The 3500 GT represented a watershed moment for Maserati. Prior to its arrival in 1957, the company had focused primarily on its legendary grand prix and sports racing cars, never producing more than a few dozen examples of any road-going model. The 1957 decision to withdraw officially from motor sports meant that the company could focus resources more heavily on road car production, and the 3500 GT was the result of this transition.

It was powered by a road-converted version of the 3.5-liter, twin-cam, inline 6-cylinder that propelled the three Maserati 350S race cars built, of which one was driven by Stirling Moss at the 1956 Mille Miglia. With an aluminum engine block and cylinder head, twin-plug ignition, and three Weber carburetors, the engine was a properly exciting centerpiece of Maserati’s new production model. Despite the sophisticated technical specification, it is a flexible unit that is well suited to both trundling about and high-speed touring.

The 3500 GT was initially shown with closed bodywork styled and built by Touring of Milan, who also displayed an open prototype the following year. Ultimately however, the open production version of the 3500 GT was designed and constructed by Vignale, who exhibited their take on the convertible version of the car at the Paris Motor Show in 1959. Its more assertive Giovanni Michelotti-penned styling with curvaceous rear fenders and 100 mm (3.9" shorter wheelbase gave it a more athletic presence, while low production figures have ensured the Vignale Spider is among the most collectible Maserati road cars built.

As intended, the 3500 GT was built in large numbers by Maserati’s standards. It was by far the company’s most successful model up to that point. During the car’s seven-year production run, it evolved continuously, with the progressive introduction of front disc brakes, five-speed gearbox, and the innovative, if occasionally troublesome, Lucas fuel injection. More than 2,200 Maserati 3500 GTs were built, of which 242 were Vignale Spiders.

This Spider is a relatively early production car fitted with front disc brakes, a five-speed gearbox, and the aforementioned three-Weber-carburetor setup. It was completed on July 21, 1960, and was originally supplied by the prominent Roman Ferrari and Maserati dealer, Franco Cornacchia. Its first owner, Amelia Olsen Riis, took delivery on August 19th, while residing at the Norwegian consulate in Rome, where her husband Einar served as honorary consul and Olympic attaché for Norway during the 1960 Rome Summer Olympics, which began six days after the car was delivered.

Originally finished in white with black interior, the car made its way to the US relatively early in its life. It was registered in California, with the black license plates “IOF 036,” a sequence corresponding to an issue date of approximately 1964. Details of a 1971 title confirm the car was still registered in California in the mid-1970s. According to its entry in Walter Bäumer’s definitive volume on the model, the car made its way to Texas in the mid-1980s, spending much of its time there in storage before being acquired by dealer and enthusiast Peter Kumar in 2014. In the hands of its current owner, the intact and unrestored 3500 GT was entrusted to Maserati specialist Martin Logé’s shop, JML Restorations, and received a ground-up, no-expense-spared, multiyear restoration.

His fanatical attention to detail enabled the car to win First Place at the 2017 Greystone Mansion Concours d’Elegance, as well as a class award and Panerai Timeless Elegance Award at the 2023 La Jolla Concours d’Elegance. Recent concours preparation has been performed by noted specialist Joseph DeMeo, who has fettled nearly every aspect of the Spider, with particular attention paid to the engine compartment and underside.

With illustrious history and magnificent presentation, this stunning, award-winning Vignale-bodied 3500 GT Spider stands out even among the extraordinary company of these special cars. It is offered with its tonneau cover, jack, and a copy of its original build documents, and thanks to its world-class restoration, is ready to both drive and show at prestigious concours events.