(first posted 5/28/2012. As often happens here, a comment left years later tells the whole story. The lucky kid whose dad bought it that very day left a comment about his family’s experience with it after buying it the day this picture was taken. Which of course explains why Wally Schirra’ son is washing it. PN )
The kid even looks just like I did. But no; my Dad drove to work in a ’68 stripper Dart, while I washed Mom’s ’65 Coronet wagon. And the car being washed here? In my dreams.
I was the lucky kid who’s dad bought the Maser (a ’63 3500 GT – Superleggera body) from Wally the day this picture was taken. My mom, dad and fellow Apollo 7 astronaut, Walt Cunningham were standing next to the camera man watching this Life magazine photo shoot. Wally sold the car to my dad because he was afraid his 16 year old son would get himself hurt in it, or possibly worse. Wally had bought it from the first owner, who was also the owner of Churchill Downs. It was an amazing car with an amazing exhaust note.
My dad loved it, but mom didn’t enjoy driving it because it had no power steering and “took an acre to turn around”, as she would say. She did wind up owning Walt Cunningham’s Porsche 911S, (also featured in the same Life magazine article as this picture), and thoroughly enjoyed that car, (who wouldn’t). It was an awesome garage with the Maserati, the 911S, a Shelby GT350, and Gus Grissom’s Cadillac Sedan DeVille. Lots of great childhood memories with all these wonderful cars!
Guessing that’s a Maserati based on the emblem in the grille.
A 3500 GT , from the late 50s.
It’s a ’63 3500 GT – Superleggera body. I was the lucky kid who’s dad bought the Maser from Wally the day this picture was taken. My mom, dad and fellow Apollo 7 astronaut, Walt Cunningham were standing next to the camera man watching this Life magazine photo shoot. Wally sold the car to my dad because he was afraid his 16 year old son would get himself hurt in it, or possibly worse. Wally had bought it from the first owner, who was also the owner of Churchill Downs. It was an amazing car with an amazing exhaust note. My dad loved it, but mom didn’t enjoy driving it because it had no power steering and “took an acre to turn around”, as she would say. She did wind up owning Walt Cunningham’s Porsche 911S, (also featured in the same Life magazine article as this picture), and thoroughly enjoyed that car, (who wouldn’t). It was an awesome garage with the Maserati, the 911S, a Shelby GT350, and Gus Grissom’s Cadillac Sedan DeVille. Lots of great childhood memories with all these wonderful cars!
Thanks for the additional background. Lucky you!
And a Toronado too…..nice selection.
Yeah, but did he get to DRIVE it?
OH NOOOOOO!!!!! He’s GETTING IT WET!!!! It’s Italian; it’s supposed to be DRY CLEANED!!!!
It may never start again
+1! As an Eyetalian-American I recognize that my people like flashy, immobile lawn ornaments, like Virgin Mary statues and cars from the Boot.
Mary on the half shell?
There go the electrics…..and in comes the rust.
+!
Alloy body doesn’t rust! And these particular Maseratis were actually famous for their rugged build. Seriously….(why’s everybody smiling?)
I would like one on my lawn too, even if it doesn’t start. A twelve plug inline six! And I’m not even remotely related to Italy… Excellent taste, Mr. Niedermeyer.
Nash had a 12 plug Inline 6 in 1929. They called theirs dual ignition.
The astronaut? I think he was “Schirra”?
Ooops; where’s the copy editor? Oh; it’s you. Thanks.
Wally Schirra was the coolest of the coolest of the cool.
“He is the only person to fly in all of America’s first three space programs (Mercury, Gemini and Apollo). He logged a total of 295 hours and 15 minutes in space. He was the first person to go into space three times. Schirra’s logbooks show a total of 4,577 hours flight time (including 295 in space) and 267 carrier landings.” –wikipedia
Damned shame he didn’t get to go to the moon.
Nice Maser. I saw a very nice example being opened up on the highway between Penticton and Kelowna in BC a few summers ago.
My father used to keep this car in running shape foe Wally any time he had it down in the Cocoa Beach area.
I drove a 1964 Porsche 356 C cabriolet today. It was nice.
You wouldn’t want to be Wally Schirra’s son.
He got sent to prison for disgusting and horrible crimes.
https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/SAN-FRANCISCO-Astronaut-s-son-gets-3-1-2-years-2495226.php