1962 Maserati 5000 GT Coupe

Thanks to the desires of the Shah of Persia (now Iran), the legendary Maserati 5000 GT came into existence. At the time, Maserati's model line was not exclusive, nor was it powerful enough, to satisfy the demands of the Shah. He wanted a road-going GT car powered by a V8 engine conceived from racing.

The tubular frame of the 3500GT was strengthened, the independent suspension was retained, and leaf springs and a live axle were placed in the rear. Disc brakes were placed in the front and drums in the rear. The V8 engine was courtesy of Maserati's racing program which was left with a surplus of units once racing regulations changed and made them obsolete. The engine in the 5000 GT had a displacement size of five liters, breathed through Weber carburetors, and offered an impressive 400 horespower. Top speed was achieved at 178 mph. Touring was tasked with creating the coachwork. The Shah paid $15,000 for this exclusive masterpiece, and the car would become known as the 'Shah of Persia.'

At the time, this was a one-of-a-kind model, but it would not retain that distinction. A second example soon followed, also bodied by Touring, and shared many of the same design cues as the first car. It was brought to the Turin Motor Show where it attracted the attention of other potential buyers. Additional examples soon followed, with coachwork by Monterosa, Pininfarina, Bertone, Allemano, Michelotti and Ghia.

The last carrozzerie commissioned to create a body for the 5000 GT chassis was Frua. In total, only three cars were given bodies with Frua designs and each was uniquely different. The first example was chassis number 103.048 and it was shown at the Geneva and Paris shows. This car was later renumbered to chassis 064. The second chassis, number 103.060, was created for the Aga Khan. The final Frua example was 103.100 and it had a 4.7-liter V8 engine.

Other owners of the 5000GT series included the president of Mexico, American movie star Stuart Granger, Sig. Agnelli of Fiat, and American sportsman Briggs Cunningham.

Allemano made 20 nearly identical cars of the total 32 examples produced. The later cars, also known as the Series II, had many new mechanical refinements such as four-wheel disc brakes, a reworked engine and a five-speed gearbox. Improvements to the engine included a longer stroke and Lucas fuel injection system, resulting in a increase in torque.

103.060
This car is chassis number 103.060 and wears a body by Frua. It is a later series car that has the 4-wheel disc brakes, five-speed gearbox, and 4.9-liter V8 engine with Double Overhead Camshaft and two-valves per cylinder.

The car was delivered to Karim Aga Khan on August 8th of 1962. He was the spiritual leader of the Ismaili Shiite sect at the time and resided in France at the time.

The frontal area of this car is very unique. It is built around a centrally positioned trident on the front of the hood and has rectangular headlamps and parking lights. It has a low belt-line and a tall roofline.

It is painted in a gray hue that shifts from purple to nearly pink depending on the lighting and the angle of view. The interior is cream and accented by a generous amount of chrome trim. In the center of the dashboard is a 300 kph speedometer. There is a 45 RPM record player that sits in front of the passenger's seat. The wood-rimmed steering wheel features trident-shaped spokes.

This car has been awarded a Second in Class at Pebble Beach. It has been well maintained over the years and is a fully documented example. In 2007 this car was offered for sale at the Gooding & Company auction held in Pebble Beach, CA where it was estimated to sell for $650,000 - $850,000. Bidding soon surpassed those estimates and when the gavel fell for the third and final time, the lot had been sold for $1,100,000.

By Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2011