It’s good to be king, because then you can order yourself a custom-built car like the Maserati made for the Shah of Iran in 1959. The monarch and budding car collector requested that Maserati build a special car by installing the V-8 engine from its 450S racecar into the 3500 GT production coupe. The result was the 170-mph 5000 GT. Maserati made 34 with bodies by various coachbuilders. At its Amelia Island auction, Bonhams is offering one of the 22 with bodies by Allemano, a restoration candidate with a pre-sale estimate of $500K-$800K
The Ferrari-Maserati divorce has put the Italian supercar universe back in order, with Maserati emerging with its strongest model line since the 1960s. The newest models include the MC-20 supercar, a high-performance Grecale SUV, and the GranTurismo. The gas-fueled Maserati GranTurismo arrives in spring, with an electric version coming in late 2023. Sources suggest a $170,000 starting price.
Auction sales from Monterey Car Week totaled a record-setting $469 million; more than $126 million than last year’s total. RM Sotheby’s three-night auction accounted for more than half of that total, setting a record with a staggering $239.2 million in sales. Catch up on results from all the auction houses.
Here’s your opportunity to bid on a very important part of Ferrari history. A one-of-a-kind 1961 Ferrari 400 Superamerica Series I Coupé Aerodinamico, originally owned by Italian nobleman Count Giovanni Volpi di Misurata will be auctioned by Gooding & Company at Pebble Beach, with a pre-sale estimate of $4M-$5M for this rare gem, described as “perhaps the finest original and best-preserved example extant.”
Sometimes, a barn find yields rare gems, like this 1956 Maserati A6G/54 GranSport coupe, which is expected to bring $2.5-$3.25 million at the Gooding & Company Pebble Beach Auction in mid-August. The car is one of 60 built in the A6G/54 series, and one of four built in this coupe style by Carrozzeria Frua.
