Rare 1961 Maserati 3500 GT with Aristocratic Provenance Joins DFW Car & Toy Museum Collection
The acquisition of a meticulously restored 1961 Maserati 3500 GT, originally ordered by British Viscount Guy Neville Montagu, enhances the DFW Car & Toy Museum's collection and preserves an important piece of automotive history for public appreciation.
The DFW Car & Toy Museum has added a significant piece of automotive history to its collection with the display of a 1961 Maserati 3500 GT, originally ordered by British Viscount Guy Neville Montagu. This acquisition represents more than just another classic car addition—it underscores the growing importance of automotive museums in preserving culturally significant vehicles and making them accessible to the public.
The Maserati 3500 GT holds particular historical significance as the brand's first true production grand touring car, introduced at the 1957 Geneva Motor Show. Designed by Carrozzeria Touring of Milan, the vehicle features Superleggera construction with aluminum body panels over a tubular steel spaceframe. This specific example underwent a meticulous three-year refurbishment in Italy from 1990 to 1993, emerging in pristine Bianco (white) finish with a luxuriously re-trimmed red leather interior.
Mechanically, the car showcases advanced engineering for its era, powered by a 3,485cc Tipo 101 DOHC inline-six engine with an aluminum block and cylinder head, hemispherical combustion chambers, triple Weber 42 DCOE carburetors, and twin-plug ignition. Power is delivered through a ZF five-speed manual transmission to the rear wheels, while the suspension features double wishbones and coil springs upfront paired with a leaf-sprung solid rear axle and tubular shock absorbers.
Ron Sturgeon, owner of the DFW Car & Toy Museum, emphasized the vehicle's significance, stating that few cars capture the romance of mid-century Italian motoring quite like the Maserati 3500 GT. The museum's acquisition of such historically important vehicles helps preserve automotive heritage while providing educational opportunities for visitors interested in engineering, design, and cultural history.
The museum, located at https://dfwcarandtoymuseum.com, now features this Maserati among over 200 classic and exotic cars. The addition of vehicles with aristocratic provenance like this 3500 GT, originally delivered to Cagliari, Italy, enhances the museum's appeal to automotive enthusiasts and historians alike, offering a rare opportunity to experience one of the most elegant and technically sophisticated grand tourers of its era.