Maserati 3500 GT Moretti

The Maserati 3500 GT marked a turning point in the history of the Trident marque, signalling the shift from a production focused mainly on racing to a new concept of road car, able to combine performance, elegance and comfort. Unveiled at the 1957 Geneva Motor Show, the 3500 GT was designed by Giulio Alfieri and was initially offered in different styling interpretations. The Touring Superleggera body was chosen for series production. The car was powered by a 3,485 cc straight-six derived from the engine of the Maserati 350S and adapted for road use. With its three Weber carburettors it developed around 220 hp. The tubular chassis also allowed the car to be bodied by independent coachbuilders. Around 2,200 3500 GTs were built between 1957 and 1964, but alongside the series production cars a few one-offs were created by independent coachbuilders. AM101.1858 is one of the most unusual examples of this story: born as a Touring coupé, it was completely rebodied by Moretti of Turin after an accident, becoming the only Maserati 3500 GT bodied by Moretti.

The car’s history

Chassis AM101.1858 was completed in Modena in November 1961 as a left-hand-drive Maserati 3500 GT coupé, with Touring body, Amaranto 16351 paint and Pelle Neutra interior. The car was delivered in 1962 in Copenhagen. In 1965 it was involved in an accident that damaged the original body. The owner then decided to have a new body made by Moretti of Turin. The project was entrusted to Dany Brawand, who at the time headed the Moretti styling centre and had previously worked with Giovanni Michelotti. The new body was built as a 2+2 fastback, with a long bonnet, a sleek line, a Kamm tail and a distinctive front opening with integrated headlights. The car was presented at the 1966 Geneva Motor Show on the Moretti stand, in Amaranto livery. Geneva remained the car’s only documented public appearance for many years. In the 1980s it resurfaced in the hands of a German collector. In 2000 it was bought by Alfredo Brener and moved to the United States. Before the next change of ownership some mainly cosmetic work was carried out, including a repaint in a brighter shade of red and the replacement of the original interior with white leather.

The restoration of the Maserati 3500 GT Moretti grew out of a collaboration with Classic Car House and the K. Bruun Collection, owner of the car. After the Moretti was bought and moved from the United States to Denmark, we had the opportunity to examine the car in person at Classic Car House and assess its condition. From the very first checks it was clear that this would be a particularly complex project. Once the car was fully dismantled, serious corrosion emerged in both the body and the chassis, along with numerous repairs carried out over the years that had not been done properly. One of the most telling images of this phase is a screwdriver going straight through one of the areas of the chassis worst affected by corrosion. That was the moment the true extent of the work ahead became clear. We nonetheless decided to take on the project, starting with a complete analysis of the car.

Bodywork restoration

To document the car’s geometry precisely before dismantling it, we carried out a complete 3D scan of the body, doors and bonnet. The scan provided an essential reference throughout the work, especially for reconstructing the shapes of the front end and the bonnet. The analysis was also compared with the available period photographs, which made it possible to recreate elements that had been lost, including the original bonnet air intake. The body was completely dismantled and the chassis placed on the measuring jig. The floor panels were removed to gain access to the inner structure and check the main chassis points and suspension mountings. The tubes showed serious corrosion. In some places we cut the tubes open to check their condition from the inside and replaced the compromised sections. The sills made in the past also had problems of shape and symmetry. To rebuild them we used the dimensions of the original Maserati 3500 GT structure as a reference, reconstructing the sills, the floor and the internal metal parts. The original doors were kept and restored, replacing damaged parts and retaining the original elements. We constantly checked gaps, alignment and symmetry, carrying out the same checks on the rear wheel arch area. The front end still bore significant consequences of the accident the car had suffered before the Moretti conversion. The windscreen frame and one of the pillars were out of position by about three centimetres. Thanks to the 3D scan and comparison with the period photographs we were able to correct the geometry of the front end and rebuild the bonnet and the original air intake. We also used a scan of the engine to check its dimensions precisely and the correct clearance between the engine and the bonnet. During the work we also found that some reinforcing sections at the front were missing. These were rebuilt to restore the correct stiffness of the structure. To rebuild the body we made a dedicated buck, made up of numerous laser-cut templates assembled to reproduce the car’s correct geometry. On this structure we rebuilt the panels starting from flat sheet metal. Much of the body was therefore made by hand, constantly checking shapes, dimensions and symmetry directly on the measuring jig.

Pre-assembly and specific details

Before painting we carried out a complete pre-assembly of the car, temporarily fitting the engine, wheels and mechanical and body components. This stage allowed us to check for any interference in advance and to correct parts before the final finish. Particular attention was paid to the front grille, which was no longer available. By studying the period photographs we reconstructed the proportions of the part and made a new mounting system. The glass was another specific problem, as this is a one-off car. With no spare parts available, its shape was reconstructed directly on the car, taking into account the space available and the seals. A specialist company then made the new glass, while the front and rear seals were made specially for the car.

Other work

Completing the restoration also involved several specialist trades, coordinated as part of the project. The interior and upholstery were made by Interni Auto Maieli, while the mechanical work was carried out by Officina Molinari of Bomporto. The bodywork was painted by Carrozzeria Bergonzini of Vignola. Once the metalwork was complete, the body was laser-cleaned before the subsequent protection, preparation and painting stages. The car was finally painted in Amaranto. For the electrical system we relied on the workshop of Gatti William in Bomporto. New Borrani wire wheels were also fitted, while the exhaust and braking systems were rebuilt as part of the restoration. The final stage was the complete reassembly of the car, the interior and every detail, followed by final checks and road testing. After 22 months of work, the Maserati 3500 GT Moretti was back on the road, completing a restoration project that required a careful combination of digital surveying, hand-built bodywork and traditional craftsmanship.