How far can you "stretch" the truth?

This eBay ad is interesting,........as far as I know no 3500 had "factory" backing in racing.

Did this car??????


http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Maserati-Coupe-Works-Race-Car-Maserati-3500-Factory-Race-Car-Colour-Ferrari-Silver-/181032955628?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item2a2667aeec#v4-41

Ciao and best!

~Trev

 

....and if that's not rare enough for you, he is also offering this OSCA-Fantuzzi-1954-Barchetta-1500-cc-Colour-Ferrari-Corsa!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/OSCA-Fantuzzi-1954-Barchetta-1500-cc-Colour-Ferrari-Corsa-/181029074736?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item2a262c7730#ht_500wt_1183

Take it away Walter!

 

Philippe Olczyk I guess... Not really a reputation for originals... ;-)
But everybody is free to advertise, it is the buyer who needs to take care and in these cases it is not too difficult to find out

 

All that text and only 3 photos? Hmmm

 

You said it. Sellers always come off as BS'ers when they write (or cut-n-paste) more about the history of the marque and model than they care to write about the actual car being offered.

 

Detailed records shown in the accompanying photos confirm the car was sold new in Como and was later raced by the official Brescia, Italy Maserati Agent, Golden Cars beginning in the mid to late 1960s. An original letter from the now elderly former owner of Golden Cars shown in the accompanying photos explains the car's racing days as well as assistance from the Maserati Factory.

I ve seen it in Italy at Golden Cars Maserati, and totally correct
The car was there for more than 30 years


From Brescia in Northern Italy


Situated in a trading estate in San Polo on the outskirts of Brescia is a small workshop that specialises in Maseratis, especially models from the Biturbo era - from the early Biturbo to the Ghibli Cup.

Fratelli Bianchini opened their workshop in 1991 after having left Golden Car, the then sole Maserati dealer in Brescia. Mauro Bianchini, the elder of the two brothers, was employed as service manager and as it turns out, he left at the right time, for shortly after his departure Golden Car went out of business!
http://www.maserati-alfieri.co.uk/alfieri06ggg.htm
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If you use a 3500GT Touring in a hillclimb you clearly smoked the wrong stuff!
The engine of this type sits too much on its front axle and therefore the handling is heavy understeering. Not nice in hillclimbs with much and often tight turns.

Also and that is what made me much sceptical about 3500Gts "used in racing" is that I know only one example that has period photos confirming its "race" activities.

 

True Walter,......I love to see any 3500, especially when used on the track etc., but very few in period were, as they were GT cars and not really suited for "racing".

I know of two that were driven in anger in period.

I can't comment on the car on offer, but the "story" is "colorful".


~Trev

 

I have noticed over the past ten years that cars sold in europe often only have 1-3 pictures. The cameras that most europeans use seem to be of low resolution especially in the country of Belgium for some reason. It's as if the Belgians only receive the worst of cameras and the descriptions are often confusing.

I know Belgium is in a constant internal political fight, but why would that affect sports cars being sold?

 

Hi Guys,

Sorry but this one really was raced both in period in the mid 1960s to the early 1970s and the original dealer that had it got a fair amount of support directly from Maserati. It was never competitive but fairly sure that was not the point. The dealer both loved the car and Maserati's racing heritage and had little choice if he wanted to continue in that direction given Maserati was not building any more client racing two seaters at the time.

It was more recently formally owned and raced by a client in Italy. I was interested in buying it and he allowed me access to a stack of original records and correspondences. I thought the car quite the bargain but my wife has other ideas and is a bit miffed I have yet to finish our back garage, workshop and guest house so that will be taking priority before another racer graces my yard.

I got permission to buy it for our company but it was sold before we could make a move on her.

There are plenty of fakes and flakes out there but this car really is what it is supposed to be and even has its original matching number engine as independently verified before it was recently sold.

Not sure where it is priced now but still seems on the cheap side to me.

Ciao,

Bill Noon

 

Bill,
the car was raced then by a amateur racer. So it would be very helpful if photos can confirm this period activities. Amateur racers love to be photographed.......

 

Hi Walter,

I can email you the former owner's contact details if you like. I believe you know him well as he had a 150S and 200S Maserati for many years amongst a slew of other nice machines. He also owned another 3500GT that raced in period but a purely privately, non-sanctioned and non-supported car.

The driver in period was the owner of the Brescia Agency and he and his partner did most of the driving from what I could gather. I did not recognize either of them and it has been a few months since I was given access to the photos and records but sure looked like they had some some fun. None of the races appeared to be anything of international importance and from what I saw the car did not participate in hill climbs but actual circuit and road course races. His other 3500GT was run in period hill climbs but not sure if that one did circuit races as well.

Ciao,

Bill

 

Hi Walter,

I sent you a private email... let me know if it gets through. I am hot on the trail of another engine and gearbox that made its way out of Cuba... This one is a 200S and I will need your help if my client gets it tracing the history.

Ciao,

Bill

 

Bill,
got it. PM back.

 

Seems to be a glitch in the PM... tried to respond but not luck... you can always email me directly anytime you need anything.

A client purchased a 300SL engine out of a scarp yard in Cuba and the same vendor has what he is describing as a Maserati 2.0-liter 200S engine and transmission/transaxle gearbox. I told my client to buy both. He got official export documents to Mexico City so we should know in a few days what he got. I will need your help tracking down the history of the engine once we know which one it is.

Ciao,

Bill

 

Theformer owner was Giuseppe Tomasetti and his other 3500 NEVER raced in period. It was only owned by Gino Munaron much later.


Regards

Wolfi

 

correct!

 

The car with a "colorful" history sold for $66,000 USD. Depending on the amount of documentation, and the quality of the car, it seems like a reasonable amount.

The "market" has spoken.

I suspect the car will be on offer in the USA soon.

 

Buyers buy and the others talk....lol

 

Back again.

Good luck with your auction.

It may behoove you to describe the ACTUAL car in more detail, and not the "history" of Maserati et. al. and unrelated misinformation.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Maserati-Coupe-Works-Race-Car-Maserati-3500-Factory-Race-Car-Colour-Ferrari-Silver-/400363400169?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item5d3784abe9

 

This 3500GT, plus a couple of other cars, were auctioned by the same seller with no reserve ... yet all three cars have been on an ebay auction more than once. I can understand one non-paying top bidder and the need to re-list a car ... but three non-paying top bidders seems odd.

Ivan