Maserati 5000 GT
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The Maserati 5000 GT (Tipo 103) is a 2-door
coupé A coupe or coupé (, ) is a passenger car with a sloping or truncated rear roofline and typically with two doors. The term ''coupé'' was first applied to horse-drawn carriages for two passengers without rear-facing seats. It comes from the Fr ...
grand tourer A grand tourer (GT) is a type of car that is designed for high speed and long-distance driving with performance and luxury. The most common format is a Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout, front-engine, rear-wheel-drive two-door coupé with ...
, made by Italian automobile manufacturer
Maserati Maserati S.p.A. () is an Italian luxury vehicle manufacturer. Established on 1 December 1914 in Bologna, Italy, the company's headquarters are now in Modena, and its emblem is a trident. The company has been owned by Stellantis since 2021. Ma ...
from 1959–1966. A total of thirty-four were produced with bodies made by eight different Italian coach builders. The first car in the ''Tipo 103'' series was the ''Scia di Persia'' (Shah of Persia), delivered to
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi Mohammad Reza Pahlavi (26 October 1919 – 27 July 1980) was the last List of monarchs of Iran, Shah of Iran, ruling from 1941 to 1979. He succeeded his father Reza Shah and ruled the Imperial State of Iran until he was overthrown by the ...
, who had been impressed by the
Maserati 3500 The Maserati 3500 GT (''Tipo 101'') and the Maserati 3500 GT Spyder (''Tipo 101/C'') are 2-door coupé and convertible (car), convertible grand tourers made by Italy, Italian car manufacturer Maserati between 1957 and 1964. It was a seminal vehicl ...
after a test drive but demanded a more exclusive car for himself. He commissioned Maserati's chief engineer Giulio Alfieri to fit a slightly modified 5-litre engine from the
Maserati 450S The Maserati 450S (Tipo 54) is a racing car made by Italian automobile manufacturer Maserati for participating in FIA's endurance World Sportscar Championship racing. A total of nine were made. Development of the 450S started in 1954 under the c ...
in the 3500GT's chassis.
Carrozzeria Touring Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera is an Italian automobile coachbuilder. Originally established in Milan in 1925, Carrozzeria Touring became well known for both the beauty of its designs and patented superleggera construction methods. The ...
developed the
superleggera Superleggera (Italian for ''Superlight'') is a custom tube and alloy panel automobile coachwork construction technology developed by Felice Bianchi Anderloni of Italian coachbuilder Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera. A separate chassis was sti ...
tubing and
aluminium Aluminium (or aluminum in North American English) is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol Al and atomic number 13. It has a density lower than that of other common metals, about one-third that of steel. Aluminium has ...
body of the two-seater coupé. The second car, also known as the ''Scia di Persia'' by Touring, was displayed at the 1959 Salone dell'automobile di Torino. In 2018,
Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera is an Italian automobile coachbuilder. Originally established in Milan in 1925, Carrozzeria Touring became well known for both the beauty of its designs and patented superleggera construction methods. The b ...
announced the creation of a homage to the 5000 GT with a
Maserati GranTurismo The Maserati GranTurismo and GranCabrio are a series of grand tourers produced by the Italian manufacturer Maserati, succeeding the maserati Coupe, Maserati Coupé and Spyder. The first generation GranTurismo (M145) was introduced at the 2007 Ge ...
-based ''Sciàdipersia''. A total of 25 cars were made (coupé and cabriolet combined).


