Maserati Mexico

History

The Maserati Mexico's design derived from a 2+2 prototype bodywork by Virginio Vairo shown on the Vignale stand at the October 1965 Salone di Torino and built upon a 4.9-litre 5000 GT chassis, rebodied after it had been damaged. As the car after the show was sold to Mexican president Adolfo López Mateos, the model became known as the Mexico. By coincidence, John Surtees won the Mexican Grand Prix on a Cooper-Maserati T81 the following year. Vignale's prototype was so well received that Maserati immediately made plans to put a version into production.

The production Maserati Mexico debuted in August 1966 at the 20° Concorso internazionale di eleganza per auto in Rimini, while its international première was at the October Paris Motor Show. It was built on the chassis of the first generation of the Quattroporte with a wheelbase shortened by 11 cm.

Originally powered by a 4.7-litre 90° V8 fed by four twin-choke 38 DCNL5 Weber carburetors that was rated at 290 hp, the car managed to turn out a top speed between 240 –. In 1969, however, contrary to Maserati tradition, the Mexico was also made available with a smaller, 4.2-litre V8 engine.

Apart from the smaller engine option the Mexico underwent few changes during its production life span. Its luxurious interior included a rich leather seating for four adults, electric windows, wooden dashboard, iodine headlights and air conditioning as standard. Automatic transmission, power steering and a radio were available as optional extras. The 4.7-litre version was fitted with 650x15" Borrani chrome wire wheels and the 4.2-litre version with steel disc wheels. When leaving the factory all Maserati Mexicos originally fitted Pirelli Cinturato 205VR15 tyres (CN72). The Mexico was the first production Maserati to be fitted with servo assisted ventilated disc brakes on all four wheels.

In May 1967, under commission from the German concessionnaire Auto Koenig for one client, Herr Rupertzhoven, Maserati built a one-off Mexico similar to Vignale's original prototype design but it was the work of Frua. Appearing like a 4-seat Mistral and built on the same tubular chassis as the 3500 GT (2600 mm wheelbase), this prototype 'Mexico' was fitted with the Mistral's six-cylinder 3.7-litre Lucas fuel-injected engine. It was finished in Oro Longchamps with a black leather interior. Its dashboard came from the Quattroporte.

485 Mexicos were produced, 175 equipped with the 4.7-litre engine and 305 with the 4.2-litre engine.

References

References

1. "Maserati Mexico Registry".
2. (3 November 1965). "Estro e tecnica nella «fuoriserie»". [[La Stampa]].
3. (21 October 1965). "Una Maserati 5000-Vignale". [[La Stampa]].
4. "Maserati Mexico 4.2".
5. "The Maserati Mexico: Modena's conquest of the New World".
6. (7 August 1966). "Presentata la «850» con cambio automatico al concorso di Rimini". [[La Stampa]].
7. "The Maserati Mexico".