There are a small number of cars that are on my “If you could only own one car you would love to own this one…” list. Most of the cars on that little “bucket list” of desirable drives are already collectors’ items and priced somewhat out of my financial reach. One of the cars on that list is the Maserati Mexico, simply because it is one of the most archetypical and delightful examples of the Italian art of the motor car in the sixties ever built. It is a car that evokes memories of that lost era in the same way that the movie “Forrest Gump” uses the music of the era to bring back the feel of the time for those of us old enough to remember. Even the name “Mexico” makes one wonder if the car is fitted with a hidden compartment for your Colt 1911, (in 38 Super of course).
The Maserati Mexico began life as a variant of the 5000GT. The President of Mexico Adolfo López Mateos had damaged his Maserati 5000GT and returned it to the factory where it was rebuilt to some new specifications. This newly re-built car made a debut appearance on the Vignale stand at the 1965 Turin Motor Show, although badged as a 5000GT. The car was a hit and so the following year the Maserati Mexico was born, gaining its name from its association with President Adolfo López Mateos. One difference between the President’s car and the production cars was in engines. The President’s re-modeled 5000GT had a 4.9 liter engine whereas the production Maserati Mexico had either a 4.7 liter or 4.2 liter V8 engine at the customer’s behest.
There was in fact little difference between the top speed performance of the two engine options. Either engine would propel the car to around the top speed of the contemporary E-Type Jaguar.
The Maserati Mexico is a driver’s car for someone who really enjoys the driving experience. It provides luxurious transport, but it provides that transport in a car that is graceful, elegant, and with that unmistakeable Italian flair. I suspect it is a car that one would not tire of driving, and that delightful V8 engine note has to stir the heart of any car enthusiast.
The car we have featured in this article is coming up for sale at Bonhams Les Grandes Marques du Monde au Grand Palais in Paris on 5th February 2015. You will find details of the sale car here. and the general auction page here.
Jon Branch is the founder and senior editor of Revivaler and has written a significant number of articles for various publications including official Buying Guides for eBay, classic car articles for Hagerty, magazine articles for both the Australian Shooters Journal and the Australian Shooter, and he’s a long time contributor to Silodrome.
Jon has done radio, television, magazine and newspaper interviews on various issues, and has traveled extensively, having lived in Britain, Australia, China and Hong Kong. His travels have taken him to Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan and a number of other countries. He has studied the Japanese sword arts and has a long history of involvement in the shooting sports, which has included authoring submissions to government on various firearms related issues and assisting in the design and establishment of shooting ranges.
