Maserati 5000 GT

Maserati 5000 GT with Allemano construction

The Maserati 5000 GT (internal: Tipo 103) was one of the Italian car manufacturer Maserati built from 1959 to 1964 sports car in the luxury class. Maserati took for him the chassis of the 3500 GT, which was connected to the engine of the successful racing 450S. The 5000 GT was one of the fastest and most luxurious cars of its time and was in direct competition with the Ferrari 400 Superamerica. He was born in small numbers and was available with bodies of eight different body manufacturers.

Model history

The Shah of Persia

The initiative to develop the 5000 GT goes according to the majority view in the literature on Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Persia, back. Pahlavi was an automobile enthusiast and appreciated among other sports car brand Maserati. He drove several Maserati 3500, however, appeared to him as not exclusive enough.

Besides the production of street sports car Maserati was successful in the 1950s, especially in racing. The company held a Formula 1 racing team and took the Maserati 450S part in the sports car world championship and endurance races. 1957 ended the Maserati factory motorsports involvement, which primarily financial reasons played a role in this decision. After the withdrawal from motorsport Maserati still had numerous engines of the 450S. Inspired by the Shah of Persia, the company decided to install these engines with only minor changes in landing gear of the 3500 GT. In this way, Maserati decreed for the first time a high-performance sports car that could compete with the Ferrari models without restrictions.

Stages of development

The 5000 GT was developed during the year 1958 under the leadership of Giulio Alfieri. Maserati thereby limited to the technical components. The design of the building was left to the other hand, several independent body shops that went into their designs to customer requests and created a total of very different designs.

Alfieri had the chassis of the 3500 GT reinforce for the inclusion of the heavy eight-cylinder engine. The suspension, however, remained unchanged; in particular kept Maserati at the rear live axle. As power transmission was initially a manual four-speed transmission, which was later replaced by a five-speed transmission from ZF. In 1961 disc brakes were finally provided at all four wheels.

Over the five -year production period, there were three engine variants for the 5000 GT:

• In the original version of the 5000 GT eight-cylinder engines used ³ with a displacement of 4937 cm. The mixture preparation was carried out by four carburetors Weber. The engine had a double ignition. The performance was given as 340 hp. With this engine, the first two 5000 GT including the water supplied to the Shah of Persia specimen were equipped.

• Starting in 1960, the 5000 GT had a revised engine. By a slight increase in stroke while reducing the bore of the engine capacity was now 4941 cc; the performance was given as 325 hp. These changes Giulio Alfieri increased driveability of the engine; the engine was " customer-friendly " or " something zivilerem character." Initially, the mixture preparation was also in these versions over four Weber carbs; 1961 was, however, alternatively, a fuel injection by Lucas available.

• The last 5000 GT Coupe, was produced in 1964, received a 4.7 -liter eight-cylinder engine. The coupe was spanned by Frua.

Body versions

From 1959 to 1964 finished eight Karosseriewerke individual bodies for the 5000 GT. Among them were all well-known italieninischen Carrozziere. The first structures were produced by Carrozzeria Touring of Milan, but most structures produced Allemano in Turin. In addition, several individual pieces were written.

Some chassis were spanned more than once. So the chassis number 103 048 was given a body by Pietro Frua in the summer of 1962. A year later it got - also from Frua - a new body, while the chassis number was changed to 103 064. Originally karossierte of Allemano Chassis No. 103 022 was awarded in 1966 a new building Vignale.

The Touring version: Scià di Persia

1959 Touring designed the first body for the 5000 GT. Designed by Carlo Bianchi Anderloni vehicle had a short-cut coupe design that contradictory characteristics united in itself. With the massive, elongated carriage body contrasted with a brief, filigree roof structure, the extremely thin vehicle pillars, rear panoramic window and a striking front end had. The B-pillar was formed at the same time the rear end of the passenger compartment. The front end was an oval opening in which the brand emblem, the trident was integrated.

The Maserati 5000 GT touring body was first presented at the Turin Motor Show in 1959. The exhibit ( chassis number 103 004 ) was sold to the South African Basil Read, who was then the owner of the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit. A second, identical karossiertes vehicle ( chassis number 103 002 ) had already been a few months earlier delivered to Reza Pahlavi, the initiator of the project and the first 5000 GT customers. The touring body was nicknamed Scià di Persia ( Shah of Persia ).

Touring karossierte later two more, more or less identically -designed 5000 GT models.

The Allemano version: The 5000 GT Indianapolis

Most bodies for the 5000 GT put the Turin Carrozzeria Allemano ago. Also Allemano created a tight roof structure, which had only A- and B-pillar. The front end was smooth-surfaced as the Touring version; they had two horizontally positioned wide-band headlamps and a simple, verglitterten grille. At the rear, found little running horizontal tail fins, under which on each side three round taillights were housed. Is generally accepted that the design of the car not by Serafino Allemano itself was designed by Giovanni Michelotti but. Allemanos share thereafter limited to the artisanal production of car bodies.

