Maserati commemorated its sole 12-Hour endurance victory at the famed Sebring International Raceway in 1957 with an especially striking version of its 3500 penned by Giovanni Michelotti at Vignale bearing the name of that fabled circuit and event.
Introduced in 1962, several years following the aforementioned Sebring victory, Maserati’s Sebring 3500 was aimed at the American market, and comparatively exuberant details such as quad headlights were accompanied by upgraded engine offerings through the car’s production run. Maserati unleashed a heavily-revised Sebring 3500 second-series model in 1965 with bolder detailing and horizontal taillights that gave the car a wider, more modern look.
Under the bonnet, Maserati offered three versions of its straight-six, though the vast majority employed the legendary 3,485 cc engine equipped with Lucas mechanical fuel injection. ZF supplied a five-speed manual gearbox. Inside, a bold Sebring script served as a reminder of the car’s heritage.
Originally dispatched to the Maserati dealer in Miami, this Sebring 3500 Series II may very well have visited its namesake course just a few hours’ drive away. Although not much is known of the car’s history, it was repatriated to Europe more than fifteen years ago. It is still finished in its striking original colour scheme of metallic blue over a wonderfully patinated red leather interior. Its Borrani wire wheels reveal the large disc brakes behind, which tame the power of its straight-six, which has been converted to use three carburetors. The five-speed manual gearbox stands at the ready in front of a dash fitted with air conditioning vents appropriate for its original Florida locale.