Complete Description
- One of 40 cars built
- Sold new in France by Thépenier
- The rarest and most exclusive Mistral
- Matching chassis and engine numbers
At the start of the 1950s, Maserati was still building cars in limited numbers. Its sports cars were refined and fast, but a little too demanding for the affluent customers who were emerging as the economy recovered after the war. They were looking for models which were fast and looked good, but were also safe and comfortable. The job of developing such a car fell to Giulio Alfieri, the brilliant engineer who had joined Maserati in 1953. Four years later, on its stand at the Geneva Motor Show, Maserati displayed a beautiful prototype of the 3500 GT, with a coupé body by Touring. After presenting the Sebring the previous year, in 1963 Maserati took the covers off the definitive successor to the 3500 GT: the Mistral, elegantly styled by Frua. Its sophisticated, flowing shape incorporated a curved rear window which doubled as a tailgate, an original concept at the time. It was available in 3.7 and 4-litre versions, with just 40 examples of the latter produced, making it an extremely rare car. It was sold in France for 74,000 FF, more than the price of an Aston Martin DB4 GT or a Ferrari 250 GT SWB and virtually twice that of a Jaguar E-Type!
This example was invoiced by the factory to the Établissements Thépenier, the Maserati importer at Saint-Cloud (Paris) on 13 March 1967 and delivered to its first owner at the Ets. J. Levy, a manufacturer of metal products at Montbéliard. Correspondence from the time, included in the car’s history file, relate that the optional hardtop was fitted by the factory before the paint was dry! This led to further exchanges between the CEO of the Ets. J. Levy and the importer, and various jobs were undertaken to correct these faults.
The car then returned to the Paris area, first to Paris itself and after this to the Yvelines. It subsequently joined the collection of a well-known Belgian personality, who has owned the car until now. It is finished in its original colour of ‘Blu Sera’, as it left the factory, with black upholstery. The car recently underwent a major service in its current owner’s workshop and is in very well preserved condition. Only 40 examples of the Spider with the 4-litre engine were built, making this the ultimate version of the Mistral, not to mention the rarest and most sought after. This example, moreover, which was sold new in France, represents a marvellous opportunity for any lover of exclusive Italian sports cars.
Photos © Xavier de Nombel
