1963 Maserati Sebring

Coachwork by Vignale Chassis no. 10101823

Footnotes

Introduced in 1962, the Sebring was one of the final manifestations of the landmark 3500 GT, which had been the linchpin of Maserati's programme to establish itself as a manufacturer of road cars. Despite numerous racetrack successes that included Juan Manuel Fangio's fifth World Championship - at the wheel of a 250F - and runner-up spot in the World Sports Car Championship with the fabulous 450S - both in 1957, the marque's most successful season - Maserati was by that time facing a bleak future. Its parent company's financial difficulties forced a withdrawal from racing and Maserati's survival strategy for the 1960s centred on switching production from competition to road models.
Maserati's survival strategy for the 1960s centred on establishing the company as a producer of road cars. The Modena marque's new era began in 1957 with the launch of the Touring-bodied 3500 GT. A luxury '2+2', the 3500 GT drew on Maserati's competition experience, employing a tubular chassis frame and an engine derived from the Alfieri-designed 350S sports racing car unit of 1956. Suspension was independent at the front by wishbones and coil springs, while at the back there was a conventional live axle/semi-elliptic arrangement. Power output of the twin-cam six was around 220bhp initially; later examples produced 235bhp on Lucas fuel injection.

Built on the short-wheelbase but otherwise similar chassis of the Vignale-bodied 3500 GT spyder, the Sebring 2+2 coupé arrived in 1962, named in honour of the Bolognese manufacturer's 1957 victory at the eponymous American 12 Hours endurance race. By now a five-speed gearbox, four-wheel disc brakes and fuel injection were standard equipment, while automatic transmission, air conditioning, and a limited-slip differential were options.

Autocar magazine had this to say about the Sebring's performance: "A mean maximum speed of 220km/h together with the ability to accelerate to 160km/h from rest in only 23.8sec and to reach 200km/h in the fourth of its five gears, speak for themselves." This is all the more impressive given that the Sebring is not a lightweight, stripped-down sports car but a luxurious, comfortable and well-equipped Grande Routière. Introduced in 1965, the Sebring Series II came with a 3.7-litre, 245bhp engine, some cars leaving the factory with 4.0-litre units towards the end of Sebring production in 1969. Including 3.7- and 4.0-litre versions, 591 Sebrings were completed, 348 being 1st Series cars like that offered here.

Delivered new to Brussels, Belgium after its completion in July 1963, this Sebring is believed to have gone to the US at a certain point although no supporting paperwork is available unfortunately. More recently the car returned to Europe to reside in the Netherlands. The car appears to have undergone a professional restoration a while ago which included a professional re-spray and an extensively refurbished interior. We're advised that the car resided in storage for about 9 years since restoration and it is believed the car was not driven during that period. The Sebring is finished in Oro Longchamps with black leather trim, its original colour combination. Also, the engine's appearance suggests that it has been extensively overhauled, although no invoices are available. The engine is numbered 'AM101/10.067' with internal number '2219'. It should be noted that some chrome trim strips have not been refitted (they are in the boot); the chrome wire wheels still have to be refurbished; and the windscreen wipers are not installed. With some areas requiring improvement or completion, this beautiful Maserati Sebring is a potentially most rewarding project.
Please note that this car is sold without any accompanying paperwork or history and that it does not come with any registration documents.