162 kW (220 PS) for the 5500 GTI: 173 kW (235 PS) for the 5800
Torque at 1 / min:	314 Nm at 4000	343 Nm at 3500	314 Nm with 4000 GTI: 343 Nm with 3500
Mixture preparation:	3 × 2 Weber carburettors from 1962: Lucas indirect petrol injection
Valve control:	two overhead camshafts
Cooling:	Water cooling
Transmission:	manual four-speed gearbox from 1961: five-speed gearbox
Front suspension:	Wishbone coil springs
Rear suspension:	Rigid axle leaf springs
Brakes:	front and rear drum brakes on request: front disc brakes
Body:	Aluminum on tubular frame		Steel on a tubular frame
Wheelbase:	2600 mm		2500 mm
Dimensions (length × width × height):	4760 × 1600 × 1300 mm to 4780 × 1760 × 1330 mm		4450 × 1630 × 1310 mm
Empty weight:	1360-1422 kg		1466 kg
Top speed:	235–245 km / h		215-230 km / h

swell

• Gianni Cancellieri et al. (Ed.): Maserati. Catalog raisonné 1926-2003 . Automobilia, Milan 2003. ISBN 88-7960-151-2
• Craig Cheetham (Ed.): The encyclopedia of classic cars from 1890 to present day . Amber Books. San Diego 2007. ISBN 978-1-59223-781-4 .
• Sam Dawson: GT: The World's Best GT Cars 1953 to 1973 , Veloce Publishing Ltd, 2007, ISBN 978-1845840600
• Dieter Günther: Forza Maserati! With the 3500 GT to economic success . Model history of the Maserati 3500 GT in: Oldtimer Markt, issue 3/1991, p. 6 ff.
• Hans-Karl Lange: Maserati. The other Italian sports car . Vienna 1993, ISBN 3-552-05102-3
• Frank Oleski, Hartmut Lehbrink: Series sports cars . Cologne (Könemann) 1993. ISBN 3-89508-000-4 .
• Halwart Schrader, Georg Amtmann: Italian sports cars . Stuttgart 1999, ISBN 3-613-01988-4 .
• David Sparrow, Iain Ayre: Maserati Heritage. Osprey Classic Marques. Auckland 1995. ISBN 1-85532-441-5 .
• Maurizio Tabucchi: Maserati. All Grand Prix, Sports and GT vehicles from 1926 until today . Heel Verlag, Königswinter 2004. ISBN 3-89880-211-6

Web links

Commons : Maserati 3500 GT  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Sparrow, Ayre, p. 34: The A6G54 was a newly clad racing car (“a rebodied racing car”).
2. ^ Aire, Sparrow: Maserati Heritage. P. 37.
3. ^ Long: Maserati. P. 15.
4. ↑ Oldtimer Markt, Issue 3/1991, p. 7.
5. ^ Schrader, bailiff: Italian sports car. P. 290.
6. ^ Schrader, bailiff: Italian sports car. P. 290.
7. ↑ Brief description and illustration of the Allemano version in: Oldtimer Markt 3/1991, p. 9.
8. ^ Long: Maserati. P. 14.
9. ^ Long: Maserati. P. 14.
10. ↑ Oldtimer Markt, volume 3/1991, p. 12.
11. ^ Schrader, bailiff: Italian sports car. P. 290.
12. ↑ Oldtimer Markt, issue 3/1991, p. 14.
13. ↑ Detailed description of the Vignale prototype on the website www.kidston.com ( Memento of the original from March 4, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (accessed December 26, 2014). 
14. ^ Long: Maserati. P. 17.
15. ^ Long: Maserati. P. 15.
16. ↑ Illustration of the Boneschi Coupé (accessed on September 23, 2011).
17. ↑ Detailed description of the Frua coupés with images on the website www.pietro-frua.de (accessed on September 23, 2011).
18. ↑ Description and illustration of the car on the website www.pietro-frua.de (accessed on September 23, 2011).
19. ^ Image of the car on the website www.moretti-cars.net (accessed on September 23, 2011).
20. ^ Long: Maserati. P. 17.
21. ↑ Motor Klassik: Edition 11/2014. P.56
22. ^ Hagerty Price Guide Report, 1963 Maserati 3500GTi 2dr Coupe (accessed November 2, 2014).
23. ↑ Motor Klassik: Edition 11/2014. P.56