History

In an attempt to revive sales, Omar Orsi, the son of then Maserati owner
Adolfo Orsi Adolfo Orsi (23 March 1888 – 20 December 1972) was an Italian industrialist, known for owning the Maserati automobile maker. Born within a poor family in Sant'Agnese, near Modena, Orsi lost his father in 1899 - an event that forced him to star ...
, mailed sales brochures of the 3500 GT and the 450S to prospective wealthy buyers. One brochure was also mailed to the Shah of Iran who scheduled a meeting with Maserati management in late 1958. After taking a test drive in a 3500 GT, the Shah requested Giulio Alfieri to make a road car combining the usability of the 3500 GT with the power of the 450S and offered to fund the development and build costs. The engine received little modifications for road usage, those being an increased displacement of and a reduced compression ratio of 8.5:1. The chassis of the 3500 GT was strengthened to better handle the power of the new V8 engine but some components from the 3500 GT remained; the independent live axles and the braking system. Initially, Bertone was chosen as the coach builder for the body but Carrozzeria Touring was ultimately chosen at the behest of Orsi. The coach builder was given instructions to make the car look distinct from the 3500 GT it was based on. Chief designer Carlo Anderloni used the Persian Baroque architecture as inspiration for the unique grille design and the interior design. The finished car was immediately shipped to the Shah of Iran with little to no exposure to the public. A second car was built to be displayed at the 1959 Turin Motor show which was bought by South African millionaire and Kyalami track owner Basil Read. In 1960, the engine was modified following an increase in demand: the displacement increased to with a longer stroke and a smaller bore, with fuel injection and triple-strand chains added. The new engine developed . The fuel injected 5000 GT was shown at the 1960 Salone di Torino. A new 5-speed ZF transaxle was added with an overdrive gear to better cope with the modifications and ventilated disc brakes were added all around.


Specifications

Specifications for the first 5000 GT were: *
Maserati 450S The Maserati 450S (Tipo 54) is a racing car made by Italian automobile manufacturer Maserati for participating in FIA's endurance World Sportscar Championship racing. A total of nine were made. Development of the 450S started in 1954 under the c ...
-derived four
OHC An overhead camshaft (OHC) engine is a piston engine in which the camshaft is located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier overhead valve engines (OHV), where the camshaft is located below the combustio ...
V8, at 5,500 rpm *Lucas mechanical injection or four 45 DCOE Weber
carburettors A carburetor (also spelled carburettor or carburetter) is a device used by a gasoline internal combustion engine to control and mix air and fuel entering the engine. The primary method of adding fuel to the intake air is through the Ventu ...
and dual fuel pump *mechanical
Magneti-Marelli Marelli Europe S.p.A. (formerly Magneti Marelli S.p.A.) is a European subsidiary of Marelli Holdings which develops and manufactures components for the automotive industry. The firm is headquartered in Corbetta, Italy, and includes 86 manufact ...
ignition, dual spark plug *4-speed manual transmission ZF (later 5-speed) *Front discs, rear drums (later all discs)


Coachbuilders

After the first body by Touring, the main body partner since 1960 became
Carrozzeria Allemano Carrozzeria Allemano (established 1928, discontinued 1965) was an automobile coachbuilder in Turin, Italy, owned by Serafino Allemano. Allemano made various cars based on their own designs. They also built externally designed vehicles, such as t ...
which made 22 cars, designed by
Giovanni Michelotti Giovanni Michelotti (6 October 1921 – 23 January 1980) was one of the most prolific designers of sports cars in the 20th century. His notable contributions were for Ferrari, Lancia, Maserati and Triumph Motor Company, Triumph marques. He was ...
. Other coachbuilders were as follows: File:1959 Maserati 5000 GT rl.jpg, Touring, ex-Shah chassis 103.002 File: Maserati 5000 GT Scià di Persia (1959) at Laguna Seca Historics (2014) 02.jpg, Touring, ex-Basil Read, chassis 103.004 File:Maserati 5000 GT Pininfarina 1961.JPG,
Pininfarina Pininfarina S.p.A. (; ; short for Pininfarina Società per Azioni) is an Italian automotive design, car design firm and coachbuilder, with headquarters in Cambiano, Turin, Italy. The company was founded by Battista "Pinin" Farina in 1930. On 14 ...
, ex-
Gianni Agnelli Giovanni "Gianni" Agnelli (; 12 March 192124 January 2003), nicknamed ("The Lawyer"), was an Italian industrialist and principal shareholder of Fiat S.p.A., Fiat. As the head of Fiat, he controlled 4.4% of Italy's GDP, 3.1% of its industrial ...
, 103.008 File:1961-11-03 Torino Maserati 5000 Ghia 103-018.jpg, Ghia at
Turin Auto Show The Turin Motor Show () is an auto show held annually in Turin, Italy. The first official show took place between 21 and 24 April 1900, at the Castle of Valentino, becoming a permanent fixture in Turin from 1938 having shared it with Milan and R ...
1961, 103.018 File:Maserati BW 2016-04-30 13-47-54.jpg, Allemano, ex-
Joe Walsh Joseph Fidler Walsh (born Joseph Woodward Fidler; November 20, 1947) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Best known as a member of the rock band Eagles (band), Eagles, his five-decade career includes solo work and stints in other ...
, 103.026 File:Maserati 5000 GT Allemano noBG.jpg, Allemano, ex-
Stewart Granger Stewart Granger (born James Lablache Stewart; 6 May 1913 – 16 August 1993) was a British film actor, mainly associated with heroic and romantic leading roles. He was a popular leading man from the 1940s to the early 1960s, rising to fame thr ...
, 103.036 File:1962_Italia_Maserati_5000_Frua_103.060.jpg, Frua, ex-
Aga Khan IV Prince Karim al-Husseini (13 December 1936 – 4 February 2025), known as the Aga Khan IV, was the 49th Imamah, imam of Imamate in Nizari doctrine, Nizari Isma'ilism from 1957 until his death in 2025. He inherited the Imamate in Nizari doctrine ...
, 103.060
In 1961,
Bertone Gruppo Bertone, commonly known as Bertone, was an Italian industrial design company which specialized in Automotive design, car styling, coachbuilder, coachbuilding and Contract manufacturer, manufacturing. It was also a Automotive industry in ...
built a one-off 5000 GT that featured a body designed by
Giorgetto Giugiaro Giorgetto Giugiaro (; born 7 August 1938) is an Italian automotive designer. He has worked on supercars and popular everyday vehicles. He was named Car Designer of the Century in 1999 and inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in 2002. He w ...
. The car had a ''Tipo 104'' chassis and a different engine than the standard 5000 GT.


