Milanese coachbuilders Touring Superleggera are world-renowned for producing some of the most stunning automobiles throughout history, known for their beautiful design, cutting edge aerodynamics, and lightweight construction. However, you may not know that they also perform peerless in-house restorations with unrivalled attention to detail. Ahead of their 100th anniversary next year, the famed coachbuilder has honoured their past by restoring an immaculate Maserati 3500 GT with a fascinating heritage. The car will be displayed at this year’s Retromobile in Paris alongside an incredible barn find 3500 GT in 1961 specification for comparison, as well as the Veloce12 we helped launch at The Quail last year. We spoke to Touring’s Head of Classic, Andrea Dragoni, to learn more about this stunning restoration and the company’s philosophy when it comes to preserving style icons of the past.
Before we discuss the history of this fascinating restoration, however, we must first understand why the 3500 GT was such a landmark model for both Touring and Maserati. Andrea kindly explains: “The 3500 GT was Maserati’s first series-production road car. They had incredible racing heritage, but this was the exact model that brought Maserati into the mainstream, chosen by actors, racing drivers, and entrepreneurs alike.”
The 3500 GT was destined to be a favourite among the global elite, and their freshly-restored example is no exception. Andrea reveals why Touring selected this specific model to demonstrate their restoration prowess: “It’s a car with very interesting pedigree - it was owned by Horace Elgin Dodge III and stayed in the Dodge family for three decades, being passed to his elder son, then to the middle son, before making its way across to the UK and eventually returning to Italy. Can you image him showing up in the board parking lot of the Dodge Headquarters with this Italian supercar?”
This is a real testament to just how desirable the 3500 GT was in its heyday, boasting a race-derived engine and one of the most satisfying gearchanges of any grand tourer to date. Naturally, the Touring Superleggera-designed bodywork played a huge role in its appeal and this example’s specification only increases its allure. “The colour combination is stunning, it’s indisputably sporty and elegant with the white exterior, blue leather and grey carpet,” comments Andrea. “If you know the history of Touring design, there’s always details you can spot that form the DNA of Touring: clean and classic lines, purity of design, a streamlined silhouette, and a sense of lightness - both in construction and appearance.”
According to Andrea, the “Dodge Maserati” was in much better condition when they found it than the barn find that will be displayed alongside it at Retromobile, so we were eager to understand Touring’s philosophy when it comes to these restorations. “Our customers want to leave the entire restoration to us - it’s a turn-key result, always delivered with the top mechanical specialists, such as engine rebuilders Candini Classiche in this case, of the respective marques we’re working on. Our clients trust our meticulous attention to detail and appreciation for each individual car with our thorough historical and period research. This philosophy doesn’t only apply to Touring models, it applies to every restoration we come across and every type of coachwork or technology, whether steel or aluminium.”
Admiring the finished result, we had to know what went into this specific restoration. “The car was running when we found it and has been restored at least a couple of time of times in its life,” Andrea reveals. “It wasn’t a matter of preservation because it wasn’t original, but it was a by-the-book restoration down to the finest details, such as the enamel on the badge, the hand-woven wool carpet, even the diameter of the head bolts. This is something we do for every restoration; the more complex, the more attention we dedicate with the help of our amazing technical partners, such as Maserati Classiche.” Naturally, the Dodge Maserati now holds a Maserati Classiche Certification of Authenticity, validating and confirming the inherent value added by Touring’s restoration.
However, the Classiche Certificate alone doesn’t tell the full story of the work dedicated to perfecting the Dodge Maserati. “The passion that the whole team applied to the car might not be immediately noticeable, but I can assure you that every restoration is a love story. The whole team lives and thinks about the restoration, from the panel beater, to the painter and myself, there isn’t a minute we weren’t thinking about details to make the car perfect.” This fastidious attention to detail can be seen on many of Touring’s notable recent restoration showcases, such as Gianni Agnelli’s Ferrari 166 M and several Ferrari 250 models.
One particular challenge emerged when it came to rebuilding the car’s brightwork, which had been lost over the course of its eventful life. “The brightwork trim of the windscreen and rear glass were missing, which are difficult to build as they large and must be matched to the exact shape of the car,” says Andrea. One must remember that each 3500 GT boasts a handmade body and no two are exactly alike. This is where Touring’s use of cutting edge technology comes into play, as Andrea describes, “We use a mix of modern and original techniques - if we have to hammer a panel, then we use the original tools they used in-period. Sometimes modern technology is needed to support - such as 3D scans and 3D printing. This is not to put 3D-printed parts on the car, but rather to add a correct reference when we’re rebuilding a very rare part that is difficult to source.”
Projects like these are more important to Touring than ever, especially with their 100th anniversary on the horizon as Andrea tells us, “We want to showcase how varied we are as a company in terms of our operational departments. We do industrial paint jobs for rolls Royce and Bugatti, as well as restoration and coach building.” Indeed, it isn’t only Touring models that are eligible for one of the firm’s restorations, with the team recently having completed a restoration on the only yellow BMW 507 in existence.
If you would like to see the Dodge Maserati and Veloce12 in the metal, be sure to head to Retromobile Stand K-068, Hall 1, from February 5th to 9th, where you’ll also find a barn find 3500 GT waiting to undergo its Touring makeover. If you would like to rehome this unloved Maserati and experience Touring’s unparalleled restoration process first hand, then don’t hesitate to get in contact with the team.
