Engine No. AM109S 027

Named after the powerful, cold Mediterranean wind of southern France, the Mistral inaugurated Maserati's tradition of wind‑inspired model names upon its introduction in November 1963 at the Salone Internazionale dell'Automobile di Torino. As the successor to the 3500 GT, it marked the final evolution of Maserati's front‑mounted, twin‑spark, double‑overhead‑cam straight‑six engine—a lineage born from the legendary 350S sports racer of the 1950s. The Mistral's lithe proportions, in both coupe and open‑top Spyder variations, were penned by the talented Pietro Frua, featuring an aggressive sharknose grille, Kamm tail, and a raked removable hardtop in Spyder form.

Over its seven‑year production run, Maserati built a total of 844 Mistral coupes compared to just 124 Spyders, of which a mere 30 early production examples were equipped with the 3.5-liter inline-six engine. This exceptional 3.5-liter Mistral Spyder, chassis 027, was originally commissioned in July 1964, specified in Grigio Montebello (Metallic Silver) over a Pella Rossa (Red leather) interior. A copy of its original order form notes its generous factory equipment, with period accessories including the rarely seen optional aluminum hardtop as well as wire wheels, a Blaupunkt radio, and electric windows among others. The Spyder was completed in October 1964 per Maserati Classiche documentation and was subsequently dispatched to Auto Distributors of New York.

Chassis 027 is known to have been refinished in red with a tan interior at some stage in its life and is said to have spent a number of years in a museum collection prior to its acquisition by a Florida-based caretaker in 2012. In this ownership, the Maserati was treated to a ground-up restoration initiated in 2013 which included replacing the floor pans before conducting a bare-metal repaint in period-correct Blu Sera Metallizzato (Metallic Blue). Numerous specialist shops contributed to the restoration, with Coachtrim of Danbury, Connecticut, retrimming the interior in factory-correct Rosso Connolly hides and fitting a new black fabric convertible top, while Qual Krom of Erie, Pennsylvania, professionally refinished the bumpers and chrome brightwork. The project also included fitting the hardtop with a replacement headliner and re-trimming the trunk in quilted black vinyl.

The mechanical refurbishment encompassed an overhaul of the suspension system, which consists of an independent coil-spring double-wishbone front setup and leaf-sprung solid rear axle. The original Lucas fuel injection system was replaced with triple Weber 42 DCOE carburetors, which were refreshed during the restoration by Greg Jones in Stuart, Florida, along with replacement of spark plugs, wires, and points. A Lucas fuel injection unit still accompanies the car today, should a future owner wish to revert to its factory Iniezione setup. The Borrani wire wheels, secured by three-eared knock-offs, were mounted with Pirelli Cinturato tires in 2017, complementing a matching wire spare housed in the trunk. After its completion, the Mistral remained with its Florida caretaker until 2022, when it entered the plethora of important Italian grand touring cars in the Texas-based Lone Star Sports Car Collection.

Now offered with a mere 30 additional miles indicated since entering the collection, this wonderfully restored and exceedingly rare 3.5-liter Spyder is offered with its matching aluminum hard top, its tool roll, and Maserati Classiche documentation which confirms that the car retains its original, matching-numbers engine (no. AM109S 027, internal no. 2308). The Mistral Spyder surely must be considered one of the finest models to emerge from the Golden Age of Italian grand touring design, and chassis 027 is a stunning example of the breed that is ready to show, tour, and enjoy.