Buyers

The 5000 GT was sold at prices around US$17,000 (twice the cost of a
Maserati 3500 The Maserati 3500 GT (''Tipo 101'') and the Maserati 3500 GT Spyder (''Tipo 101/C'') are 2-door coupé and convertible (car), convertible grand tourers made by Italy, Italian car manufacturer Maserati between 1957 and 1964. It was a seminal vehicl ...
), and in many respects individualized to the desires of its celebrity buyers, including Karim Aga Khan, Italian industrialist
Gianni Agnelli Giovanni "Gianni" Agnelli (; 12 March 192124 January 2003), nicknamed ("The Lawyer"), was an Italian industrialist and principal shareholder of Fiat S.p.A., Fiat. As the head of Fiat, he controlled 4.4% of Italy's GDP, 3.1% of its industrial ...
, American sportsman
Briggs Cunningham Briggs Swift Cunningham II (January 19, 1907 – July 2, 2003) was an American entrepreneur and sportsman. He is best known for skippering the yacht Columbia (1958 yacht), ''Columbia'' to victory in the 1958 America's Cup race, and for his effor ...
, actor
Stewart Granger Stewart Granger (born James Lablache Stewart; 6 May 1913 – 16 August 1993) was a British film actor, mainly associated with heroic and romantic leading roles. He was a popular leading man from the 1940s to the early 1960s, rising to fame thr ...
, Italian businessman
Ferdinando Innocenti Ferdinando Innocenti (; 1 September 1891, in Pescia, Italy – 21 June 1966, in Varese) was an Italian businessman who founded the machinery-works company Innocenti and was the manufacturer of the Lambretta motorscooter. Biography Ferdina ...
(Ghia-bodied 5000 GT), South African construction magnate Basil Read, Swiss entrepreneur Otto Nef, count Giuseppe Comola, American Musician
Joe Walsh Joseph Fidler Walsh (born Joseph Woodward Fidler; November 20, 1947) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Best known as a member of the rock band Eagles (band), Eagles, his five-decade career includes solo work and stints in other ...
, and Mexican president
Adolfo López Mateos Adolfo López Mateos (; 26 May 1909 – 22 September 1969) was a Mexican politician and lawyer who served as President of Mexico from 1958 to 1964. Previously, he served as Secretariat of Labor and Social Welfare, Secretary of Labor and Social ...
.


Further reading

*Maurice Khawam,
Maserati 5000 GT - A Significant Automobile
'. . *Maurizio Tabucchi, ''Nel segno del Tridente''. .


References


External links



{{Authority control 5000 GT Rear-wheel-drive vehicles Grand tourers Cars introduced in 1959 1960s cars