I know that car shows are generally considered “cheating” here on Curbside Classic, but this morning when I pulled in to work and saw a Maserati 3500GT in the parking lot at the mall, I just couldn’t ignore it.
Every Saturday morning, there is a group of car folks who gather in the Mall parking lot to check out each other’s cars, and there are sometimes some quite interesting cars, but I’ve never walked over there to check it out, because just like the editors here, I’m not particularly interested in perfectly restored cars, or cars driven only on Saturday mornings. And while I’d love a ride in a Hemi ‘Cuda (there was a purple ‘Cuda convertible surrounded by 10-15 folks this morning), I’m not all that interested in starring at one as if it were a pinnacle of engineering achievement.
But the site of a beautiful, original seeming, restrained, front-engined Italian GT sitting by itself and ignored by the crowds was more than I could resist. As best I can tell from my research on the web, you are looking at a Maserati 3500GT from the years 1957-1960. The key identifiers are the taillights, the fog lights and the front blinkers. And the key differences starting in 1961 were fuel injection and a standard 5-speed transmission, changes that earned the new name of 3500GTI. This car is a touch confusing, however, because the license plate implies that it is a GTI. Maybe it’s had an upgrade to the GTI engine.
Look at those fins!
But as I’m no expert in the Maserati and have neither driven one nor sat in one, I’d rather focus on the part of this car that is readily apparent to all of us: The styling.
And the more I look at the pictures, and think about what car we can most closely compare to this car, only one comes to mind: the 1955-1957 Ford Thunderbird!
The similarities continue
The headlights are neither hooded nor frenched, but the sweepline into the fender combines with the hood scoop to give a Thunderbird impression to this beautiful Italian GT. The wrap around windshield and the shape of the roof continue the similarities.
Reminiscent of a 1957 Thunderbird?
More like a 1958 Thunderbird
The round gauges and three-spoke steering wheel are similar to the redesigned interior of the 1957 Thunderbird; but, of course, the bucket seats and rear seat are more like a 1958 Thunderbird.
Pretty far from a Y-Block (not from the actual car)
The detuned 3.5 liter, inline six-cylinder racing engine, with dual spark plugs for each cylinder certainly ends the similarities. How Stuff Works Auto explains:
The all-aluminum twincam inline-six had hemispherical combustion chambers and twin spark plugs. It drove through a four-speed ZF gearbox, with a five speed optional from 1960 and standard from ’61. The trio of Webers eventually was supplanted by Lucas mechanical fuel injection, bringing another 15 hp and a GTI badge.
But the racing engine alone didn’t make for a race car or a sports car. This car is a GT, a Grand Touring car, one designed to travel long distances, fast, and in comfort. As Donald Osborne, of Velocity TV, says of the 3500 GT, “It is a pleasure to drive. Fun to drive, no. This is a boulevard Cruiser, a car that is designed to cross continents.” Sounds a bit like a certain “Personal Car” from Dearborn, no?
Separated at birth?
So, did I make this all up in my mind, or are these long lost twins that were separated at birth?
Related reading: Paul Niedermeyer’s unexpected (and un-photographed) encounter with a Maserati 3500 GT in the deep woods of Oregon: Auto-Biography: Maserati Dreamin’
Pininfarina’s Revolutionary Florida: The Most Influential Design Since 1955
Nice, pic, Matt
Great find of seeing a Maserati 3500GT… But give me that sexy Nissan GT-R, any day. 😀
What’re the odds of seeing “Godzilla” and an Italian classic parked next to each other?
Sounds like that meet was an early morning “Cars & Coffee” type of car show.
Yeah for sure the GT-R next to the Maserati is an interesting and awesome picture, but I didn’t feel qualified to write that one!
Godzilla is the earlier model with twin turbo 6 and 4wd the terror of touring car racing around the world, not the street driven version those are everywhere here 2 door coupe 4 door sedan Skylines became very popular in NZ as used imports
Bryce, Godzilla is the Skyline GTR, period, which began being used on the R34, previous model… But stuck with the R35, current model as well.
Godzilla is meant for the GTR AWD Twin Turbo coupes ONLY… Not for the NA, or GTS-T RWD or 4 door Skylines.
Being that Godzilla, is the king of all monsters… The Nissan GTR, being the most powerful, Japanese production car, that can hold its own and excel some competitors, European or American.
