Maserati 5000 GT Book Review

Review by Pete Vack
Photos from the book and courtesy the Author

Maurice Khawam’s book dedicated to the Maserati 5000 GT is much like the car itself; powerful, at times elegant, at times mundane, richly conceived, sometimes plainly executed, yet desirable and definitely designed for a particular clientele.

The Shah's car and the one that started the line. Note the nose job. We always wondered about that; now we know.

Published in 2001, it is still available and still perhaps the best book out there on the subject of the 5000 GT Maserati. This reviewer is sufficiently familiar with the 3500 Maserati and others of the same era, but never paid much attention to the apparently massive and ultra-rare 5000 GT. Khawam’s book brings this model in to sharp focus, and one comes away with a much better appreciation of these 34 very special Maseratis. The more we learned, the more we gazed, the more the desire to have or to at least drive one increased.

Interior of the Shah 5000 GT is impressive. We are beginning to see the light.

Looks familiar of course and is. Agnelli had PF realize this shape for both a Ferrari and the 5000 Maserati. The Maserati is the more successful effort.

Of course another reason is that the 5000 GT, as many know, was actually conceived by Royalty, His Highness the Shah of Iran. Whatever the Shah’s shortcomings, he knew his cars and the full story of his involvement with the creation of the 5000 GT is detailed perhaps for the first time, in Khawam’s book.
The list of first owners is impressive by any standards; Briggs Cunningham, Ferdinando Innocenti, Giovanni Agnelli, actor Stuart Granger, Mexican President Aldofo Mateos, Karim Aga Khan, and King Saud are just a few of the more recognizable names who ordered up the Orsi/Shah concoction. Interestingly, none were ordered as a Spyder, none had A/C as standard equipment, and none were right hand drive from new. Today, it’s hard to imagine a flat out luxury car without A/C but as owner Joop Stolze commented, “…classic cars however nice they may be, they never become a modern car. And that is the fun of it.”

Briggs Cunningham's car was the only one by Michelotti. Does the front end work?

Another interesting and unique part of Khawam’s Maserati 5000 GT is design commentary by Tom Tjaarda. The big Maser was clothed by eight different Italian coachbuilders at the top of their game. (With 22 of the 34 produced by Allemano.) With photos (the best in the book) by Dave Gooley, Tjaarda took a good look at each effort and gave his opinion on each, for better and worse. For example, the strange third grille that sits like a ‘cigar in an ashtray between the fender flanks’ of the first 5000GT didn’t work for Tjaarda anymore than that it did for us. But the Shah liked it and it was a way to reflect the snout of the 250F. Tjaarda likes the lines, particularly the front end treatment, of the Cunningham Michelotti but we didn’t. Tjaarda was at Ghia when his co-worker Sergio Sartorelli penned the dramatic lines of the single Ghia car and overall liked the lines. Tjaarda’s input and Gooley’s photos easily make this the best part of the book.

There is a significant chapter addressing the various versions and specs of each, from the carbureted cars to the series 2 fuel injectioned models with a full description of how the car was developed – rather quickly – from the 3500.

Interesting art by Stan Foster shows all eight coachbuilders. This is the first four.

Doctor Adolfo Orsi, who was a young boy when the cars were conceived, provides interesting background in the Foreword, as does the late Doctor Giulio Alfieri, who recalled that the Tipo 107 V8 was an “…important son” to whom he owes his gratitude.

Perhaps Khawam spent too many pages reviewing the 450S as well as the later cars that were somehow ‘influenced’ by the 5000GT; they are relevant and interesting but not essential. Four color pages were devoted to the Costin Zagato 450S coupe (but while mentioning the name of the U.S. buyer who actually saved the car from the scrapheap, he gives no further details about Byron Staver). Khawan argues that “…the 5000 GT opened management’s eyes to a whole new market sector, without which Maserati would not have survived; as the 6-cylinder in-line cars were at the end of their technical development. The post-war industrial miracle elevated many buyers economically, which allowed them to indulge in V8-powered automobiles. Hence the details about those cars that used the Tipo 107 derived from the 5000 GT engine were introduced so that readers would realize why the 5000 GT was such a “Significant Automobile.””

Overall, the Allemano might have been the most pleasing. Apparently Maserati thought so and had Allemano pound out 22 of the thirty four cars.

A full rundown of all the serial numbers is presented (but often lacking full histories of each serial number). Many of the mysteries surrounding the number and serial number of the 5000GT are solved and the author does a good job in accumulating data on many of the thirty four cars. However, this critical section is hard to follow, using notes (numbers) in the text to refer back to the serial number in question. We would have preferred the information to be listed in Serial Number order, with all owners, specs, details and photos under the appropriate chassis. But that’s us.

Nevertheless, this is a highly worthwhile book and if you’ve ever wanted to learn more about these top of the line Maseratis, it is indispensable, if pricey at $100 for each numbered edition. They can be purchased from the MAK Group, Publisher, 4132 Lomina Avenue, Lakewood, CA 90713. Telephone 562-429-7151 or email MAKGRP@aol.com.