Record sale price for Touring bodied 3500 GT?

This gorgeous 1962 3500 GT went for $215,000 plus 10% buyer's fee. http://www.goodingco.com/car/1961-maserati-3500-gt-0
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For that amount they could have at least fitted the front bumper properly.

 

I'm not sure how you could even get the front bumper to angle up like that...my guess would be the two studs that secure the bumper to the body were bent, possibly due to an accident.

 

What the heck is/was so special with this car? Strange world.....

 

Agree with Walter, is now everybody going mad? I have no idea if this is a nut&bolt 100point restoration car - but I doubt it; so why is that price???

 

The history of this car contains nothing special:

AM101.2428
1964, grey/white, inj., body-no. 12060
July 1964 new to Maserati Ageny STAUMONT -Brussels/B
1969 sold to Monique Dufres –Brussels/B
1972 imported to Puerto Rico and sold to an unknown owner.
1985 with Rafael Moreno -Quaynabo/PUERTO RICO
later exported to the USA.
2003 with Richard Gent -Beachwood.OH./USA, now blue/white

Anyway, congrats to the seller!

 

What is that signature in the engine bay? someone famous signed it? maybe that played a role in the price?

 

Very nice blue color perhaps . Anyway, seems the days of cheap 3500GTs are long past...

 

It listed on Ruud Bax's 3500 GT register as a GT, not GTI, which indicates it is a carburator car, not an injection one. Also, despite its relatively high VIN it is a series 1.5 car....

 

Walter,

On my trips to Puerto Rico I use to visit Rafael Moreno in Guaynabo (wrong spelling on your records). Very nice guy. He did all the mechanical work himself including a complete engine rebuilt. I thought the car was silver at that time, but perhaps it was grey. The car was okay but nothing special.

It seems that a good color combination is more important that originality to many people. Had this car been kept its original color combination it probably would have sold for less.

Ivan

 

Ivan,

blue Maseratis are always very nice! But it seems to me that in Monterey a lot of people switch off their brain and getting color-blind..

 

If this was Richard Gent's car, trust me the car is spectacular.

 

It's what Bob and I were saying about auctions. There is no sense to the prices. It's all about emotion and gambling.

 

True words!!!

 

Frankly, I'm suprised at most of the "glass half empty" comments here.

Number two or number one restored cars ALWAYS sell well, and at premium. 101.2428 was restored very nicely, not number one, but very nice, so hence the "record" price.

AM 101.1954, the former Peter Revson 3500 GT sold for about $140,000 w/premiums. It was a strong sale of a good car, with a good history. Most would describe the car as preserved, or driver quality. It would be fun to own and drive that one. I believe it was a solid investment for the buyer.

"Emotion", plays a part in ANY sale, at auction or private treaty sale. "Gambling" less so. The ability to take a risk, more so. I think the car, 101.2428 is what "sold" the car in this case. It was a combonation of the color, blue with white interior, Borrani wires etc, etc. and the overall quality of the restoration that sold the car for the price paid. I fully agree with Ivan, it would have sold for less in the original color. It also seems that people are tired of owning and seeing "red" cars.

The market/desire for coach built cars, especially from Italy rises as the supply cars decreases and the amount of collectors willing to put some money in a "hands on" asset increases.

The zenith from Italy may have been from 1957 to 1967. A Maserati 3500 GT in it's day, was a better built car than any Ferrari. The Maserati 3500 out sold Ferrari, Aston Martin and Lancia. The 3500 GT was faster, better handling, and a better built car over all. Ask Jay Leno,....he's got one.

The "market", or savy collectors or newbie investors may have finally realized this fact, coach built Maserati's are fantastic cars. With Ferrari prices holding strong, many collectors are not able to "jump into" a 275, 330 GTC or a 250 GTE and they are looking at other options. The Maserati 3500 GT is looking like a very good one.

With strong solid prices paid, it benifits most of us, and the Mark. Even if you have a Merak or a Bi-Turbo, you are gaining here.

I agree that the days of a "cheap" 3500 are long gone.

Just my .02 Lira on the pasta plate, with a "glass half full".

