Sebring: the Maserati you don’t expect
In the 1960s, the house of the Trident gave birth to one of its most elegant and sombre models, which became a true icon in the following decades. Less than 600 modesl were produced, one of which was purchased by Luciano Pavarotti.
It was the 1960s. They were the years of the first space missions (Gagarin was sent into orbit in 1961), they were the years of the Cold War and the years when Martin Luther King fought for civil rights.
The world danced to the notes of the Beatles and the Stones, while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin took the unforgettable moonwalk. Meanwhile, in New York, the historic Woodstock festival was held, while the hippies’ movement from England spread to many countries around the globe.
Italy was in the midst of an economic boom; room was being made in homes for televisions and the first sporting events were being watched live.
The streets were filled with an ever-increasing number of cars, mostly small cars and family cars. These were also the years when Maserati was “churning out” one of its most iconic models: the Sebring.
A car that marked an entire decade and was an inspiration for the coupé and sports cars to come. The first model was unveiled in 1962 at the Geneva Motor Show, with the inaugural series being produced from 1962 to 1965. Maserati was closing the prosperous cycle of the “3500 GT” (1957-64) and, also for this reason, the chassis and mechanics of the Sebring originated from the 3500 GT.
A car that marked an entire decade, the 1960s, and was an inspiration for the coupé and sports cars to come.
But they weren’t the only “reference” from that car straddling the two decades.
Almost all of the Sebring’s styling features were inspired by its predecessor: a long bonnet, an elegant elliptical grille with a large polished brass trident, a curved side, a truncated tail, a gathered pavilion, thin pillars and glass surfaces. Some of these aspects were lost in 1965, when the second series took over, with an upper displacement and larger dimensions.
Given the many similarities with the 3500 GT, the official name was 3500 GTIS, (Gran Turismo Sebring), to honor the victory at the 1957 Sebring 12 Hours, Florida circuit. These were years in which Maserati was very much focused on motor racing, so much so that from that triumph obtained by the 450S by the drivers Fangio and Behra (in first and second place) the new four-seater coupé of the Trident house took its name.
If at first Maserati considered the “Sebring” a simple transition model, in a short time it was able to carve out its own space and status. Over the decades, it became one of the Italian carmakers’ most captivating models, a symbol of the brand’s desire to establish itself as a manufacturer of road cars and no longer just race cars (as it had been until the 3500 GT was released).
The standard model came out of the factory with a 5-speed gearbox, but some models were fitted with an automatic transmission, making the Sebring one of the first Italian cars to be equipped with such a system (as well as air conditioning). Also, thanks to this, it became one of the most valued and avant-garde Maserati’s of that period, one of the first models of the brand to really conquer the US market, despite a price that was not exactly accessible, equal to almost 14,000 dollars at the time. The engine, which had 235 hp, could reach speeds in excess of 230 km/h. It was not only the stars and stripes audience that was enchanted by the beauty and performance of the Sebring. This Maserati, in fact, can boast a “co-starring” role in two films. There is a long list of Maserati’s that, throughout the history of cinema, have been chosen for various feature films, ennobled by the style and charm of the Maserati models. Dozens of Maserati’s have been symbols of many films and, of course, the Sebring is one of them. Just a year after its release, the car appeared in Doctor in Distress (1963), a
British romantic comedy, in which the protagonists travelled in a Sebring. Five years later it appeared in the film “L’homme à la Buick”, a French production starring Fernandel who, in various scenes, appears on board the 3500 GTIS. In 1965, the second series was the model 101.10, 243 units were made from 1965 to 1969. It had a few modifications, the main ones being new front position lights, new rear lights, different air vents behind the front wheel arches and wider tires. In 1966 the 4000 GTIS, with a 4-litre, 255 horsepower 6-cylinder engine, was produced.
This model was produced until the end of the ‘60s, when production of the Sebring stopped after having produced a total of 591 units of the series. Among the illustrious customers who purchased one of these models, we would like to point out a very young Italian tenor who goes by the name of Luciano Pavarotti, as well as the Austrian glassmaking magnate Adrian Swarovski. Last February, during an auction held in Paris, Sotheby’s auctioned a 1963 Maserati 3500 GTI Sebring Series I with chassis number AM101 01559 for almost 140,000 euros. It is one of only 351 units produced and one of only 35 built with right-hand drive. A lucky rich, passionate, new owner, has placed a model with a boldly colored, finished and authentically Italian style in his garage.
Among the illustrious customers who bought one of these models we would like point out a very young Italian tenor who answered to the name of Luciano Pavarotti.