Barn Finds
After five decades of inactivity, this 3500 GT surely deserves a proper restoration
Fangio’s Maserati leads a three-page bonanza, including a Cheshire hoard
A1961 Maserati 3500 GT reputedly regularly used by Juan-manuel Fangio has been offered for sale in Italy by an aged friend of the late maestro. The car, estimated at €475k-575k, failed to sell at Finarte’s auction in Padua on October 25 (but then so did 45 more of the 55-car total).
The story goes like this: although never owned by or registered to Fangio, this car was put at his disposal by its industrialist owner, a friend of the great man. As part of his continued close relationship with Maserati following his retirement in 1958, he used the car regularly on trips to Italy and provided feedback about the 3500’s strengths and weaknesses.
In 1966 he returned the car to Maserati; in 1969 he contacted the factory via a mutual friend to apologise for having left it there so long. However, ten more years passed during which the car was seemingly abandoned to the elements on Maserati’s property, before Fangio wrote to the factory authorising two friends to collect it, restore it and drive it – he would also use it once again on visits to Italy.
At this point, Maserati dug its heels in. The presumption is that Alejandro de Tomaso, then in charge, didn’t feel like giving away a valuable car. But two years later the firm relented and one of Fangio’s friends took it away – the other having by then died. The planned restoration never began. Further storage, although indoors, has not improved the car’s condition.
‘The current owner, due to the many and complex emotional reasons related to the car, has already kept it for a very long time,’ said Sandro Binelli of Finarte. ‘He is now selling it for strictly personal reasons.’