1965 Maserati Mistral 3.7 Coupe

Description

Named after a cold northerly wind from the South of France, the Mistral was the last Maserati road car to employ the company’s race-bred straight six engine that powered the legendary 250F driven by Juan Manuel Fangio to victory in the 1957 World Championship.  Replacing the 3500 GTI in the model line-up from 1964 as Maserati’s two-seater Gran Turismo, the Tipo AM109 Mistral was handsomely styled by Pietro Frua and sold in both coupe and spyder versions.  The twin-spark DOHC motor employed Lucas’ direct mechanical fuel injection and was available in three displacements; 3.5-litres, 3.7-litres and 4-litres, with power outputs between 235 and 265 horsepower.  ZF’s five-speed manual gearbox was normally specified (although automatic transmission was technically available to order), while braking was via four-wheel discs.  Built around a shortened version of the Sebring’s tubular steel chassis frame, the front suspension was fully independent via coil springs and double wishbones while the rear was a leaf-sprung solid axle with tubular shock absorbers and anti-roll bars at both ends. The bodywork was made by Maggiora of Turin and mostly fashioned in aluminium to reduce weight. The Mistral’s cockpit was beautifully appointed with leather upholstery, a fully lined cargo area and a dash finished in black leather, classic triple-spoke wood-rimmed steering wheel and Smiths instrumentation.  Options included air conditioning and a limited-slip differential.  A total of 827 coupes and 123 spyders were produced between 1964 and 1970 when the Mistral was finally replaced by the V8-powered Ghibli and, like all Maserati road cars of the 1960s, each of the survivors is now a desirable Italian classic, perfect for long distance touring or rallies.