1959 Maserati 3500GT Roadster

The Maserati brothers' involvement with fast cars dates to 1914 and includes building many early Grand Prix cars. In 1926 they founded the Maserati marque and won the Targa Florio that year. Then, in 1937, the brothers sold the Maserati Works to the Adolfo Orsi family. Racing success continued, including back-to-back Indy 500 wins in 1939 and 1940. Later, Juan-Manuel Fangio brought even more glory to the Maserati name culminating with a world championship in 1957. In 1957 the company unveiled a prototype 3500GT 2+2 coupe with bodywork by Touring at the Geneva Motor Show. Several prototypes were also created without the top but didn't garner enough consumer interest to be put into production (and Maserati did not have the resources to produce two models).

In 1959, Maserati launched a new model with coachbuilder Vignale, the lead designer at this time. The result was the 3500GT Vignale Spyder. It was the company's first production convertible and this vehicle was the first prototype completed. As was typical of prototypes of that era, the car had many features that did not continue into production. Of particular interest is the bulge on the hood that visually follows the lines of the instrument panel. While aesthetically pleasing, it made construction of the car more difficult and was discontinued in production.

This car was originally special ordered for a customer in Los Angeles. After changing hands several times, it went into storage in the late 1970s where it sat until the current owner bought it in 2007, neglected but still very original. It was personally restored by the current owner with the goal of retaining as many original parts, such as carpet and leather, as possible. Special attention was given to leave some hidden areas completely original for the benefit of future restorers.