To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION at RM Sothebys' Arizona event, 22 January 2021.

• One of 124 Mistral Spyders; 1965 New York Auto Show car
• Black over crème Connolly leather; black convertible top
• Matching-numbers 3.5-liter inline-six rebuilt to 3.7-liter specification; completed March 2020
• Triple-carburetor conversion; accompanied by original fuel injection system
• Accompanied by historical information from Maserati and documentation of restoration and maintenance

The Maserati 3500 GT and its evolution, the Sebring, proved definitively that the House of the Trident could build appealing series-production cars in addition to its world-beating competition machinery. For its next act, Maserati would rely on the expertise of Pietro Frua, who designed the sleek, fastback grand tourer that would come to be know as the Mistral.

Maserati debuted the prototype at the 1963 Turin Motor Show, with full production commencing in 1964. At the suggestion of Colonel John Simone, the French Maserati importer, the car was named after the strong winds blowing from the Mediterranean coast in the South of France—first of a line of classic Maseratis to be given the name of a wind. “Mistral” was meant to invoke a sense of speed, and the car certainly lived up to its namesake.

While initially available as a coupe, the open-top Spyder quickly followed. This would be the last Maserati model to be powered by the marque’s renowned six-cylinder, which traced its origins to the 350 S sports racer of the 1950s and had powered Juan Manual Fangio in his Tipo 250F to the 1957 Formula 1 World Championship.

Completed on 15 March 1965, this Mistral Spyder was initially finished in Argento Auteuil over a red interior. It was sold new to Jaguar Daimler for display at the 1965 New York Auto Show, according to historical documents provided by the Maserati Club. Its first known private owner was a Joseph B. Quatman, a prominent Ohio lawyer and philanthropist, who purchased the car in 1966. Mr. Quatman traded it in for a Maserati Ghibli in 1968 via Trident Importers, Inc. of Pennsylvania. Subsequent documented owners include a gentleman in New Jersey, who owned the car from 1983 to 1999, followed by seven years in the care of a gentleman in Colorado.

The car was restored in the late 1990s, after which it was acquired by its current owner—himself a restorer by profession—in 2006. Now finished in striking black over a crème Connolly leather interior, it has benefitted in from a recently completed cosmetic refresh.

Further, a rebuild of its numbers-matching engine, completed in March 2020, saw the car’s 3.5-liter inline-six upgraded to 3.7-liter specification; it has accrued only test mileage since work was completed. While the factory did not stamp some engines with their corresponding chassis number, as found with this Mistral, the factory internal number stamped on this car’s engine does match Maserati’s build records. Based on this internal engine number this is the car’s matching engine. While the Mistral was originally equipped with Lucas fuel injection, it has since been fitted to triple carburetors—a common conversion that provides better and more reliable performance. The original fuel injection system is, however, included with the sale.

A show car from the very start, this Mistral Spyder reprised its role in 2000, when it was selected by Maserati for exhibition during the Monterey Historics at California’s Laguna Seca Raceway. Yet the Mistral was also recognized for its exhilarating driving dynamics, and the consignor states this example is no exception. Notably, it successfully completed the Copperstate 1000 twice, most recently while in the possession of the current owner in 2008.

The Mistral’s combination of clean, timeless Frua styling and world-renowned Maserati sports car expertise makes it an attractive proposition in any form; this 1965 Spyder’s rarity and beautiful presentation only add to its appeal. Equally suited to exhibition and touring, it is accompanied by historical documentation from Maserati, historical research, maintenance and restoration receipts, and its original fuel injection system. To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/az21.