With regard to some success in motorsport Maserati on the American Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Allemano version was unofficially referred to occasionally as 5000 GT " Indianapolis ".

The Frua version: The 5000 GT Aga Khan

On behalf of a French customers the Turin Carrozzeria Frua created a nearly four -seat coupe with a raised roof, a curved rear side windows and a striking panorama window in the rear. The vehicle was issued in October 1962 at the Paris Motor Show. The vehicle received in the course of the 1960s in the work of a new chassis number.

1963 Karim Aga Khan IV was at Frua a nearly identical karossiertes vehicle ( chassis number 103 060 ) in order, which was in the period following any rate temporarily owned by Rita Hayworth. Because of the prominent owner of the Frua version of the Maserati is sometimes referred to as " 5000 GT Aga Khan ". The Aga Khan car was sold at auction for a price of $ 1.1 million in 2007. In 1964 another vehicle with Frua - Karisserie.

Michelotti

Giovanni Michelotti designed in 1961 on behalf of the American racing driver Briggs Cunningham an individual setup for the 5000 GT. The car was designed as a four -seat coupe. As a special feature, it had a strongly sloping front end with pop-up headlights. Since the Studio Michelotti did not have its own workshop, the Cunningham car was built at Ghia.

Ghia

On behalf of the Italian industrialist Fernandine Innocenti designed Tom Tjaarda Carrozzeria Ghia for a 5000 GT with mannerist lines. The vertical front end was heavily chromed front and rear bumpers were swinging.

Pininfarina

Pininfarina, who in the 1950s successful Italian stylist who was closely associated with Ferrari, did not provide its own version of the Maserati 5000GT ago. Nevertheless, it came to the connection of a Pininfarina body with the 5000 GT chassis. The trigger was the Italian industrialist Giovanni " Gianni" Agnelli, longtime managing partner of the automobile manufacturer Fiat. Agnelli drove home including a Ferrari 400 Superamerica which was equipped with a custom bodywork by Pininfarina. The generally perceived as strict building had a front panoramic window, a high front end and a large radiator opening. In 1961 the Agnelli Pininfarina bodywork of his Ferrari to the chassis of the Maserati 5000 GT connect. The car drove in the following years without any branding.

Other individual pieces

For Bertone Giorgetto Giugiaro designed a smooth-surfaced 5000 GT Coupe with double headlights at the front and a semi- fastback. The Bertone body will look in the literature partly as the most beautiful Maserati 5000 GT. The small Carrozzeria Monterosa provided a single piece for the tennis player Filippo Montanari ago; Monte Rosa remained at the general layout closely follows the Allemano body, but changed front and rear sections significantly.

Overview: The individual bodies

The production of the Maserati 5000 GT was distributed as follows:

Distribution and current market conditions

The Maserati 5000 GT was an exclusive sports car in the luxury class. The exclusivity was reflected in the sales prices. The German Maserati importer offered the 5000 GT with Allemano body in 1963 at a price of 70,400 DM. The Maserati 3500 GT cost 44,400 DM at the same time, a Volkswagen Beetle Standard was offered for DM 4,200.

First-time customers of the 5000 GT were regularly wealthy personalities from politics, society and sports. Among the buyers of the Maserati 5000 GT included Giovanni Agnelli, Briggs Cunningham, the British- American actor Stewart Granger, the Italian industrialist Fernandine Innocenti, Karim Aga Khan IV.und 's then Mexican President Adolfo López Mateos.

Many of the 5000 GT versions are individual pieces, for which no reliable market value can moor on the classic market. Alone for the Allemano versions that have been implemented in more than 20 copies, used car prices are approximate to be determined. For an excellent 5000 GT Allemano the summer of 2011, a purchase price of about 370,000 euros is specified.

Trivia

The American musician Joe Walsh takes in his song Life's Been Good reference to his Maserati 5000 GT ( chassis number 103 026 ). One verse reads:

Specifications

Swell

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• Gianni Cancellieri et al. (Ed.): Maserati. Catalogue Raisonné 1926-2003. Automobilia, Milan 2003. ISBN 88-7960-151-2
• Craig Cheetham (ed.): The encyclopedia of classic cars from 1890 to present day. Amber Books. San Diego 2007 ISBN. 978-1-59223-781-4.
• Hans -Karl Lange: Maserati. The other Italian sports car. Vienna 1993, ISBN 3-552-05102-3
• Frank Oleski, Hartmut Lehbrink: standard sports cars. Cologne ( Könemann ) 1993 ISBN. 3-89508-000-4.
• Halwart Schrader, George Clerk: Italian sports cars. Stuttgart 1999, ISBN 3-613-01988-4.
• David Sparrow, Iain Ayre: Maserati Heritage. Osprey Classic Marques. Auckland 1995. ISBN 1-85532-441-5.
• Maurizio Tabucchi: Maserati. All Grand Prix, Sports and GT cars from 1926 to today. Heel Verlag, King Winter 2004. ISBN 3-89880-211-6