Let's start with 3502. The story of this car please. The owner history and race history. Best regards! Magnus
Here's a photo of 3502 in 2004 during the Maserati Owners National Meet and Historic Reunion at Le Belle Macchine d'Italia. Image Unavailable, Please Login
hah! Ok here's the story. 6402 was at the Imperial Palace car museum years ago offered for sale hidden in a back room (one can only wonder why it was in a back room). Being a Las Vegas native, I knew one of the employees who of course has access to this area. There was a very nice Mistral, a couple Dusenberg's, and one of Howard Hughes old cars with a strange air filtration system custom designed in the trunk for air inside the cabin sitting along with 6402. There was no hesitation about allowing me to inspect and sit in the car. The car feels like you are sitting on top of it rather than in it and is of course unearthly uncomfortable. I am 5' 10" and 150lbs and the steering wheel was about in my chest. My size 9 feet still felt too big compared to the pedals, and the windscreen of course covered nothing but the steering wheel. I suppose a couple hours of driving it would get me used to it but I was not about to find out even given the chance. The birdcage design will no doubt fascinate the car enthusiast community for generations to come. So interesting to really get up close and inspect one.
The car was born as a standart 300S, chassis #3064, and sold to Peter Whitehead in the UK, painted in dark green livery. The car tested by Jean Behra in 26. Febr. 1956 Agadir GP and then delivered to the UK. Whitehead entered the car in this races: 05 May 1956 Int. Daily Express Trophy/Silverstone, Peter Whitehead (no.27) 11th. OA (see photo below!) 19 May 1956 Snetterton, Peter Whitehead (no.48), 3rd. OA 17 June 1956 VII Circuito Internacional do Porto, Peter Whitehead (no.1), DNF 07 July 1956 Rouen GP, Peter Whitehead (no.22), DNF 21 July 1956 Leicester Trophy/Heat 2, Peter Whitehead (no.3), 6nd.OA 18 Aug. 1956 Oulton Park, Peter Whitehead (no.38), DNF He was not very successfull with it and after only 6 months the car was returned to the Factory late in August `56. The Factory records state that #3064 was then converted to 350S-specs and sold to Tony Parravano (renumbered to #3502 in Oct. `56) , the King-Kong of the US-race scene in the later 50ies. This conversion is doubted by many race-mechanics as this was done in Italy within only 3 months incl. testing the car and reworking the body with a complete new rear-axle and front suspension! Parravano only tested the car in Willow Springs but actually never let it race. Little later the IRS started their investigation against "Mad Tony" and he dissapeared forever under mysterious circumstances. The car in the meantime was transported over the Mexican-boarder where it spend some time. Here the car was finally sold by Parravanos estate. The new owner then sold it on to Joel Finn. Next owner was Bruce Vanyo, then to Carl Perovich from Seattle, then to Tom Price who sold it on to Beppe Calgaro and in 1996 it became part of the Abba Kogan Collection in the UK. He sold it in 2004 in the US. More infos in my book "The MASERATI 300S". Ciao! Walter Image Unavailable, Please Login
Thank you Walter. We wait a little with 3503 but i think you have some information about that car too. Best regards! Magnus
Joe, the circumstances under #3502 became a 350S are very complex and doubtful in many details. None of ALL the 350S is without a doubt, questionmark(s). I don`t think that the current owner of #3502 ever had this history-record I posted here about his car. And I investigated all of the 300S (and #3502 was born as a standart 3-Liter!) and then the unsuccessful 3,5-Liter cars...believe me! Let`s say it like this: from all existing 350S chassis #3502 is the best. Ciao! Walter
#3502 has a direct line where it was constructed by the factory. Much like 4501/12. Yea its got a story with it but it is real. Lots of questions surrounding what is supposed to be a number of cars claiming to be #3503. #3501 not even worth going into what doesn't exist anymore.
Most of the photos from that year were taken of the four 450S' that were also on display which kind of overshadowed the 350S. Working on getting the car to the event again this year. Joe Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Thanks Joe and Walter for the photos. I am reading in Trident from 1974 that Finn wrote that 3502 was owned in 1956 by Luigi Piotti. Do you know who he is?
According to the Factory records Luigi Piotti never owned a 350S- He drove #3503 in Buenos Aires together with Roberto Bonomi. He later drove astandart 300S in Monza and won the race. Thats all. Piotti was an amatur racer who had good connections to Maserati. He was never an official driver for Maserati nor for anybody else. Ciao! Walter
There is no indication in the Factory archive that Piotti ever owned a 350S! Fin is wrong on this point. Also his ownership woud not fit into the time-table of the car in that period as Finn claims that Piotti drove it "...numerous times in 1956". This is much unlikely as the time schedule to convert the car from 3-Liter specs to a 350S was far too short. Here is stands in his 300S that he drove on May 1, 1957 in the "Trofeo Vigorelli"-race in Monza. He finished 1.OA. Image Unavailable, Please Login
