1962 Maserati 5000 GT Coupe

The genesis of the 5000 GT can be traced to November 1958, when Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran, met with Maserati director Omer Orsi and engineer Giulio Alfieri to outline his vision for a new supercar. The Shah’s proposal was both ambitious and unprecedented: a gran turismo that combined exceptional luxury with the thunderous performance of the 450S sports-racing car. Maserati accepted the commission and created what would become one of the most extraordinary automobiles in the history of the marque.

At its heart, the 5000 GT was powered by a magnificent five-liter V-8 featuring dual overhead camshafts, hemispherical combustion chambers, and twin-spark ignition. While the first two examples utilized lightly detuned 450S engines producing nearly 350 hp, Maserati soon developed a dedicated road-going version of the engine, revising its internal dimensions and replacing the competition-style gear drive with more conventional timing chains. The adoption of Lucas mechanical fuel injection further refined the engine, replacing Weber carburetors and improving drivability and throttle response. In production form, the all-aluminum, quad-cam tipo 103 engine was a triumph of Maserati engineering and a sight to behold, with its distinctive metallic-green cylinder heads gleaming amid a vast network of spark-plug wires and fuel-injection lines.

The chassis was derived from the contemporary six-cylinder 3500 GT, but extensively reinforced to accommodate the V-8’s substantial increase in power and torque. A ZF four-speed manual gearbox and twin-plate clutch transmitted power to the rear wheels, while four-wheel Girling disc brakes provided the requisite stopping power for a 160 mph, custom-bodied luxury GT.

Between 1960 and 1965, Maserati constructed just 34 examples of the 5000 GT, each bodied by a select group of Italian coachbuilders, resulting in a series of highly individualized designs. Priced at approximately $14,000 when new, the model competed directly with Ferrari’s 400 Superamerica and was reserved for an elite clientele that included Gianni Agnelli, Briggs Cunningham, Ferdinando Innocenti, and King Saud of Saudi Arabia.

The example offered here, chassis AM103.034, is one of 22 examples bodied as elegant coupes by Carrozzeria Allemano of Torino, a firm associated with Maserati since the A6 line of the mid-1950s. The Allemano design is widely attributed to Giovanni Michelotti, whose influence can also be seen on several Maserati models of the period, including the 3500 GT Vignale Spider, Sebring, and Indy.

Completed on March 12, 1962, this is one of only two 5000 GT Allemano Coupes originally finished in white over red leather – an elegant color scheme well suited to the car’s understated character.

The Maserati was debuted at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1962 and delivered new to Belgian industrialist and Olympic bobsledder Marcel Leclef, who competed in three Winter Olympics and achieved his best result with a 6th place finish in the two-man event at Oslo in 1952. Leclef reportedly used his 5000 GT extensively throughout Europe, including journeys to Alpine ski resorts and bobsledding venues in Switzerland, retaining it until the 1970s.

Subsequently exported to the US, it was offered for sale by a dealer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and acquired by Frank Bowlin of Anchorage, Alaska. It later passed to marque specialist Jerry Wood of Dallas, Texas, who exhibited the car at Pebble Beach that same year in Class N-2 for Italian Custom Coachwork, 1957–1965. Following an extensive restoration, AM103.034 returned to Pebble Beach in 1999, where it placed Third in Class in a special category honoring the 5000 GT.

As noted in Maurice Khawam’s Maserati 5000 GT: A Significant Automobile, Jerry Wood – who owned multiple examples of the model – offered a memorable assessment of their character and performance: “I have owned three 5000 GTs (AM103.028, AM103.034 and AM103.042) over the years…The cars are masterfully engineered and are a real treat to drive. They all have tall gearing and seemingly endless acceleration in any gear. First gear is useful for almost all city or neighborhood driving. Fourth gear never seems to run out of acceleration. One hundred and sixty-plus miles an hour is cruising for this monster, and it does it absolutely effortlessly.”

The Allemano Coupe was subsequently acquired by Bay Area Maserati collector Chris Rose, who undertook a mechanical restoration overseen by Rod Drew’s highly regarded Francorchamps of America Inc. of Costa Mesa, California. During Mr. Rose’s ownership, the Maserati was shown at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering in 2006, before being acquired by the current owner. For nearly two decades, this handsome 5000 GT has resided in a private collection comprising some of the finest European sports and grand touring cars. During the consignor’s ownership, the Maserati has been exhibited at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance and treated to regular exercise and maintenance capably overseen by his in-house staff.

Today, the Maserati 5000 GT remains widely regarded as the ultimate expression of the marque’s postwar ambitions under the direction of the Orsi family and Giulio Alfieri. A true “car of kings,” it combined exotic engineering, bespoke coachwork, and exclusivity in a manner few automobiles have ever matched.

An outstanding example of this rare and historically important Maserati, chassis AM103.034 possesses a distinguished provenance, long-term enthusiast ownership, selective concours appearances, and the unmistakable presence of one of the most dramatic Italian grand tourers ever built. For collectors drawn to the 5000 GT’s unique intersection of performance, artistry, and mid-century glamour, it represents a singular opportunity.

Notes Please note that this vehicle is titled as 103034A.