Ciao and best!

~Trev

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=379561&page=2

 

Yes in the US, and not keeping originality will have a low FIVA rating... Nice !! A Madworld...

Carlo

 

I inspected both cars and the RM car blue white was the far better car.
The RM car had a great tool kit, orig carpet, original trunk material and original air ducting.

The Gent car had the wrong carpet, wrong steering wheel, wrong trunk material and no tool kit, and dryer air hose every where It did have very shinny paint and excellent panel fit.

It was purchased by a Mexican national, so we may not see it for awhile.
Ciao,
FGM

 

Oh they were both 2 vent window weber cars.
no, Lucas here.

FGM

 

You're right about all that.

 

Trev,
yes, I fully agree with you and what you say is logic! But buying and selling old cars is not based on logic. Its a pure emotional thing.

The 3500GT is not rare enough to match a Ferrari of its time. Also it had only 6 pot while Ferrari had its magical (but simple!) V12 fitted!

And while Ferrari made the glorious 250SWB Maserati produced the Sebring which handles -compared to the SWB- like a truck.

The Ferrari-factor is the currency today and while the horsecars made Dollars the Maserati GT-cars made Pennies....

A pity - but reality!.

 

Here are some of the photos I took of AM101.2428 at the Gooding preview at Pebble Beach.
The serial number is a little odd being so late but I guess these things happen. The car is definitely a fog light car with 2 vent windows.
As you can see by the photos the presentation was first class.
The panel fit was excellent, but there were several glaring non original features including the trunk material, wrong carpet material, wrong carpet binding, wrong steering wheel, air ducting peddle pads and the no tool kit and while I'm at it the headlights seem to be Marshals and not Cibies.
Besides all that the car was very tidy.
As mentioned before the price was hammered at $215,000 + 10% for a total of $236,500.
Mind you all these things are easy to correct if you are willing to spend an additional $8,000 for the carpets, $2,000 for the steering wheel. Air ducting well figure $600 to $800. It gets a little tough when it comes to the correct trunk material. Could be another $5,000 by the time you have it made, but then you will end up with enough for 3 cars.
Oh, the signiture was made by Carlo Felice Bianchi Andraloni (sp) the owner of Touring at the time the car was designed. He signed it while my guest at Concorso Italiano when I ran the show.
Just my rambling observations offered buffet style ie take what you want..
Ciao,
FGM
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The "6 pot" Lancia Flaminia parked beside it (visible in the second photo) sold for nearly twice that price.

 

His car was my first choice. It has a great history and is very correct including correct original carpet and trunk material and a lovely tool kit and jack.
Fitted with excellent Borranis including the spare.

The two tone paint job was not my favorite but I could live with it.
It hammer sold for $125,000 + 10% for a total of $137,500 which was bought very well.
It should have brought $180,000 +10% easily.
Note the gas tank filler pipe painted the correct grey color and the incorrect air ducting.
It was missing the black gear shift knob but those can be found.
The hose clamps were not original Cheney but the black 5 mm spark plug wires were period correct. I think people who put green wires on their car are making a big mistake.
Note also the missing front ashtray.
I really liked this car and would have bought it for that money.

Ciao,
FGM
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While we may be enamored with originality the reality is cars that look fresh and new will mostly outsell original cars. In the case of these two 3500GT the price difference was 2 to 1. Most buyers with deep pockets are looking for bling and care (or know) very little about originality.

I had a high end car broker/restorer tell me I made a big mistake by keeping the "old stuff" on my Vignale spyder prototype when it was restored. I did not ask but I am sure he would have also changed the color combination to something more "acceptable" to today's market. He was telling me that when his company restores a Duesenberg many cosmetic improvements are made because that is what customers and judges expect. He made me sick; but the sad truth is even though I disagree, he is right.

Ivan

 

It's the people with the big bucks that ultimately determine what is the most desirable.
I expect that many of them while perhaps being less well educated on all the originality details are also wanting bling and not having to pay for yet more restoration. With actual original materials still on the car there's a greater probability that it will require work sooner.