In its early days, Maserati spent most of its time and effort with motorsports. Road cars were an afterthought. This changed in the late 1950s, with the introduction of 1960 Maserati 3500GT.
The 3500GT was a 2+2 coupé with elegant bodywork by Carrozzeria Touring. Hand-formed aluminum panels over a steel tubular frame. The straight-six engine displaced 3485 cc and featured an aluminum block, dual overhead cams, twin-plug ignition and three twin-choke Weber carburetors. Carbureted cars developed 230 hp and 254 lb-ft of torque, enough for a top speed of 130 mph.
The fast, comfortable Gran Turismo offered exhilarating performance but also day to day usability. The blend of performance and comfort attracted wealthy buyers, and the list of celebrity 3500GT owners includes Tony Curtis, Rock Hudson and Prince Rainier III of Monaco.
Just over 2,200 examples were built between 1957 and 1964, and only around 245 were convertibles. (For Maserati, this was a huge number). Despite their relative rarity, they sell for $150-250k (more for the Spyders). If these were similar era Ferraris, they would sell for 10X that amount.
Source: Daniel Schmitt Galleries
Source: Classic Driver
