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The very special Maserati 3500 GTI Italsuisse by Pietro Frua

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Created on July 17, 2014

Text:

Stefan Dierkes / Bruno von Rotz

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Erik Fuller - Courtesy RM Auctions

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Pietro Frua, Turin (I) Archiv: Roberto Rigoli (Familie Frua)

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Archiv

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Erik Fuller - Courtesy RM Auctions

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Pietro Frua, Turin (I) Archiv: Roberto Rigoli (Familie Frua)

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Archiv

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Maserati 3500 GTI (1961) Italsuisse by Pietro Frua - The front of the car is strongly reminiscent of the later Sebring

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Maserati 3500 GT (1961) Italsuisse by Pietro Frua - The current color suits the car well

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Maserati 3500 GT (1961) Italsuisse by Pietro Frua - The rear is clearly different from the standard 3500 GT

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Maserati 3500 GT (1961) Italsuisse by Pietro Frua - Many would probably mistake it for a Maserati Sebring from the front, but the resemblance is also striking

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Maserati 3500 GT (1961) Italsuisse by Pietro Frua - A tidy rear end without frippery

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Maserati 3500 GT (1961) Italsuisse by Pietro Frua - In terms of handling, the Frua variant hardly differs from the standard 3500 GT

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Maserati 3500 GT (1961) Italsuisse by Pietro Frua - Originally the car was painted red

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Maserati 3500 GT (1961) Italsuisse by Pietro Frua - Nobly equipped interior

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Maserati 3500 GT (1961) Italsuisse by Pietro Frua - Jaeger-Instruments

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Maserati 3500 GT (1961) Italsuisse by Pietro Frua - With four-speed gearbox

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Maserati 3500 GT (1961) Italsuisse by Pietro Frua - When even the clocks were still tricks

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Maserati 3500 GT (1961) Italsuisse by Pietro Frua - Nobly equipped rear bench seat

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Maserati 3500 GT (1961) Italsuisse by Pietro Frua - Two overhead camshafts for optimum valve timing

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Maserati 3500 GT (1961) Italsuisse by Pietro Frua - Three Weber twin carburetors breathe life into the in-line six-cylinder engine

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Maserati 3500 GT (1961) Italsuisse by Pietro Frua - Chassis badge

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Maserati 3500 GT (1961) Italsuisse by Pietro Frua - The trident on the front

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Maserati 3500 GT (1961) Italsuisse by Pietro Frua - The trident on the radiator grille

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Maserati 3500 GT (1961) Italsuisse by Pietro Frua - Trident on the roof rail

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Maserati 3500 GT (1961) Italsuisse by Pietro Frua - Elegant front, clearly different from the factory 3500 GT

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Maserati 3500 GT (1961) Italsuisse by Pietro Frua - In contrast to the factory 3500 GT, the Frua version has twin headlights

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Maserati 3500 GT (1961) Italsuisse by Pietro Frua - hubcaps were still chic in the sixties

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Maserati 3500 GT (1961) Italsuisse by Pietro Frua - Elegant wheel covers

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Maserati 3500 GT (1961) Italsuisse by Pietro Frua - All four Frua-3500 GTs were also built there

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Maserati 3500 GT (1961) Italsuisse by Pietro Frua - Pietro Frua was responsible for this special bodywork

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Maserati 3500 GT (1961) Italsuisse by Pietro Frua - Adjustable exterior rear-view mirror

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Maserati 3500 GT (1961) Italsuisse by Pietro Frua - Small rear lights

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Maserati 3500 GT (1961) Italsuisse by Pietro Frua - Clearly labeled

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Maserati 3500 GTI Coupé Touring (1963) - the Coupé looks a little more old-fashioned than the Vignale Cabriolet version

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Maserati 3500 GT (1957) - the prototype of Touring, called "Dama Bianca (white lady), at the Geneva Motor Show 1957

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Maserati 3500 GT Touring (1963) - Coupé with wire wheels

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Maserati 3500 GT Spider Touring (1958) - Interior of the exhibition vehicle at the 1958 Geneva Motor Show

