Maserati 3500 GT Spyder by Vignale - 1962

Delivered in 1962 in Germany.
Back to original specs, including hardtop after a complete restoration.
Awarded with the Maserati Classiche Certification of Authenticity in April 2022.

BEELD 1

Although this car is the 4th Vignale Spyder restoration carried out in our workshop, it was the most demanding one. We could not start from scratch but rather took over a restoration project 'in progress'. We found AM101.1421 in 2015 as what looked like a restored bodyshell. The car came in boxes filled with spare parts – many were unrestored, and some were partially restored. However, most of the restoration work was carried out to a vague standard in the 1990s.

Based on what we found, the rebuilding strategy was decided. That was to bring the car to a world-class standard without overstressing an already ambitious budget. It turned out that many crucial parts were missing. When planning the project, the primary challenge was to analyse and understand the quality of the work already done and the quality of the existing parts and components.

We outsourced and supervised the painting and interior trimming. All other work, including rebuilding, was carried out in our workshop. The restoration process required a total of 1800 hours. The major technical challenge was handcrafting all the missing parts – specifically chrome trim, window and door mechanisms, etc.

These cars are exceptional, and parts mutated and altered over the model's lifetime. Most technical components were rebuilt to our LP standard without compromise. We aimed to build the car to precise factory specs and still allow a satisfying driving experience by avoiding, to a maximum degree, the noises, vibration and heat.

Leo Peschl

Logo leo peschl
Specifications
  • Chassis number: AM101*1421*
  • Engine number: 1180
  • Build year: 1962
  • Body: Spyder with matching hardtop
  • Transmission: ZF 5-speed
  • Matching number: Yes
  • Matching colours: Yes
  • Price: upon request

Maserati Classiche Certification of Authenticity

This car was certified at the Maserati factory in Modena in April 2022. It was checked against +300 criteria and matched against all the historical documents held by the Archivio Storico, not just the documents on this specific car and chassis number. A committee of external experts guarantees the Certification process.

Maserati Classiche announced on December 14, 2021, their program for the Certification of Authenticity of classic cars. It is part of their efforts to protect and promote the preservation and originality of the company’s automotive heritage. It is available to Maseratis older than 20 years and the special series, including more recent vehicles like the MC12 and the Quattroporte limited editions.

Maserati Certification 2022 002
Maserati Certification 2022 002
IMG 2375
IMG 2375

History

Kid in Car
During the research for this car in 2018, we have reached out to the son of the first owner Mr Zoelch who passed away in 2015. The son gave this info: "My father passed away three years ago and remained a petrolhead till the very end. Unfortunately, at the time when he owned his first Maserati (the one you are talking about), I wasn't born yet. The boy sitting in the car was my cousin. I also have this photo in my family album."

The 3500GT was a success in its niche. Demand led to the production of some 2500 examples; high numbers for such an exclusive machine. Of this number, only 242 of the Spyders were built, with a chassis two inches shorter than the coupé version and bodywork styled by Vignale.

This model is clearly defined as the first production Maserati Spyder. Maserati had waited 31 years between the birth of the first racing model in 1926 to the presentation of their first serially built road car in 1957. As the groundbreaking open-top production macchina of Viale Ciro Menotti, it will forever have a special place in the Trident's history books.

To learn more about this model visit our Vignale Spyder profile page.

AM101 1421 doc2
AM101 1421 doc2

The official Maserati documents show that this car's colour combination was Bianco Spino Max Meyer 12.231 for the body and a Pelle Blue (blue leather) interior with carpets in colour Blue 301.

The car has body number 217 and internal engine number 1180 and came with triple carburettors, the 5-speed ZF gearbox and wire-wheels. It is also one of the few Vignale Spyders that was delivered with the optional hardtop.

Hard Top Vignale Spyder
Of the 242 Vignale Spyders, only around 40 to 45 were fitted with hardtops. The fact that the hardtop was ordered in blue makes it even more special. As far as we know this is the only original two-tone Vignale Spyder out there.

Restoration

AM101.1421 was restored to a Concours condition by Leo B. Peschl Classic Sports Cars in Cologne, Germany.

Austrian born Leo Peschl was successful in the trucking industry establishing a vast Caterpillar network in Russia which allowed him to indulge in classic Maserati. Unsatisfied with the care he found on the market, he started his own workshop in Cologne Germany and set about applying his typical perfectionism and productivity to the task, which resulted in a wonderful and well-organised workshop.

This was the fourth Vignale Spyder restored by Leo Peschl. A one-man per car methodology is in place. His innovative thinking and Teutonic sense of organisation have covered every aspect from parts sourcing to 3D printing, from identifying as precisely as possible the production variations between the first and last versions of any given Maserati model. All this is the result of an enthusiast driven approach, of his quest to establish the utopian workshop.

You can read more about Leo B. Peschl Classic Sports Cars in our book 'Classiche Masters, the finest workshops for classic Maseratis', or check out his profile page on our website to watch videos of Leo and his workshop.

Here is a very small selection of pictures that were taken before and during the restoration. The work started in 2016 and was finished in 2019. Over 6 Gigabytes of pictures are available, documenting the parts and the restoration.

Condition of the car

At the moment of writing this car is considered to be excellent, pristine. It has a documented nut & bolt ground-up restoration. It is stored professionally and comes with the above-mentioned vehicle history.

Following the restoration, the car has been test-driven by the workshop team and by the owner in Belgium. The car has been back in the workshop of Leo Peschl for its first maintenance.

CENNINI DAG 237279
CENNINI DAG 237279
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