Maserati 5000GT

The Maserati 5000GT came into being at the behest of the Shah of Persia ( now Iran ). He visited the Maserati factory in 1958 and test drove a Maserati 3500GT. The car was very good but not quite exclusive enough for the Shah. He also saw information about the Maserati 450S racing sports car which was powered by a 5 litre V8 engine, and a car was born......

Firstly the tubular chassis from the Maserati 3500GT was strengthened, as the engine being used was the 5 litre V8 courtesy of the Maserati racing program. A change in the rules had left Maserati with a surplus of otherwise useless 400bhp engines. The independent suspension from the Maserati 3500GT was retained while disc brakes were used at the front and drum brakes at the rear. In the 5000GT the racing V8 was slightly detuned to a modest 340bhp to make the car easier to live with on the road. This still endowed the car with a top speed of over 170mph.

Allegedly the Shah paid $15000 for this exclusive, Touring bodied car ( known, strangely, as the "Shah of Persia" ), and over the next 6 years only another 33 people were lucky enough to own similar cars.

What began as a one off special order car soon became an exclusive top of the range Grand Touring car for Maserati. Additional cars were bodied by Monterosa, Pininfarina, Bertone, Allemano, Michelotti and Ghia and the high profile owners included, Briggs Cunningham, Giovanni Agnelli , Aga Khan and Ferdinando Innocenti.

Frua were the last Carrozzerie company to be commissioned to clothe a 5000GT and in total they only bodied 3 cars, all were uniquely different. Of the coach builders who worked with Maserati on the 5000GT it was Allemano who made the most vehicles, creating 20 nearly identical versions of the 34 cars produced. Later cars, also known as the Series II, received mechanical upgrades such as four wheel disc brakes, 5 speed gearbox and fuel injection.

Borrani wheels are still available for your Maserati 5000GT, as agents for the iconic Ruote Borrani Milano company we are able to supply all wheels from their extensive range.

If your Maserati 5000GT Borrani wheels require rebuilding then please contact us at sales@borrani.co.uk.

Maserati 5000GT wheels made by Ruote Borrani Milano are, without doubt, the best wire wheels available. Borrani wheels utilise aluminium rims, steel spokes and steel wheel centres.

Maserati wheels made by Borrani are available in the following styles

• Painted silver finish, as per the racing wheels of the period
• Polished and chrome finish, highly polished rim, chrome spokes & wheel centre
• Painted finish with polished outer edge