Classic Maseratis....in the movies!!

OK, here I start the first one:

this prototipo 3500 GT appeared in the German short-movie "Its a wonderful life" in the early 60ies. The car had an Allemano body and was registered in Munich, Germany. I contacted the actress in that movie -a very successfull model in those days- and the director. Both recall this car as owned by actor Axel Reignier (brother of well known German actor Charles Regnier). The car is lost today and we can only guess which chassis it was. Any more infos anybody? The last photo shows in displayed by Allemano on a car show in Italy.

Ciao!
Walter
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-Saw it almost 30 years ago so not so precise: A silly comedy with the even sillier Aldo Maccione in Europe around a moated castle, he or someone else supposedly drops into an abyss or a very deep moat in an Indy. You don't see the car being destroyed so they cheated, thank God. Don't know the name.

-One great late 50's early 60's movie, I believe three coins in the fountain, starts in Rome with one lucky chap driving two girls around in a 3500 vignale spyder it is sunny and there is zero traffic, making it even more dreamlike.

It's a start!

 

The silly German movie "Ein Engel auf Erden" ("An Angel on Earth") from 1959 shows a very young Romy Schneider (she was nude later in the movie "La Piccine" with the Ghibli!. The story is not worth to mention but the movie plays in Southern France with many scenes filmed during the GP Monaco.

Here we see the very young French actor Jean Paul Belmondo working on a Maserati 250F. The car was the famous Fangio-car #2529 which took him to victory on the Nuerburgring in 1957.

At the end of this movie Fräulein Schneider jumps on the back of the Formula 1 car and got a "ride" with her film-lover behind the wheel to the Nice airport...on public roads!!!

Ciao!
Walter
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I was just recently able to get the following movie from netflix ... Story of a Love Affair, 1950 or Cronaca di un Amore. It has a A6-1500 (GT?). I think it might be Bill Noons car *086* (which oddly enough has an early ownership history that is similar to the plot of the movie) but I can't be certain. Anyways you can rent the movie, the car is only featured in one scene, but they're doing a high speed run. I think it is nice to see the car in a movie made when it was new. Also there is a Cisitalia, a Lancia and a few Alfas in the movie.

http://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_57861-Maserati-A6-1500-1948.html

 

A wonderful film! But...what makes you so certain that its Bill Noon`s #086??
Ciao!
Walter

 

Very nice movie with lots of late 40ies/early 50ies Italian atmosphere is "Domenica d`Agosto“ (1950), directed by Luciano Emmer.

Here Chassis #067 appears in some very nice sequences.

Ciao!
Walter
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It probably is not 086. I just assumed it was. The movie plot involves a young woman that tries to get her wealthy husband to buy a new Maserati from her lover so he can receive a commission. The actual ownership history of 086 is that a married wealthy young woman was encouraged by her lover (a British Poet) to buy the car for him to avoid taxes etc. Except the actual car was delivered in Paris around Dec 1949. The lovers split up shortly after and the car was used very little. I think the timing is off for 086 and the movie car.

How many A6-1500s have that body style?

 

I have that DVD. But unfortunately ($%&§$%%$§§§"!"!!!!!) there is always when the car appears from behind a person standing in a position that covers the registration plate!!

Bill Noon`s A6G #086 has some specific features. I have to go thru that DVD again to compare the car there with #086. we`ll see....!

Ciao!
Walter

 

All of those type! But there were also 1 or 2 convertibles. Those are either lost today or -more likely!- had been rebodied by PF to Coupé-specs!

Ciao!
Walter

 

Its been many years since I've seen it, but if I recall a 3500 was used in the Mini Series - Wheels by Arthur Hailey starring Rock Hudson.

Joe

 

Not my car. My car was gray until 1957. Despite most sources and books sighting delivery of all 61 cars to Italy, my car was sold, invoiced and then shipped directly to Paris in December of 1949. The car was entered, accepted and prepared for the 1950 24 Hours of Le Mans but never actually participated in the race. In September of 1950 it was back in Italy and then sold to the first of two other Italian owners.

Attached is a current photo of 086 as it appears today.

Warm regards,

Bill Noon
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great thread.

 

Early 60ies! Location: Rome CINECITTA-Film-Studios.

Kirk Douglas, Edward G. Robinson and the long-legged Cid Charisse are doing the movie "Three Weeks In Another Town"!
Robinson plays a film producer in financial difficulties. He hired Douglas for help doing an unfinished movie. When he arrived he got a grey-silver/red 3500 GT Spyder Vigniale for his personal use. The car appears for the whole film in very nice and sequences. At the end Douglas freaks out and takes the car under a fountain where the interior was flooded!!

The car is either #101.1007 (most likely) or #101.1045. The first is today in the USA and the later is currently in Sweden.

Heyyyy guyzzz, do you want me doing all this thread????? C`mon....!

Ciao!
Walter
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Walter, you are the man!
I am humbled.

 

Hello Walter,

I have this car with S/N AM108.002. What do you think?
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hmm...more!! M O R E !!!!!!

Ciao!
Walter

 

Boudewijn,
might be possible that its the same car although I see some differenties. You claim this car as #108.002? What makes you so certain. A "108"-series was not existing and the car was on a 3500-Chassis, so a "101".

Interesting is the date as I see the Sebring II in the background. Any dates with the photo? Or is it a movie feature?

Ciao!
Walter

 

Walter,

This italian list details the 3500 GT series through the years.

Best
Boudewijn
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Walter, this should be the other "108".
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Walter,
Remember the Tipo 104 prototype that was never built. What ever became of that chassis? I agree with you that the car probably rides on a 3500 chassis, always working within a budget, Maserati was not a company to make a separate chassis for this car.

Joe

 

Joe,
agree with you! BUT: the Bertone-"5000 GT" was in fact never a real 5000 GT now was the car ever equipped with the 5-liter engine. I believe that it was build an a standart 3500 Chassis and to get it less expensive (development costs) to finish the car it was given a seperate Chassis-code to get parts of the development money back from the tax-gouverment.

This might be the case also with this strange "108"-cassis.

Ciao!
Walter

 

Boudewijn,
I don`t trust this listing from the Tabucchi-book. Sometimes a prototype was finished then some modification came on it later by customer request and then the car was finally sold 6 months later after final completion and then the build date is later than in fact! We all know that the Maserati archive contains many contradicting infos on the early cars.

Ciao!
Walter

 

yes, could be! But I would bet that this car is also based on a standart 3500-Chassis! Date of the photo?

Ciao!
Walter

 

Walter, the first photo, "002", was taken at the Barcelona Trade Fair 1965. The second car, "004", is shown at the Barcelona Motorshow April 1967. I don't remeber where I found the photos, but there is no relation with the Tabucchi book where the list is coming from. Two different sources seem to use these S/N's.
Here are very early photos of the car from the Il Signor Touring book by Anderloni.
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In The Bobo, Peter Sellers offers a blue Maserati Mistral convertible to Jill Ireland.