Maserati Mexico – Classic Sixties Grand Tourer
Quattroporte-based coupe with V8 engine – sound familiar?

1966 was a classic period in Maserati history. The 3500GT, introduced in 1957, was the first step in the transition from tiny numbers of production cars to series production; a decade on, the company could offer some truly great cars. And because of the flexibility of the production facilities, there were no fewer than four different models offered in 1966: Sebring, Quattroporte, Mistral and Mexico.

The prototype for the Mexico first appeared in 1965, at the Turin Auto Salon – but it wasn’t on the Maserati stand. A customer in South Africa, looking for something akin to the legendary 5000 GT, commissioned Vignale to construct a one-off prototype. The Italian company used a tubular Maserati chassis mated to a 4.9-liter version of the classic Maserati V8 engine. A stylish two-door 2+2 body was crafted, set off by wire wheels; appearing on the Vignale stand, the car received an overwhelmingly positive reaction, which was enough to persuade Maserati to put the car into production.

The production car used a modified version of the Quattroporte chassis – the main modification was a wheelbase shortened by some 3.5 inches. Even so, the rear seats offered more legroom than the prototype, enough for the Mexico to be a full four-seater. Engine capacity was reduced to 4.7 liters, the same as that used in the Quattroporte; horsepower was raised by 10bhp, to give a thoroughly respectable 300bhp. Since the Mexico was a full 150kg lighter than its four-door predecessor, performance was also raised – top speed was in the region of 160 mph.

The interior offered the driver a classic view – a wood-rimmed three-spoke steering wheel with drilled steel spokes, while the wood-trimmed dash had speedometer and tachometer on either side of an array of auxiliary gauges. The seats were covered in leather, and the rear seats had an armrest-cum-storage box between them. So it was hardly surprising that when the car was officially launched at the Paris Motor Show in 1966, it was instantly met with acclaim.

Unusually for Maserati, the Mexico was offered with a choice of engines. In addition to the 4.7-liter, there was also a 4.2-liter version of the V8 available; this made just 10bhp less than the larger engine, and the car was still good for over 150mph.

The Mexico was also used as the basis for a one-off prototype; the Simun was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro and built by Carrozzeria Ghia. While the project never went beyond the prototype stage, the Simun bears a striking resemblance to the Ghibli, which was to follow a year later – hardly surprising, since the Ghibli was also styled by Giugiaro.

The Mexico remained in production for six years, a period when it was offered alongside the Ghibli, Indy and Bora. Despite such illustrious competition, almost 500 cars were built; proof that the original concept was near-perfect can be seen from the fact that the car needed almost no modifications during those six years – alloy wheels, modified door handles and electronic ignition were among the few changes made. Its success should hardly be surprising; with classic Italian styling, a muscular V8 engine and luxurious interior, who could resist?

Indeed, the parallels to the present day are uncanny. Take the Quattroporte chassis, shorten the wheelbase, lose a couple of doors to create a classic V8-engined coupe – exactly the same recipe which has been used to spectacular effect to create the brand new GranTurismo. There is one significant difference – even though the first GranTurismo has yet to be delivered, more have already been ordered by customers than bought the Mexico in six years.