Maserati 3500 GT Coupé Frua

Vehicle Overview

The Maserati 3500 GTI Frua Coupé is one of the rarest and most elegant examples of Italian automotive design from the early 1960s. Built in very limited numbers, just four examples were produced by Pietro Frua in 1961 and 1962, each with its own unique features. These special variants of the Maserati 3500 GT offer a fascinating glimpse into the evolution of Maserati’s Grand Touring offerings and Frua’s distinctive approach to coachbuilding. Before the 3500 GT, Maserati was known for producing racing-derived vehicles like the A6 1500 and A6G/2000, which, while mechanically advanced, lacked the luxury and ease of use that a wider, more affluent audience demanded. The 3500 GT changed all that, ushering Maserati into the world of high-end production cars. Powered by a 3.5-liter six-cylinder engine, it delivered 220 horsepower, a top speed of 210 km/h, and was equipped with a luxurious interior featuring leather upholstery and a carefully designed dashboard with five instruments. The Maserati 3500 GT’s success paved the way for its manufacturer to step into mass production, with a total of 1,975 examples produced between 1957 and 1965. Several coachbuilders submitted proposals to design the body, including Zagato, Frua and Allemano, who had already collaborated with the marque on earlier models. However, it was the design by Touring that finally won the Orsi family’s approval, and it is in this form that the Maserati 3500 GT coupé is generally known. The other coachbuilders continued to propose other projects, as was the custom in Italy : Allemano (four prototypes in 1958/1959), Bertone (one speciment in 1959), Boneschi (two coupés in 1962/1963), Moretti (one example in 1966), Vignale (one Spider in addition to the version adopted as the official Spider). Pietro Frua also created a Spider in 1959 along with four special coupés in 1961 and 1962, one of which is the example on offer. Frua’s interpretation of the 3500 GT coupe featured an aggressive yet elegant front grill with four headlights, a high waistline, and large expanses of glass, giving the car a more dynamic and forward-thinking aesthetic. This style would later influence the design of the Maserati Sebring. The Frua coupés stand out for their unique styling, and they represent a one-off creation within the history of Maserati’s production cars. Though these Maserati 3500 GTI Frua Coupés were never mass-produced, they are now considered rare gems among classic car enthusiasts. Each of the four specimens is a bespoke masterpiece, combining Maserati’s engineering prowess with the artistic design of Pietro Frua.