Maserati 5000 GT 103.60 by Frua was built for the Aga Khan (Aly's father). Photo by Hugues Vanhoolandt.
The Trident’s Car for Kings
By Wallace Wyss
I think there’s a thing with rulers, heads of state, kings or captains of industry.
They don’t like to see the same car they are driving coming the other way.
It is, I think, to protect their reputation. If they have a one-off car, they don’t have to worry about someone saying ”Wasn’t that your such-and-such parked outside Fifi’s Massage last night?” Sort of like a Dior gown for a woman.
Anyway that’s my reasoning why there are so many variations on the coachwork of hand-built exotics.
A more reasonable explanation might be that there was often a ferocious competition among coachbuilders. In the model I am about to cite, there were only about three dozen cars made in total and some coachbuilders were only able to obtain one chassis. The result was that they went all out to create a one-off design that would show up their competitors, particular at the Paris or Geneva auto shows.
The car in question is the 5000GT Maserati.
103.046 was a 'standard' Alllemano built for Merli Brandini. Hugues Vanhoolandt photo.
It came about soon after Maserati had taken the F1 world championship in ’57 though their drivers had botched it badly in the sports car championship by crashing more than their share of some of the hugely expensive 450S cars.
Then in ’58 the FIA decided to throw a monkey wrench in their direction by cutting the displacement limit down to 3 liters, leaving Maserati with a raft of 5-liter racing engines.
It was about that time that the Shah of Iran had tried out a 3500GT and suggested they build him a faster version. The solution was to use the engine from the 450S sports racer, a car that would leave all behind him in all of Iran and a good bit of Italy; Hans Tanner reported a 170 mph run with Bertocchi. After the Shah’s car was built, 31 more were made, designated type 103 and then with an additional number to show where the car came in sequence.
103.002 was the first 5000GT and built for the Shah of Iran. That front end never worked.
The first series 5000 GTs engine had 350 bhp @ 5500 rpm with discs on the front only. The second series had Lucas fuel injection and only 340 hp, used a ZF transmission and had discs on all four wheels.
Several coachbuilders were used. The most frequent builder was Allemano. That coachbuilder built 20 out of the total production of 32 built between 1959 and 1965. You could say, and I do say, that all the other coachbuilders were more flamboyant than Allemano. The number each built is: Touring (4), Frua (2), Monterosa (1), Pinin Farina (1), Ghia (1), Michelotti (1) and Bertone (1).
One of the ironic things is that the 5000GTs had some of the most beautiful bodywork, from certain angles, and also some of the ugliest bodywork ever to come out of Italy.
For ugly I nominate 002 (the first car built) which coachwork by Touring, which has a vertical oval in the grille with the Maserati Trident. This is really a mess as far as the front but the rest of the car was pleasant if not spectacular. That was for the Shah of Persia, the guy who we all knew and loved as the Shah of Iran.
Another Allemano, 103.044, went to a Mr. Bonetti. Hugues Vanhoolandt photo.
Then there is 103.008. That was the vertical-grilled Pinin Farina built for Giovanni Agnelli who, though not an actual King, was a king of industry. Ironically he had a Ferrari 400SA by Pinin Farina that had almost the same body style. Really horrible was the rectangular headlights like they had been intended for a 1958 Buick! But actually the quads in the Tjaarda-designed 330GT were more integrated so quads aren’t always a bad idea, just a shock on a purebred Ferrari or Maserati.
And then there’s the 5000GT 103.018 by Ghia—that went to the head of Sig. Innocenti. It had four round taillights in the back that seemed to have inspired the Corvair made later on. Even the roofline is Corvair-ish. GM’s styling VP, Bill Mitchell, long passed on, should have been charged with many counts of design theft!
Ghia made only one, on chassis 103.018, for Sig. Innocenti.
Another odd one is 016, with hidden headlights. The front fenders looks sort of Aston Martin DB6 but the headlights are covered. Can’t figure out where the covers retract to when you turn the headlights on. This was designed by Michelotti, ordered and driven by Briggs Cunningham.
The now-more-famous-than-all-of-them designer, Giugiaro, did a 5000GT, 103.062, and the side view is a reprise of his Bertone bodied twin nostril short wheelbase Ferrari 250GT. It has the rectangular CIBIE headlights in one picture (along with hubcapped wheels) but at least that looks better than in another old photo of it where it had dual headlights, which I could say looked oh-so-American except that American cars didn’t go to quad headlamps until 1958. That curvy 5000GT designed by Giugiaro doesn’t have that happy a front end—very ordinary and reminiscent of the Aston Martin Bertone Jet he did about the same time.
Bertone's version was similar to the Ferrari and Aston Martin Bertones. Only one was built and went to Giancarlo Guasti.
In another twist of fate, some of the “uglier” designs are now worth more than the more plentiful Allemano design, so the old saw “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” takes on more significance if you can say you have a car that is rarer in body style than others built on the same chassis. Course Allemano also turned out a Fiat with the same lines, perhaps diluting the value of the Allemano 5000GTs.
List of SNs by Crump and Rob Box. May be a bit out of date.
