Into production
Production of the 3500 GT started in late 1957; eighteen cars were built that year, the first handful leaving the factory before Christmas. All 3500 GTs had leather interior and Jaeger instruments. A first Touring convertible prototype was shown at the 1958 Turin Motor Show.[2] But it was a proposal by Carrozzeria Vignale (designed by Michelotti) shown at the 1959 Salon de l'Auto in Paris that went into production as 3500 GT Spyder. The Spyder did not feature Touring's Superleggera construction, but rather a steel body with aluminium bonnet, boot lid and optional hard top;[3] it was also built on a 10 cm shorter wheelbase, and weighed 1380 kg. Front disc brakes and limited slip differential became optional in 1959, and were standardized in 1960; rear discs became standard in 1962. The 3500 GTi was introduced at the 1960 Salon International de l'Auto,[4] and by the following year became the first fuel-injected Italian production car. It had a Lucas mechanical fuel injection, and developed 235 PS. The 5-speed gearbox which had been an available option since 1960 was made standard.[5] The body had a lowered roofline and became somewhat longer; minor outward changes appeared as well (new grille, rear lights, radial 185VR16 Pirelli Cinturato tyres, vent windows). From 1961 convertible 3500s for export markets were named 3500 GT Spyder and GTi Spyder. In 1959, the V8-engined Maserati 5000 GT was introduced using the chassis of the 3500 GT. Also based on the 3500 GT's mechanicals was the Maserati Sebring 2+2 coupé, which entered production in 1962.
In total 2,226 3500 GT coupés and convertibles were built between 1957 and 1964.[1] The first year (1958) 119 cars were sold, while 1961 was the best-selling year, totalling 500. All together, 245 Vignale convertibles and nearly 2000 coupés were manufactured, of these, 1981 being Touring coupés, the rest were bodied by other coachbuilders: Carrozzeria Allemano (four coupés, including the 1957 prototype), Carrozzeria Boneschi (coupé designed by Rodolfo Bonetto, 1962 Turin Motor Show and 1963 Geneva Motor Show), Pietro Frua (two or three coupés, one spider) and Bertone (one coupé designed by Franco Scaglione, 1959 Turin Motor Show).[6] The last was a coupé by Moretti (1966 Geneva Motor Show). In 1957 Zagato proposed a coupé in style reminiscent of their rebodied A6G/54 Coupé Speciale, but no cars were built.
