Maserati 5000 GT Allemano

The Maserati 5000 GT Allemano was a 1962 coachbuilt version of Maserati’s 5000 GT, bodied by Allemano to a design credited to Giovanni Michelotti. It used the five-litre V8 basis developed for the 5000 GT and was produced in a small series. Twenty-two examples of the Allemano-bodied car were built.

The 5000 GT story began with Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Persia. Having been impressed by the Maserati 3500 GT, he commissioned Maserati in 1958 to create a more powerful and exclusive car. Maserati chief engineer Giulio Alfieri adapted the five-litre V8 from the Maserati 450S racing car for the 3500 GT chassis. The resulting car was identified as the Tipo 103.

The first 5000 GT was the Shah of Persia car, an aluminium two-seat coupé bodied by Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera. Maserati subsequently developed the model into a limited-production programme. Its coachwork did not follow a single pattern: Pininfarina, Bertone, Ghia and Frua also produced bodies for the 5000 GT. From 1960, Allemano became the principal coachbuilding partner for the series and constructed the majority of the cars.

Michelotti’s Allemano body gave the model a formal two-door coupé profile, combining a long bonnet with a compact cabin and a substantial rear treatment. The design was distinct from the Touring-bodied Shah of Persia car and from the later 5000 GTs clothed by the other Italian coachbuilders. Giovanni Michelotti was responsible for the Allemano design, while Allemano carried out the body construction.

The mechanical specification centred on the five-litre V8 derived from the 450S unit. Contemporary performance was described in terms of a top speed above 270 km/h, or 170 mph. The 5000 GT paired that engine with a luxurious interior made to a high standard, in keeping with its position as Maserati’s flagship model.

The Allemano version formed the largest single coachbuilt group within the 5000 GT range. Its 22-car production total places it alongside other individually bodied variants, including the Touring Shah of Persia car and the later Pininfarina, Bertone, Ghia and Frua interpretations.