The original Touring-bodied car

Born out of a desire to amortise the cost of the many V8 engine blocks still remaining after the ill-starred 450S racing programme in 1957, the Maserati 5000GT has entered into legend as one of the fastest, most expensive (and certainly most exotic) cars of the Sixties.

Maurice Khawam’s book on the subject, ‘Maserati 5000GT – A Significant Automobile’, sets out to tell the story of the car that’s first customer (and reason for being) was the then Shah of Persia, Reza Pahlavi. Built on a modified 3500GT chassis the first two cars were styled by Touring but subsequent ‘carrozzeria’ numbered the little-known Monterosa and Allemano, together with the altogether more-famous Italian classic houses of Pininfarina, Bertone, Frua, Ghia and Michelotto. It was literally ‘Fit for a King’.

The book sets out the early days of the 450S sports racing cars, their sad demise, and the subsequent financial troubles of the company. Maserati returned to the tracks firstly with the famous four-cylinder front- and rear-engined ‘Birdcage’ models, and then with 450S V8-powered coupés - the Tipo 151s, and finally the Tipo 65, a two-seater open car along the lines of Ferrari’s P2. All of these are covered by Khawam forming, as they do, a backdrop to the thirty four 5000GTs produced from 1959 to 1964.

Each body-style is appraised by renowned automobile stylist Tom Tjaarda and this chapter forms one of the most interesting in the book. To modern eyes some of the designs are a little ungainly, but Tjaarda puts them into perspective with the benefit of the ‘designer’s eye’ as well historical knowledge of the time. They are all very, very impressive motor cars built for the ‘la belle monde’ society of the early Sixties, and to this reviewer’s eyes the most attractive of all is the Bertone design accomplished by a young Giugiaro of which only one was ever produced.

All thirty six chassis numbers (yes, thirty six because two cars were effectively ‘re-made’ by Maserati and given new chassis numbers) are detailed together with their first owners, a stellar list that includes The Shah, Giovanni Agnelli, the film star Stewart Grainger, members of the Saudi Royal Family, Briggs Cunningham and the Aga Khan. Not surprisingly a high percentage was sold into Switzerland.

An interesting book with some excellent photographs by Los Angeles-based David Gooley. For all fans of the one of the most luxurious cars of the late ‘50s and early ‘60s it’s excellent reading.

Review by Steve Wakefield

Steve Wakefield
www.classicdriver.com
December 2004