Pietro Frua was no stranger to Maserati, having first worked with the brothers while styling the shapely A6G—so it was no surprise that the gifted designer was tasked with penning both open and closed Mistral variants. Unmistakably Maserati, the Spyder made its debut at the 1964 Geneva Motor Show sporting a characteristic sharknose grille and Kamm tail, while beneath the sumptuous bodywork lay a choice of 3.5-, 3.7-, or 4.0-litre inline six-cylinder engines mated to a ZF five-speed manual gearbox. For many, the sweet spot in the range—like the example offered here—was the 3.7-litre model, which matched a 0-62 mph sprint time of 6.2 seconds with an impressive top speed of 158 mph.

Rather than being designated for a specific owner, this Mistral 3.7 Spyder was sent to Spain, where it played a starring role at the 1966 Valencia Motor Show. There, the car was displayed just as you see it today, finished in a stunning colour combination of Oro Longchamps over a Red leather interior. Factory documents confirm both its attendance at the show—having been despatched to the Fiera di Valencia exhibition halls—and its striking colour combination, in addition to its final delivery to a dealer in Barcelona.

The Mistral remained in Spain for a number of years prior to being repatriated to its native Italy. Following a colour change to Silver, the Maserati was allegedly sold to Antonio Cabrini, a member of Italy’s 1982 FIFA World Cup-winning football team. Cabrini, considered one of Italy’s greatest defenders, played 13 seasons for Juventus before being inducted into the Italian Football Hall of Fame. Subsequently, the car was acquired by a wealthy Scicilian family.

Moving to northern Italy, the Maserati was acquired by a well-known Italian car specialist who decided to repaint the car in its original Oro Longchamps. At that time, the car’s red leather upholstery was found to be in good condition and, while minor issues were addressed, it was largely left as found. In 2015, the car was bought by the current owner, who completed some more minor mechanical work in addition to replacing the car’s soft-top. It was then shipped to the United States and was shown at the 2017 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, placing second in class. Since returning to continental Europe, the car has been kept at the consingor’s residence in Switzerland.

This immaculately presented Mistral Spyder offers its next owner the best of both worlds—a sublime example of one of Maserati’s greatest gran turismos that will prove as at home on the open road as it is the concours lawn. Its rare and charming colour scheme only adds to its considerable appeal.