Maserati 5000GT: command performance

By Mick Walsh

| 23 Feb 2026

Classic & Sports Car – Maserati 5000GT: command performance

A premier exotic car has to fulfil certain criteria.

Obviously it must be super-rare – to the degree that few people have seen one on the road – and an outrageous price-tag denotes very limited production. And, of course, it should be bespoke and handmade.

Performance, at least on paper, should be spectacular, developing an almost-mythical reputation for the car in question.

Candidates for this group might include the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale and the Delahaye 165 V12.

How the Maserati 5000GT, the ultimate gran turismo, was born

In such company, today’s Bugatti Chiron is already too common, but one guaranteed member of the exclusive club is the Maserati 5000GT.

This late-’50s supercoupé ticks every box for eligibility. Its fantastic, if ultimately unproven, performance was the result of its all-alloy, quad-cam, 5-litre V8 engine, developed from a spectacular sports-racing car, the Maserati 450S.

Matched to highly individual coachwork by Italy’s finest stylists, the 5000GT’s ultra-rich clientele ranged from millionaire sportspeople to a Mexican president.

Like many of the greatest cars, each of the 34 5000GTs are often referred to by their first owners rather than chassis numbers.

Each car lost Maserati money and few clocked up any distance, not only because wealthy buyers didn’t have time but also, confidentially, because the 5000GT’s mighty spec made them ultimately unusable.

It was one thing for factory test driver Guerino Bertocchi to impress passengers by blasting down the Autostrada del Sole to prove the Maserati’s awesome performance, but it’s quite another to motor any distance.

Like race team owners Briggs Cunningham and John Simone, you really needed a team of mechanics to tune the beast.

In 1959, the 5000GT was the Alfa Romeo 8C-2900 berlinetta of its era, the most elitist thing on wheels.

Some displayed bizarre styling focused around a signature motif and one even inspired a legendary rock lyric: ‘My Maserati does one-eighty-five. I lost my licence, now I don’t drive.’

It didn’t matter that former Eagles star Joe Walsh was optimistic about his Allemano-bodied GT’s top speed in Life’s Been Good – it sounded great and added to the mythology of the monarch from Modena.

Frustratingly, most survivors eventually sat silent under covers in dark corners of secret underground garages.

Such was the 5000GT’s reputation for big bills that few owners were prepared to invest in reviving these fantastic machines.

The Maserati 5000GT’s stylish cockpit, with Nardi steering wheel, quality leather and Jaeger dials

But as the values of more established Ferraris and Maseratis spiralled, so collectors started looking for alternatives – and slowly the 5000GTs were rediscovered.

In keeping with its special appeal, the car inspired some obsessive collecting patterns.

A chance encounter with a Maserati 5000GT in Mexico City in 1968 was never forgotten by Alfredo Brener, then aged 16.

When he had amassed his fortune, he tracked down five different cars, spent huge sums restoring them, exhibited them at Pebble Beach and then sold them all.

Such an extreme only fuels the legend, but it pales in comparison with the story of chassis 066.

An Allemano-bodied 5000GT, it was specially delivered by Bertocchi from the factory to Munich for its sheikh owner, who wasn’t present when the car arrived.

As a result it remained parked outside for years and was nearly crushed when local authorities tired of the abandoned exotic.

It was saved from the scrapper’s truck for just DM50, but it remains in a sad state awaiting restoration. The origins of the other 5000GTs are similarly intriguing.

Story has it that Omer Orsi, son of Maserati’s owner, Adolfo, tried to help revive sales by sending brochures to the prominent and the wealthy.

Soon after the sales literature for a 3500GT and 450S racer had been mailed to the Shah of Persia, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Iranian Embassy in Rome was instructed to set up a meeting with Maserati.

One November Sunday in 1958, the Shah stunned engineer Giulio Alfieri and Orsi with a request for a roadgoing Maserati based on the 450S.

Swamped by unpaid debts, Maserati had already withdrawn from motorsport to focus on road-car production, and out of the blue a benefactor was agreeing to pay for the development and build of a special Maserati GT car.

The Maserati 5000GT’s engine note is simply magnificent

The Shah’s brief specified ultimate performance (Alfieri reputedly guaranteed 280kph, or 178mph) and a two-seater coupé style with a usable boot.

Back at the factory, Alfieri immediately started work on the first 5000GT Tipo 103, chassis 002, mating a much-strengthened 3500 frame with the racing V8 motor.

Modifications for road use included upping the capacity to 4937cc and reducing compression to 8.5:1, but the helical-gear camshaft drive remained, as did twin Marelli distributors, 16 spark plugs and four twin-choke Weber 45 carburettors.

Underpinnings followed the 3500: independent front and live-axle rear, with power-assisted Girling discs at the front and large drums at the back.

Bertone was the first choice as body-builder, but Orsi eventually gave the contract to Touring with the proviso that it must look very different from the production 3500GT.

Styling chief Carlo Anderloni later said Persian baroque architecture influenced the body’s bizarre grille with its pronounced Maserati trident. Such gaudy details continued on the inside, with gold-plated dials and switches.

