Maserati is one of the most underrated Italian car-maker out there. Moreover, their line-up is masked by the fact that Ferrari provides the engines. Frankly, many people actually know of Maserati because of this joint venture, which is sad. Beautiful cars have always been a forte for Italians, and Maserati is no different. But this automaker possesses a completely different vibe as compared to the likes of Ferrari and Alfa Romeo.
They bring about quite a ‘practical’ side to things, which Italian cars are seldom known for. Well, during the 1960s, cars were evolving. More and more automakers who were prominent in racing were slowly investing in road-going cars. Maserati also made this move, during their marvelous time in motorsports. Their first ever proper road car was the 3500 GT that launched in the late 1950s.
In fact, this move even made Ferrari sweat, as they were also in for making road cars. But Maserati prevailed as being cheaper because of its localization and became Ferrari’s greatest foe. Maserati 3500GT did make quite the mark, but it was its topless mate that didn’t quite get its due representation. The roadster version of 3500GT was Maserati’s take on the ‘wind-in-your-hair’ touring experience.
Maserati 3500GT Vignale Spyder Marked A Bold New Move For The Italian Automaker
In the late 1950s, Maserati had already made a fine name for themselves in racing, so much so, that they were giving their neighbor, Ferrari, a run! Everything was going on smoothly, but Maserati decided to take a bold step. They wanted to foray into road cars, and it wasn’t an easy feat at the time. Financial ingress was crucial, and well, their healthy racing division sure filled in the criteria. The 3500GT made quite the mark when it hit in 1957, with even Ferrari keeping a keen eye on their aggressive competitor.
Among the 2,223 units of 3500GTs created, 251 of them were ‘top-down’ gorgeous and radical to an extent! Maserati did take quite the risk with the 3500GT series, and it rewarded them well, by making a sparkling first impression among commoners, especially from a specialist car manufacturing point of view. While the coupe was around from much earlier, it was with the Spyder that Maserati made a dominant transition from racetracks to roads.
Only 251 Units Of These Beauties Were Ever Carved By Carrozzeria Vignale
While on paper, the Maserati 3500GT Vignale Spyder is slated as a roofless iteration of the 3500GT coupe, there has been a considerable level of added effort gone into the making of it. For starters, there were only 251 units of the Vignale Spyder produced between 1959 and 1964, making it much rarer. Then there was the involvement of Giovanni Michelotti responsible for its beautiful design language and the much-revered Giulio Alfieri. This was Alfieri’s first project outside of the racetrack and was quite special for him.
It Wasn’t Just A Chopped Up Version Of The 3500GT Coupe
While the Maserati 3500GT Vignale Spyder is related to its coupe iteration, Maserati’s chief engineer for the project – Giulio Alfieri transformed it quite intensively. The Vignale Spyder was shorter than the 3500GT Coupe at 78.74 inches. To add more rigidity and cope up with the absent C-pillar, the Spyder’s body was built out of steel, unlike the coupe that had aluminum. It was only the hood and boot lid that was retained of aluminum.
Maserati 3500GT Vignale Spyder Packed An Inline-6, A Distant Cousin Of The Engine From The Tipo 350S Racecar
Yup, the 3.5-litre inline-6 engine used in the Maserati 3500GT Vignale Spyder was a distant cousin of the engine used in the automaker’s Grand Prix-winning cars. Alfieri did extensive modifications to the race engine and converted it into a tamed version with 220 HP. He added three Weber carburetors, two spark plugs per cylinder, and reworked the twin overhead camshafts to make the engine road-worthy. It was coupled to a 4-Speed manual gearbox and sent all the power to the rear wheels. The racing roots were quite evident from its mechanical layout.
Its Bold Styling Was A Reflection Of Italian Craftmanship And Touring-Rich Appeal
Driving dynamics were given due importance with it having independent front suspension and Salisbury rear axle with rear springs. Stopping power was taken care of by hydraulic drum brakes, both at the front and rear. The low-slung design helped this Maserati stay put even through winding corners, and the whole system came together to form a cozy touring machine. It was wrapped around a tubular steel chassis based on the A6G, one fine Italian masterpiece from the 1950s.
Interestingly, most of the mechanical components apart from the engine were sourced from the UK, as none of them were offered or available in Italy and its surroundings. The interior layout was also an embodiment of the GT appeal that Maserati wanted to showcase with the 3500GT. The seats were comfy, and ergonomics were spot on for those long drives. There were a lot of firsts in this car, including the introduction of electric power windows, at the end of its run in 1964.
This Forgotten Gem Is Behind Maserati’s Current Pedigree On The Roads
Looking at the bigger picture now, Maserati is now well known for its tractable track-day performance and cross-country drivability. Cars like the Maserati Ghibli and Quattroporte are beautiful machines that are capable GT cars. While things have not been smooth of late, and there are talks of Ferrari ceasing to supply them with engines, it still doesn’t dull down on the fact that Maserati produces some of the best Grand Touring cars out there. Now, we know where that taste came from!