My interest is strictly as a historian looking for oddball barn finds to include in a new tome. I invite anyone out there who can give an example of a “barn find” Maserati 5000GT that was bought at a very reasonable price by a barn-finder who knew exactly what he was looking at even if the sellers didn’t to write in to VeloceToday – I am sure we would all love to hear about it.
———————————————————————
THE AUTHOR: Wallace Wyss is the author of Incredible Barn Finds, available from Enthusiast Books (715) 381 9755
I think you it on the head Wallace. Back then, customization was much more inspiring with coach builders vying for the biggest wallets. It certainly is something I miss these days. Maybe the auto industry will make it easier for us to tweak the look of our cars. I don’t see many modern cars I’m drawn to, certainly less than before.
Dear Mr. Pete Vack,
The article on the Maserati 5000 GT relies on old inacurate data that was published before a thorough research of the Maserati archives was done.
I refer you to our book: Maserati 5000 GT A Significant Automobile,
ISBN: 0-9715215-5-7, for a thorough look at this model that has had an undeniable importance on Maserati and its ability to compete in a growing sector of the market. The argument can be made that because of the 5000 GT, Maserati discovered the market opportunity to produce V8 powered models, which allowed it to stay in business for decades and until industry conditions were favorable for FIAT to absorb it in its folds and breath life into this prestigious manufacturer. This is evidenced by the new beautiful models offered today. In the book a thorough design analysis is also presented by Mr. Tom Tjaarda of the eight body styles made for the 5000 GT. The critique he makes is an educated view by a contemporary professional designer at how Italian coach-building was done during that era. The book is available from various suppliers, including Amazon, enthusiasts books, books4cars, race maker press and the publisher MAK Group.
Regards,
Maurice Khawam
MAK Group, Publisher
E: makgrp@aol.com
I think we provided that caveat under the SN list, Send us the book and we’d be glad to review it.
Pete
Thanks for bringing the book to VT readers’ attention. If you want to add any specifics on any of the cars please do. Having only about 500 car books in my own library, and researching dozens of brands from ATS to Serenissima, I can’t have every car book existant but always like to hear what is out there and even write book reviews when publishers are kind enough make them available. Tom Tjaarda is a friend of mine sicne I interviewed him in 1969 for Motor Trend and is indeed a great critic. Looking forward to more light being shed on these particular cars,
what a shame–no zagato!
Dear Pete,
Please permit me to tell you and your readers that I had for many years the Maserati 5000 GT chassis no. 103.100. The car had the same Frua body like chassis no. 103.060, colour marrone and gold plated instruments. It has been ordered and bought by an Architect from Germany who did the Hotel & Resort etc. for the Aga Khan in Sardegna. I can provide you with data sheet (original order at Maseratis) plus several pictures if you want. I sold the car to Mr. Bill Hilfiker.
Regards Egon
I saw 103.002 in a warehouse in Toledo, OH back in 1990 (unless all of the Touring bodied 5000GTs carried same coach work). It was presented as the ex-Shah car and I was shocked to see it in that location. I almost hit the floor when the man pulled the cover and exposed that ovoid grille detail. I seem to recall it was painted a lightish green metallic. The irony of the situation is that we were there to look at a used engine for our rusted out ’79 Alfetta Coupe.
Hello Bob:
If you can remember if the ex-Shah car was for sale and what the price was, the car may qualify as a barn-find at that point in time. You may know the Shah had cars all over the world being serviced so when the Shah fled Iran some of the shops waited awahile and they started adding up the daily storage until it reached a number the new government didn’t want to pay so they confiscated them. This may have been one of those cars.
WW
Pete,
Back in 1969 when I was President of Meridian Auto Ltd in Santa Ana, CA, Carroll O’Connor of All in the Family fame, brought us he 500GT for sprucing up. He bought and drove it in Roma when he lived there doing Spaggetti Westerns. We had Bill DeCarr refinish (strip and repaint) it the original dark chocolate, shampo’d the interior, brought the wire wheels back to a jewelry finish, detailed and tuned the engine. All of this too about 6 months and by that time All in the Family was a hit. When Carroll saw his 500GT, his comment was, this is too beautiful to drive. I recall that put it up in Bill Harrah’s Museum to see. If memory is correct it was a Touring bodied car. Do not have any record to verify the vehicle ID number. All the best, Paul
@wallace wyss – The car was not being presented as for sale. The guy told me why it was there but I was in too much shock for it all to register.
@Paul Ebeling – Are you sure it wasn’t a 3500GT? http://www.imdb.com/media/rm3141769216/nm0005279
Bob, Indeed it was, thanks for the refresher. All the best, Paul
Hello Bob.
This is Tracy from Import Automotive Service in Toledo, Ohio. The Shah’s car (103.002) was indeed that car that you seen here in my showroom. I sold it to Alfredo in 1999. This 5000 GT was very beautiful. Just wanted to harp in as it was a pleasure owning this vehicle.
Best Regards
Correction the 5000gt that was in my showroom was the 103.004 not 002. Sorry about that…