Few saw the prototype 5000GT outside the factory, because the finished car was immediately shipped to the Shah in Iran.

Later, when the Shah was deposed, the Maserati was moved to his chalet in Gstaad. By 2005 it had only covered 3750 miles.

A second Touring coupé was built and, after presentation at the ’59 Turin Salon, was bought by South African millionaire and Kyalami track owner Basil Read.

Orders from the world’s wealthiest followed, but no sale was confirmed for build unless customers paid a sizeable chunk of the £5364 total price as a deposit.

Interest was boosted when US journalist Hans Tanner secured scoop driving impressions of the second 5000GT.

With Bertocchi at the wheel, Tanner reported clocking a staggering 172mph on the autostrada from Modena to Bologna.

The bold trident on the Maserati 5000GT’s grille

Even more impressive was 158mph through ‘a long sweeping curve on the return road’. He added: ‘If anything can be said against this fabulous car, it is only that these speeds are too easy. Everything is smooth and quiet.’

After the first two Series 1 cars, the 5000GT was further developed for extra refinement.

The bore and stroke were then less oversquare, which flattened the torque curve, and the intrusive racing gear-cam drive was modified to a quieter triple-strand chain.

Horsepower dropped by 15bhp to 325bhp, mostly due to the new Lucas fuel injection taking the place of the competition Webers.

The Series 2 engines were given signature green paint for heads and cam covers, while other improvements included new ratios for the ZF four-speed ’box, followed by a five-speed. Discs were fitted all round.

Maserati’s order book was looking mighty impressive, with many of Italy’s foremost industrial magnates – including Giovanni Agnelli and Ferdinando Innocenti – ordering bespoke cars, as well as Hollywood star Stewart Granger, millionaire sportsman Briggs Cunningham and various princes.

Where Bugatti had failed to sell the Royale to kings, the Orsi family could count several – even be they deposed – as customers.

When the rebellious King Saud was asked to leave Cairo, his Frua-bodied 5000GT, 048, was impounded for non-payment of taxes.

After the sad-looking 12,700km ‘barn-find’ was auctioned by Bonhams at Monaco in 2000, it made a new benchmark price of £222,042.

Behind the scenes not all were happy, however.

German businessman Rolf Helm insisted Maserati overhaul the engine of 006 in the presence of his mechanic Peter Reuffel. Others reported rough engines and lacklustre performance.

Now values of these fabled cars are steadily increasing, so several enthusiasts have commissioned extensive engine rebuilds to release the potential power.

The Maserati 5000GT’s packed engine bay

Foremost in this development is German specialist Robertino Wild, who, after historic-racing success with two 450S monsters, seemed the natural choice to sort a 5000GT.

Amazingly, Robertino had no ambitions to become a historic-car specialist.

While studying as a medical student, he rebuilt the engine of his Ducati motorcycle, and a friend, impressed by his competence, asked if he’d look at a Porsche four-cam motor.

“With all those bevel gears, it looked similar to my Ducati, so I didn’t feel intimidated,” says Robertino. “I was only 20 and gave up medicine to become an old-car doctor.

“Maseratis are special and for me they don’t compare with Ferraris. The engineers were really dedicated to the cars, and the machining is a fine art.

“When you look at the polished components, such as the 250F’s suspension, you can see the hundreds of hours of work. Despite the company’s financial problems, it’s clear that the team really loved the cars.”

Robertino rapidly built up a reputation for historic Maserati racers as A6GCS, ‘Birdcage’ and 250F passed through his meticulous workshop.

One of his most challenging projects was to sort the magnificent 450S of Hartmut Ibing. “Maserati had done great things with the straight-six, but the V8 was a steep learning curve,” Robertino recalls.

“Power was not a problem, but the engine needed to be more responsive. They didn’t have the facilities we have today, and getting the crank balanced was an issue.

“We discovered that the weight was in all the wrong places and the only solution was to redesign the crank from scratch.

“With lighter conrods and improved weight distribution, the 450S delivered more than 400bhp, but with more responsive revs and torque.”

Giovanni Michelotti styled the Maserati 5000GT’s Allemano bodywork

Once it was sorted, the dark-blue 450S was a revelation, and its winning ways attracted the attention of the owner of 5000GT 042, who wanted performance and drivability to match a fastidious cosmetic restoration by Bacchelli in Modena.

When the mint Allemano-bodied coupé arrived at Robertino’s impressive Mönchengladbach facility, the challenge was to finally make the 5000GT deliver on its dramatic promise.

He says: “After the 450S, the project looked easier to do in theory, but in the end it presented its own problems. At first the engine felt rough. It had a great sound but was unwilling to rev, and the torque was lifeless.”

With the crank removed, it was clear Alfieri and the Maserati engineers struggled with the V8’s bottom end. Extra metal had been crudely welded to the counterweights to get it to rev more smoothly.

“This wasn’t a repair, but how the engine left the factory,” explains Robertino. “Maserati had only used static balancing and the orientation was wrong.

“One pair of counterweights was completely missing. It would have made sense to follow American V8 theory, but, typically Italian, they were too proud and thought they knew better.