No other Japanese car is called Godzilla, by the automotive press, but the Nissan GTR, street driven OR track.
Uh, you do know the current production GTR is AWD and Twin Turbo, right?
BAM!!
Is the current GTR even technically a Skyline anymore? I’ve only ever heard it referred to as “Nissan GTR”. My knowledge is pretty limited with these cars admittedly but as I understand it the Infiniti G35/37s(Q37s now??) are Skylines in JDM guise, and as far as I know the current GTR is pretty much clean sheet, unlike the R34 and prior which clearly was a gussied up regular Skyline.
It’s not. The Skyline for some time has been what is sold here as the G35/G37. Totally different car.
Funny, I was also thinking about the juxtaposition of the GT-R and the 3500GT, and considering how much more attractive the 3500 is despite its age. The GT-R is an awesome car, and it’s the one I’d rather drive on a track or on a twisty mountain road, but to look at, or to drive in a more laid-back fashion? Maserati, all day, every day.
Any car you pick, Chris, is a winner.
Whether it be the Nissan GTR, Maserati 3500GT… Or I recall, Matt mentioning a Cuda.
Any one of those cars is a winner.
But, for speed and everyday reliability, my intuition says, “Snag the keys to the Nissan.” 😉
Or a Challenger, I’m not picky haha
The GTR is definitely impressive in all technical aspects, but from what I hear can be a bit sterile because of it. A friend of a friend of mine seemed to be left with that impression shopping for his latest hot car anyway, last I talked to him he was on the indefinite waiting list for a Hellcat.
I always thought the R33 and R34s were the best looking, the R35 just has too much of that rounded out Audi TT/350Z look I never warmed up to
I wonder if the 55 Tbird was an influence on the 3500 or if they were both influenced by some other european, but there are definitely some common design themes. Someone from the Curbnoscenti will be able to sort out common influences for these two. The resemblance is purely skin deep, though, since the Tbird was nothing more or less than a 1955 Ford sedan under the skin, whereas the 3500 was a tube frame exotic with an F1 engine.
HonestKarl already answered the question mostly in his comment above. The Maserati was obviously heavily influenced by Pininfarina’s seminal Florida: https://www.curbsideclassic.com/automotive-histories/pininfarinas-revolutionary-florida-the-most-influential-design-since-1955/
Strictly speaking, I don’t think the T-Bird looks all that much like the 3500 GT. I can understand that for a younger person, that it may appear so. But there’s a lot of differences too.
The T-Bird was styled to reflect Ford’s design language of their new ’55 passenger cars. That’s their own doing, largely; but of course everyone in Detroit was always looking to Italy for the latest trends there.
The removable roof of the T-Bird reflects the classic Continental roof, and not some then-current design trend.
These two cars are reflecting the popular design themes of the time, and not copying each other. And in bot cases, most of the origins of those design themes can be found in Italian sports cars of the early-mid 50s era, even going back to cars like the very influential 1946 Cisitalia: http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2010/04/curbside-classic-moma-edition-1946-cisitalia-202gt/
I see what you’re saying Paul, and the 1958 Ferrari 250 GT Coupe brings home your point for me! Thanks!
Great article, Matt.
I seem to recall one of the car mags of the time (R&T ?) making the same T-bird comparo.
I suspect the Y block in the T-bird had a longer life and was less finicky than the Masa engine?
Always wanted a 55-57 T-bird, then not until the “downsized” 1977 models appeared.
Beautiful photos. This type of close coupled coupe was very popular at the time. Many high line European manufactures like Ferrari, Aston Martin, and lower priced makes like Fiat and Lancia had similar designs. What was surprising was that Ford had the T Bird on the market as a contemporary design. Usually when American makes had Euro influenced designs they came years after the original cars that had influenced the design had already passed through the market.Think of the first gen Riviera, Mustang, and the second gen Camaro.
Although I can understand the comparo, I always though the secon gen Camaro “stole” many of it’s styling ques from the 1953 Studebaker Commander/Campion Regal “Starlight” coupe/hardtop?
The wrap around back window, the long, sloping nose, the low roofline…..
The wrap around back window, the long, sloping nose, the low roofline…
That would apply also to a whole lot of other cars from the 50s. The gen2 camaro was obviously heavily influenced by Ferrari coupes of the 60s, like the GTO and others. Bill Mitchell made no effort to hide that fact.
