1962 Maserati 3500 GT

Like all bottom feeders and wanna-bees, I hoped to steal this unrestored car

by Donald Osborne

As the first volume-built production Maseratis and marketed from 1957 to 1964, these extremely handsome Grand Touring coupes became the company’s financial saviors during a particularly difficult period. Like Ferrari, Maserati tended to focus on its racing cars rather than road cars and the resulting irregular cash flow had put the company on a shaky financial footing by the end of the 1950s. The production and sale of nearly 2,000 3500 GT coupes—the U.S. list price some $12,300—likely saved the company and encouraged Maserati’s owner Orsi to re-enter the competition arena with the famous “Birdcage” series of sports racing cars (1959 to 1965). Many improvements were incorporated during its rather lengthy six-year production period. Disc brakes became standard in 1960 and a ZF five-speed transmission replaced the former four-speed unit. Borrani’s alloy-rimmed wire wheels are rarely seen as they were an expensive option for most production years. The 1961...