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Maserati 3500 GTI Italsuisse Coupé (AM 101.1494 from 1961) - elegant coupé, designed by Pietro Frua for Italsuisse

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Maserati 3500 GTI Italsuisse Coupé (AM 101.1494 from 1961) - exhibited at the 1961 Geneva Motor Show, the Frua line is reminiscent of the Sebring

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Maserati 3500 GTIS Sebring (1963) - the Vignale coupé in a very grainy photo from back then

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Maserati 3500 GT (1961) Italsuisse by Pietro Frua on the factory premises of Officine Maserati in Viale Ciro Menotti 322 in Modena

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Maserati 3500 GT (1961) Italsuisse by Pietro Frua on the factory premises of Officine Maserati in Viale Ciro Menotti 322 in Modena

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Maserati 3500 GT (1961) Italsuisse by Pietro Frua on the factory premises of Officine Maserati in Viale Ciro Menotti 322 in Modena

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Maserati 3500 GT (1961) Italsuisse von Pietro Frua - Das Heck unterscheidet sich deutlich vom Serien-3500 GT

Maserati 3500 GT (1961) Italsuisse von Pietro Frua - Viele würden ihn von vorne wohl für einen Maserati Sebring halten, die Ähnlichkeit ist auch verblüffend

Maserati 3500 GT (1961) Italsuisse von Pietro Frua - Ein aufgeräumtes Heck ohne Firlefanz

Maserati 3500 GT (1961) Italsuisse von Pietro Frua - Im Fahrverhalten unterscheidet sich die Frua-Variante kaum vom Serien-3500-GT

Maserati 3500 GT (1961) Italsuisse von Pietro Frua - Ursprünglich war der Wagen rot lackiert

Maserati 3500 GT (1961) Italsuisse von Pietro Frua - Edel ausgestattetes interieur

Summary

Based on the Maserati 3500 GT, Pietro Frua built four coupés between 1961 and 1964 as design studies, which were the forerunners of the Maserati Sebring. Series production at Italsuisse came to nothing, as this order was placed with Vignale for a design by Michelotti, but three of the four special bodies survived. This report portrays the second Coupé Speciale built and tells the story of this remarkable vehicle.

This article contains the following chapters

Classic sports car design
Many special bodies
The four coupés by Pietro Frua
The colorful life of the second Frua 3500 GT
Further information

Estimated reading time: 5min

Preview (beginning of the article)

The Maserati 3500 GT, which was shown to the public for the first time in 1957, was very well suited for the construction of special bodies, as it was not designed according to the self-supporting principle thanks to its tubular frame construction. A whole series of coachbuilders used this platform, one of them being Pietro Frua. For the Maserati 3500 GT, Maserati's chief engineer Giulio Alfieri pulled out all the stops. The classic Maserati racing engines were the inspiration for the development of the in-line six-cylinder engine. Two overhead camshafts controlled the slanted valves. The three twin carburetors from Weber were mounted on the right-hand side to reduce the overall height of the unit. The engine, equipped with a Marelli dual ignition, delivered an impressive 66 hp per liter of displacement. A four-speed gearbox (later a ZF five-speed gearbox was also available) transferred the power to the rear axle. From June 1961, the model then known as the 3500 GTI was fitted with Lucas petrol injection instead of carburetors.

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Images of this article

Maserati 3500 GT (1961) Italsuisse von Pietro Frua - Das Heck unterscheidet sich deutlich vom Serien-3500 GT

Maserati 3500 GT (1961) Italsuisse von Pietro Frua - Viele würden ihn von vorne wohl für einen Maserati Sebring halten, die Ähnlichkeit ist auch verblüffend

Maserati 3500 GT (1961) Italsuisse von Pietro Frua - Ein aufgeräumtes Heck ohne Firlefanz

Maserati 3500 GT (1961) Italsuisse von Pietro Frua - Im Fahrverhalten unterscheidet sich die Frua-Variante kaum vom Serien-3500-GT

Maserati 3500 GT (1961) Italsuisse von Pietro Frua - Ursprünglich war der Wagen rot lackiert

Maserati 3500 GT (1961) Italsuisse von Pietro Frua - Edel ausgestattetes interieur

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