Vehicle Description
Chassis No. AM109S 027
Engine No. AM109S 027
Named after the powerful, cold Mediterranean wind of southern
France, the Mistral inaugurated Maserati's tradition of
wind-inspired model names upon its introduction in November 1963 at
the Salone Internazionale dell'Automobile di Torino. As the
successor to the 3500?GT, it marked the final evolution of
Maserati's front-mounted, twin-spark, double-overhead-cam
straight-six engine-a lineage born from the legendary 350S sports
racer of the 1950s. The Mistral's lithe proportions, in both coupe
and open-top Spyder variations, were penned by the talented Pietro
Frua, featuring an aggressive sharknose grille, Kamm tail, and a
raked removable hardtop in Spyder form.
Over its seven-year production run, Maserati built a total of 844
Mistral coupes compared to just 124 Spyders, of which a mere 30
early production examples were equipped with the 3.5-liter
inline-six engine. This exceptional 3.5-liter Mistral Spyder,
chassis 027, was originally commissioned in July 1964, specified in
Grigio Montebello (Metallic Silver) over a Pella Rossa (Red
leather) interior. A copy of its original order form notes its
generous factory equipment, with period accessories including the
rarely seen optional aluminum hardtop as well as wire wheels, a
Blaupunkt radio, and electric windows among others. The Spyder was
completed in October 1964 per Maserati Classiche documentation and
was subsequently dispatched to Auto Distributors of New York.
Chassis 027 is known to have been refinished in red with a tan
interior at some stage in its life and is said to have spent a
number of years in a museum collection prior to its acquisition by
a Florida-based caretaker in 2012. In this ownership, the Maserati
was treated to a ground-up restoration initiated in 2013 which
included replacing the floor pans before conducting a bare-metal
repaint in period-correct Blu Sera Metallizzato (Metallic Blue).
Numerous specialist shops contributed to the restoration, with
Coachtrim of Danbury, Connecticut, retrimming the interior in
factory-correct Rosso Connolly hides and fitting a new black fabric
convertible top, while Qual Krom of Erie, Pennsylvania,
professionally refinished the bumpers and chrome brightwork. The
project also included fitting the hardtop with a replacement
headliner and re-trimming the trunk in quilted black vinyl.
The mechanical refurbishment encompassed an overhaul of the
suspension system, which consists of an independent coil-spring
double-wishbone front setup and leaf-sprung solid rear axle. The
original Lucas fuel injection system was replaced with triple Weber
42 DCOE carburetors, which were refreshed during the restoration by
Greg Jones in Stuart, Florida, along with replacement of spark
plugs, wires, and points. A Lucas fuel injection unit still
accompanies the car today, should a future owner wish to revert to
its factory Iniezione setup. The Borrani wire wheels, secured by
three-eared knock-offs, were mounted with Pirelli Cinturato tires
in 2017, complementing a matching wire spare housed in the trunk.
After its completion, the Mistral remained with its Florida
caretaker until 2022, when it entered the plethora of important
Italian grand touring cars in the Texas-based Lone Star Sports Car
Collection.
Now offered with a mere 30 additional miles indicated since
entering the collection, this wonderfully restored and exceedingly
rare 3.5-liter Spyder is offered with its matching aluminum hard
top, its tool roll, and Maserati Classiche documentation which
confirms that the car retains its original, matching-numbers engine
(no. AM109S 027, internal no. 2308). The Mistral Spyder surely must
be considered one of the finest models to emerge from the Golden
Age of Italian grand touring design, and chassis 027 is a stunning
example of the breed that is ready to show, tour, and enjoy.
