1961 Maserati 3500 GT Vignale

In the early ’50s, Maserati had shown they were a force to be reckoned with in international racing. Their engines grew in size from 2-liter in the A6GCM to 3.5-liters in the beautiful and potent 1955 350S.

Maserati had known as early as the ’40s that they could produce Grand Touring machines—the 1947 A6 1500, the 1951 A6G 2000 and the 1954 A6G/54—but their total output was a mere 12 cars a year. Not something you could call serious production.

Between 1956 and ’57 Maserati began efforts to develop a new road going GT. Chief engineer Giulio Alfieri modified the 350S racing engine to suit a touring car’s needs. Now a body and chassis were needed to cradle the road going version of the 350S motor.

Carrozzeria Touring created the first prototype; it was a 2+2 coupe with Superleggera construction. Carrozzeria Allemano also developed their take on the Maserati GT; both designs appeared at the March 1957 Salon International de l’Auto in Geneva. But, in the end, it was Touring’s design that was chosen.

Production started in late ’57 with 18 cars being finished that year. By 1958, Touring had a prototype convertible to display at the Turin Motor Show.

At the time, Carrozzeria Vignale, with a design by Michelotti, proposed their own design for an open-top Maserati GT. The debut of their car was at the 1959 Salon de l’Auto in Paris. This became the version that would go into production.

It differed from Touring’s lightweight design in that it had a steel body with an aluminum hood and trunk; it also rode on a 3.9-inch shorter wheelbase. Front disc brakes and a limited slip differential were options the first year, but became standard, in 1960, with rear discs becoming standard by ’62.

During the run 2,226 GT 3500s were produced. With many coachbuilders plying their trade: Touring constructed 1,981 coupes; Allemano created 4 (including their prototype); Zagato created 1 coupe; Carrozzeria Boneschi 2; Pietro Frua, maybe 2 or 3 coupes and one open car; Bertone 1 closed car; with Moretti creating the last, as they had a coupe at the ’66 Geneva Motor Show. Over this span of time, 245 examples were convertibles by Vignale. And one of those is what we are going to exercise.

This is a true Grand Tourer—it’s no barebones sports car. It’s a refined, subtlety designed, elegant piece of transportation. It’s not flashy, but whoever is driving it is obviously a person of means, who will definitely stand out from the crowd.

This is the car that you drive from Cannes to Monaco with alacrity and brio, with a “Grand Prix”-era Françoise Hardy riding shotgun. You are not going to be challenging a stage on the Acropolis rally, you are just far too elegant for such things and the recirculating ball steering might complain a bit as well. The leather seats, though pretty and comfortable to sit in, aren’t going to hold you tight when the going gets rough. But that shouldn’t stop you from climbing aboard turning the key and enjoying a very Aston Martin-ish sounding engine. A compliment of Jaeger gages two large (tach and speedo) and three small (aqua, benzina, and olio) keep you appraised of the situation while you take care of the wood-rimmed steering wheel and the switchgear. With roughly 240 HP pulling 3,175-lbs. it won’t be snapping your head back, but once up to speed it happily eats up the miles in a grand way with the exhaust pipes playing a sweet tune across the countryside. Changing gears, stopping and accelerating are all made easy by large pedals, with plenty of room for your feet to do their work.

The 3500 GT is for the Italian car lover who doesn’t need 12 cylinders to prove their manliness. It whispers quiet refinement, it doesn’t scream LOOK AT ME! It’s 1961’s answer to the question, “What’s a GT?”

This car is meant to be driven with the top down on a warm, sunny day in the south of France. To bad I got to drive it on a cold, grey day in Westchester, NY. But I had my enthusiasm to keep me warm.

Yeah right!

Thank you Motor Classic & Competition and Nick Soprano for giving me the right car in the wrong place.

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