Introduced at the 1966 Turin Motor Show, the Maserati Ghibli took the automotive world by storm, powered by a potent new 4.7-liter dry-sump V-8 engine capable of developing 310 horsepower. Showgoers were awestruck by the groundbreaking coachwork by Ghia’s Giorgetto Giugiaro, who penned a low and wide aerodynamic coupe featuring pop-up headlamps, a raked windshield, and a sweeping fastback rear end. The Ghibli soon became the preferred choice of jet-set celebrities around the globe, finding favor with A-list buyers as diverse as comedic actor Peter Sellers, French New Wave cinema star Jean-Paul Belmondo, entertainer Sammy Davis Jr., and professional basketball player Wilt Chamberlain.

As with any great sports car coupe, customer demand eventually skyrocketed for an open-top version, and Maserati answered the call with a spyder that debuted on Ghia’s stand at the 1968 Turin Motor Show. With the roof removed, the coachwork design took on a totally different character, emphasizing its flowing beltlines and luxurious dimensions. The prototype proved to be the first of only 125 examples built across all variants, ensuring a degree of rarity that has only solidified the model’s cachet in the eyes of collectors today.

This Ghibli Spyder, chassis number 1047, is recorded to have been manufactured in September 1969, according to the accompanying Certificate of Origin from Maserati issued in September 2015. The car was originally finished in Rame Metallizzato (Metallic Copper) over a Tan Connolly leather interior. Under the hood, the Maserati was built with a 4.7-liter V-8 engine paired with a five-speed manual ZF gearbox, making it one of only 83 such examples built with this engine type.

Delivered new to Milan, Italy, the Ghibli Spyder was eventually imported into the United States and entered the collection of Ferrari North America President and CEO, Gianluigi Longinotti-Buitoni. In 2001, he sent his Maserati up to Canada for a restoration at Remo Ferri’s dealership in Ontario; Ferri would later take ownership of the vehicle.

The Maserati is offered with invoices that reveal the years-long process of completely restoring the car to its current stunning condition. Given the nature of the vehicle’s ownership, the project was carried out via an open checkbook allowing no stone to be left unturned. Finally completed in 2018, the Ghibli Spyder is now finished in a handsome shade of dark blue over a tan interior with a matching dark blue convertible top. Additional information provided by the Maserati Certificate of Origin verifies the presence of its numbers-matching engine. A spare wheel is included, while the four Cromodora wheels are equipped with Michelin X radial tires.

This fine example—which in 4.7-liter guise is rarer than its chief rival of the day, the Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Spider—is sure to appeal to Italian classic car aficionados thanks to its significant provenance and spectacular restoration.