The 3500 GT was Maserati’s first commercially successful production vehicle, and it could not have come at a better time for the struggling Italian automaker.

In the late 1950s, after years of fiscal loss and excessive spending on its racing program, Maserati was in desperate need of an appealing road car.

Salvation appeared at the 1957 Geneva Motor Show in the form of the 3500 GT, the same year Maserati would officially withdraw from motor racing.

Carrozzeria Touring designed the elegant Superleggera body consisting of lightweight aluminum panels mounted to a steel frame.

The engine was a detuned version of the 3.5-liter, inline six-cylinder from Maserati’s successful 350S racecar.

Rated at an impressive 220 horsepower and 254 pound-feet of torque when fitted with triple Weber twin-choke carburetors, it was tractable and torquey, providing excellent power at low speeds through either a ZF four-speed manual transmission or a three-speed automatic.

The compliant and sporting chass...