“Much of the engineering was about guessing and feeling, so what they achieved was amazing; our approach was more calculated.”

Combined with the newly machined crank, lighter rods and pistons were also developed.

Once they were assembled, Robertino turned to the injection: “The Lucas system is effective, but the Italians didn’t really understand it and used a mixture adjustment linked to oil pressure and air density – a real headache. We simplified it.”

Key to this refinement was Lee Muir, an ex-McLaren Can-Am engineer with vast experience of the Lucas system.

Once the indirect injection was refined, the V8’s character was transformed with smooth power and gutsy low-down torque.

With the 5000GT’s potential unleashed, Robertino’s team set about making the car safe enough for such performance to be used.

The Maserati 5000GT’s rear-light cluster

“We stiffened up the front end with recalibrated dampers, but we’re still not happy with the steering,” he says.

“The chassis is essentially the same as the 3500GT’s, but with extra reinforcement. Maserati was concerned about the extra weight of the V8, so adjusted the steering box ratios to lighten the load.

“As a result it’s not direct enough for the performance.”

Ever the perfectionist, Robertino is keen not to change the character of the car.

Time to try the sorted Maserati 5000GT.

Of all the bodies, Allemano’s is most common, with 22 built, but it is also the most alluring. Its long, sleek flanks and wraparound glass top with slim pillars accentuate the bonnet length.

The Studebaker-style panoramic rear window is steeply raked, and only the rectangular headlights spoil its handsome lines.

Riding on expensive Borrani wire wheels, it looks unmistakably Maserati.

Inside the bright, glassy cockpit there’s nothing flash about the fittings: quality leather and brushed stainless trim, bold Jaeger dials, and a broad Nardi steering wheel with angled spokes so the pilot can clearly see the speedometer and rev counter.

When I take over the wheel, the muscular 5-litre is already warm, so Robertino insists I use all the revs up to 6000rpm.

Frustratingly, we’re not heading for the autobahn but some clear country roads, yet through the town the 5000GT is easy to drive with its silky, low-geared steering.

Rush the ZF gearchange and it will grate, but once you are in tune with its timing, the action is precise.

The clutch is heavy and requires a hefty push, but, with so much torque in reserve, the car will cruise easily even if you wrong-slot it.

Side vents help cool the Maserati 5000GT’s 325bhp V8

The brakes lack feel, but I’m assured that when you really push they transform and bite hard.

First impressions are of a superb ride (even over pavé), a taut chassis and minimal steering kickback.

Once out on the open road, I finally get the chance to unleash the engine’s glorious power.

From an edgy rumble as we slow for a clear stretch, I bury the throttle and the car lets rip a Wagneresque exhaust crescendo.

The 5000GT lunges forward with a glorious yowl exclusive to exotic V8s.

The engine seems to have a triple range when gunned hard: deep burble builds to vibrant growl before a resounding roar as the power peaks.

The sensational acceleration rapidly reels in the next junction just as I change into third at 100mph.

Even so, it feels as if there’s much more in reserve, and it’s easy to believe that 170mph is within the 5000GT’s grasp.

Irritiating as the myriad junctions are, you do get to play Behra in a 450S at every stop, thanks to that ferocious power punch and blood-curdling exhaust note.

All my cynicism over Hans Tanner’s 1959 figures is blasted away each time the 5000GT roars away.

All that’s needed now is a Ferrari 500 Superfast for the ultimate supercoupé shootout.

Agnelli had both, fitted with near-identical Pininfarina bodywork, but it’s not recorded which of them he enjoyed the most.

After this spectacular workout, we cut back on a twisty route to Capricorn’s workshops.

Through the turns the long nose understeers when you enter too quickly, and the steering starts to feel sleepy.

The short, flat seats also offer limited support through tight corners, but these are truly minor quibbles.

Like so many Maseratis, this is a bargain compared with rival Ferraris, even after a hefty bill for sorting that wild motor.

The king of super-exotic GT cars? No question.

Images: Mick Walsh

This was first in our August 2007 magazine; all information was correct at the date of original publication

Factfile

Maserati 5000GT

Sold/number built 1959-’64/34 (S1: 2, S2: 32)
Construction steel ladder-frame chassis, steel or aluminium body by various coachbuilders
Engine all-alloy, dohc-per-bank 4935/4941cc 90° V8, with two valves per cylinder and four Weber IDM 45 carburettors (S1) or Lucas injection (S2)
Max power 325bhp @ 5500rpm
Max torque 326lb ft @ 3600rpm
Transmission four/five-speed ZF manual, RWD
Suspension: front independent, by double wishbones, coil springs rear live axle, leaf springs; telescopic dampers, anti-roll bar f/r
Steering recirculating ball
Brakes Girling discs/drums (S1) or all discs (S2)
Length 15ft 7in (4760mm)
Width 5ft 7in (1700mm)
Height 4ft 4in (1320mm)
Wheelbase 8ft 6in (2600mm)
Weight 3642lb (1652kg)
0-60mph 6.5 secs
Top speed 172mph
Mpg 15
Price new $12,900 (1959)