Maserati Sebring

Maserati
Maserati 3500 GTI S.
3500GTI S / Sebring
Production period:	1962-1969
Class :	Upper class
Body versions :	Coupe
Engines:	Petrol engines : 3.5-4.0 liters (173-187.5 kW)
Length:	4470 mm
Width:	1650 mm
Height:	1300 mm
Wheelbase :	2500 mm
Empty weight :	1200 kg

Maserati 3500 GTI S.

Modified front section: Series II (from 1965)

Rear section of the Sebring (Series II)

The Maserati 3500 GTI S (from 1965: Maserati Sebring , internal: Tipo 101/10 ) is a sports car from the Italian car manufacturer Maserati , which was produced from 1962 to 1970 in a total of 591 copies. The car, which was offered exclusively as a coupé , was based on the technology of the Maserati 3500 GTI , but had a shortened wheelbase and a separate body.

Model history

At the beginning of the 1960s, Maserati competed on the international market with the British sports car manufacturer Aston Martin . The 3500 GT, which had been in production since 1957, found it increasingly difficult to assert itself against the British DB4 over the years . In order to remain particularly successful in the American sports car market, Maserati decided to position another model between the established 3500 GT and the exclusive 5000 GT , which was supposed to represent an evolution, above all from the outside.

nomenclature

The new model was initially called the 3500 GTI S; from 1964 the car was called Maserati Sebring. With the name, the work was reminiscent of the double victory of Juan Manuel Fangio / Jean Behra ( Maserati 450S ) and Harry Schell / Stirling Moss ( Maserati 300S ) at the Sebring 12-hour race in 1957 , a race for the World Sports Car Championship at the Sebring International Raceway .

technology

From a technical point of view, the 3500 GTI S / Sebring was based on the chassis of the 3500 GT Spider, which had been shortened by 10 cm. Its chassis including the rigid axle , which has repeatedly been critically acclaimed , was adopted unchanged.

Different six-cylinder engines have been offered as a drive over the years:

• From 1962 to 1966, the 3.5 liter six-cylinder engine of the 3500 GTI was used as the standard engine. Unlike in the case of the 3500, it was only available with gasoline injection. The engine initially developed 235 hp. In 1965, with the introduction of the second series of the Sebring, the output was increased to 235 hp.

• From 1964 to 1966, Maserati offered a 3.7 liter six-cylinder engine that developed 245 hp as an alternative.

• Between 1966 and 1970 an engine enlarged to four liters was the standard engine. Its power was 255 hp. This engine had previously been introduced on the Maserati Mistral .

A manual five-speed gearbox was used as standard for power transmission. With the appearance of the Series II, an automatic transmission from BorgWarner was available as an alternative .

body

The 3500 GTI S / Sebring was only available as a 2 + 2-seater coupé. The body was made by Carrozzeria Vignale . According to the prevailing opinion, the design came from Alfredo Vignale himself; some sources, however, assume that Giovanni Michelotti designed the body for Vignale. In contrast to the 3500 GT and 5000 GT models, there were no special bodies from independent bodybuilders.

The car had a compact body with a high, straight belt line and a narrow passenger cell. Compared to the 3500 GT, the design was perceived as more angular and therefore more contemporary, but also more aggressive. At the front there was a simple grille with grille, into which the trident, the trademark Maserati, was integrated. To the left and right of the radiator grille were arranged horizontally round double headlights. With the appearance of the Series II in 1965, they were integrated into an oval chrome frame that had been taken over from the NSU 1000 TTS . The front and rear sections thus adopted the style features of the Quattroporte designed by Pietro Frua .

The individual series

The 3500 GTI S / Sebring was produced in two series. The first series ran from 1962 to 1965. After the Geneva Motor Show in March 1965, the second series appeared, which differed from its predecessor mainly in terms of appearance.

External features of the second series were:

• Oval-framed twin headlights at the front
• Larger but inoperative air vents in the front fenders
• Horizontal, one-piece rear lights
• A redesigned dashboard.

From a technical point of view, the following changes were introduced with Series II:

• Alternative availability of the 3.7 liter six-cylinder engine from the Mistral.
• Availability of an automatic transmission
• Air conditioning availability.

The production

The first prototype for Maserati's 2 + 2-seater coupe was completed in November 1961. The car was first presented to the public at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1962; Series production finally began in the late summer of 1962.

From the first series (1962-1965) Maserati produced a total of 348 copies. In the second series (1965–1970) a further 243 vehicles were built. During this time, however, the Sebring increasingly stepped back behind the Mistral and Ghibli models, which were perceived as more attractive ; In recent years only a few examples of the Sebring have been built.

Production of the Sebring ended in 1969; the last models were delivered in 1970.

Market situation today

After the Sebring had been overshadowed by the 3500 GT for a long time on the classic market, the Sebring's used car prices are now approaching those of the 3500 GT. For a well-maintained Sebring, a price of around 95,000 euros is required in summer 2011. It therefore exceeds the prices for a Mistral Coupé or a Ghibli Coupé.

Technical specifications

Technical data Maserati 3500 GTI S / Maserati Sebring
Maserati	3500 GTI S 1962-1965	3700 GTI Sebring 1964-1966	4000 GTI Sebring 1966-1969
Engine:	Six-cylinder in-line engine (four-stroke)
Displacement:	3485 cc	3694 cc	4014 cc
Bore × stroke:	86 × 100 mm	86 × 106 mm	88 × 110 mm
Performance at 1 / min:	173 kW (235 hp) at 5500	180 kW (245 PS) at 5200	187.5 kW (255 hp) at 5200
Compression:	8.5: 1
Mixture preparation:	Lucas indirect fuel injection
Valve control:	two overhead camshafts
Cooling:	Water cooling
Transmission:	manual five-speed gearbox Three-speed automatic transmission on request
Front suspension:	Wishbone coil springs
Rear suspension:	Rigid axle leaf springs
Brakes:	Hydraulically operated disc brakes at the front and rear
Body:	Steel on a tubular frame
Wheelbase:	2500 mm
Dimensions (length × width × height):	4400 × 1650 × 1300 mm
Empty weight:	1200 kg
Top speed:	235–245 km / h

literature

• 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 978-1-84584-060-0
• 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 Sebring  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ^ Dawson: GT. P. 144.
2. ↑ Model history of the Sebring on the website www.maserati-alfieri.co.uk (accessed on September 22, 2011).
3. ^ Long: Maserati. P. 18.
4. ^ Long: Maserati. P. 18.
5. ↑ Sparrow, Ayre: Maserati Heritage, p. 38 f.
6. ↑ Model history of the Sebring on the website http://auto.howstuffworks.com/ (accessed on September 22, 2011).
7. ↑ Model history of the Sebring on the website www.maserati-alfieri.co.uk (accessed on September 22, 2011).
8. ^ Long: Maserati. P. 18.
9. ↑ Motor Klassik, issue 8/2011, p. 74.