And the gen2 Camaro didn’t get the wrap-around rear window until several years after its introduction. It actually rather ruined the design, in my opinion. It was obviously done for the sake of rear visibility.
I actually see a lot of 67 Barracuda in the early second gen F bodies, the fastback roofline and back window shapes are very similar.
Yes, from certain angles I can also “see” the resemblance.
Not for me!
“Evva buddyz’ diffnt”. Due perhaps to our differing childhoods Paul “Sees” European”, I see “American”.
I’d love to find a ’70 1/2 Camaro front end mated to a ’75 Camaro wrap around rear window back end.
I recognized that handsome coupe right away from my die cast European model car collection.
The Italian die cast firm Mercury made a very nice representation of the car, also in red, back when the car was current. It is in 1/43 scale and is market # 24. I bought mine back around 1980 or so.
I also had quite the extensive model collection; got tossed to the curb (no ebay or craigsList wayyyy back then) when I moved out of Mom & Dad’s house.
My Silent Fury was SO intense Mom quicky left the room. (Dad later on swore he saw a thin plume of steam emitting from my ears).
🙁
“Ohhhh, I’m sorry! didn’t know you wanted those dusty old car models.”
And don’t get me started on my missing comic books out of the attic……
Tacky Ferrari.
Not to ruffle anyone’s feathers but it looks like a 250 GT Pininfarina with a questionable protruding nose, that oversized crown ornament smack dab in the center, tacked on fog lights, tacked on hood scoop, tacked on vents, and tacked on chrome. The Thunderbird may not be the beacon of subtle, but it’s a hell of a more clean and resolved design than the Maserati is.
The 3500 is a nice clean design where the Thunderbird looks fake and tacky with its whitewalls and big hubcaps it really looks nothing like a fast touring car,
I think this is an Allemano-bodied 3500GT, which was also the inspiration for everyone’s favorite catfish-inspired car, the 1958 Packard Hawk. (True story.) If you look at pictures of them side by side and squint until your head starts to hurt, the resemblance is immediately clear.
Ate Up, how can you tell? I have no expertise in these Maserati’s so I really am interested. And does this picture I left out change or confirm the Allemano body?
‘Superleggera’ (super lightweight) was a trademark of Touring and this is their badge.
I stand corrected. I thought the Allemano car had pointier snouts than the Touring bodies. I had also remembered that there were more than one Allemano cars, but Paul is probably right about that too.
Allemano produced bodies for the earlier A6 2000 cars and also the slightly later 5000GT, but as far as I can tell only one 3500GT. Paul’s mention of it being a rejected ‘production’ proposal makes sense.
The feature car has a Touring body. But I can see what you mean with the Allemano.
This is not the one and only Allemano 3500GT prototype, which was not accepted for production. Touring and Allemano were in a competition to build the production 3500 GT, and each built a prototype. The Allemano is attached below. The Touring version went into production.
But AUWM is right about the Allemano obviously inspiring the Packard Hawk.
Update: Oops; I see DA has me beat to that.
Great find. I love the drained hues in these pics. Take away the modern metal and these could have been taken back in the day.
What is so provocative to y’all about the instagram filters? I’d rather you render your colors realistically. It’s not a Hollister advertisement.
I just took pictures with my iPhone. I don’t have instagram and I’m not enough of a techie to want to mess with the settings on my phone. It was sunny and overcast all at the same time, and I think the phone automatically adjusted to the light. The Maserati was very near to the color that shows in the picture.
I didn’t mean to be insulting. I enjoyed the article. Pretty sure your phone has a photo filter setting applied though.
I’m pretty sure it does too. Maybe accidentally?
Yep! Found the button, now it’s fixed!
The photos do look like a bunch of modern vehicles invaded a picture taken in the 70’s, so it does seem like some kind of filter was in play, perhaps unintentionally. Regardless, the effect is actually nice.
And the Maserati–just beautiful. Love the Touring body on these–it’s quite an elegant design and befits the “gentleman’s express” nature of the car. I saw a 3500GT much like this at a concours several years ago, and it stole the show for me. I think it may have been a bit newer–rectangular indicators, no fog lights, and no chrome strips atop the rear fenders–but clearly of the same generation and just a gorgeous car.