Following the 3500 GT, Maserati commissioned Pietro Frua to design a new body for the updated tipo 109 chassis; an open version would also be offered. Coachwork for the new model was built by Maggiora and named “Mistral” by French Maserati importer Colonel John Simone, after the strong and cold northerly winds of Southern France. The first Maserati named after exotic wind currents, the Mistral was the last Maserati powered by the famous DOHC straight-six engine descended from the 350S sports racer of the 1950s, itself closely related to the engine that powered Juan Manuel Fangio’s 250F to his fifth and final Grand Prix world championship and Maserati’s first in 1957. Debuted at Torino in November 1963, the Mistral entered production in 1964 and continued until 1970, with only slight updates including larger-displacement engines. Performance was breathtaking in all specifications, making the Mistral one of the finest GT cars of the era.

With only about 124 Mistral Spiders built in total, they are now exceedingly rare, and this wonderful example from The Neil Peart “Silver Surfers” Collection is one of only 12 early Spiders powered by Maserati’s fuel-injected, 3.5-liter powerplant derived from the 3500 GT. Bearing serial no. 049, it is an original left-hand-drive, US-delivery model, accompanied by a copy of its build record and delivery notice. Completed April 2, 1965, this Mistral, chassis 049, was factory-finished in Rosso Cordoba (Cordoba Red) over unusual wild boar skin leather upholstery and Arancio (Orange) carpeting, and highly equipped with rare original features including air-conditioning, power door locks, a Becker Grand Prix radio, and seat belts. Following assembly, the Mistral Spider was shipped to the US via European-car importer Max Hoffman’s renowned Hoffman Motors Corporation distributorship in New York City.

While the original owner’s identity and early history of this 1965 Maserati Mistral 3500 Spider remains unknown, its original engine was replaced with the current 3.5-liter unit numbered AM101.01871. Neil Peart acquired this Maserati circa 2015 and thereafter it received a major refurbishment, both cosmetically and mechanically, by European car specialist Ken Lovejoy. Among the work performed, the Mistral Spider was expertly refinished in silver by Dave Ferguson at Images Auto Body in Campbell, California, making it truly consistent with the “Silver Surfers” theme of Mr. Peart’s wonderful classic vehicle collection. Other highlights include finely trimmed burgundy leather upholstery, red carpeting, accented by a wood-grained steering wheel. Accompanying items include a tool roll, mounted spare wire wheel, roadside jack, and car cover. In addition to the aforementioned factory document copies, the Mistral Spider includes a dossier with highly detailed service and maintenance records under Mr. Peart’s ownership. As offered, this beautifully presented and maintained Maserati rarity from The Neil Peart Collection is equally ready to enjoy or show – the choice is yours!