The Maserati Mexico, an Italian sports car ever so often mentioned due to its small production numbers, got its start when Maserati had coachbuilder Vignale rebody a wrecked 5000 GT.
Vignale’s prototype was displayed at the 1965 Turin Motor Show, where it was met with positive feedback that encouraged Maserati to put the model into production.
Rumor has it that Maserati named this model Mexico because the prototype was sold to a Mexican customer named Diaz Barroso who saw the car when he was at the Maserati factory dropping off for repair the Maserati 5000 GT that he had purchased from Mexican President Adolfo López.
The production Mexico model was built on a shortened version of the first-generation Quattroporte chassis. Only 484 examples were made between 1966 and 1972, and one of them has been put up for sale by a Brookfield, Connecticut, seller on ClassicCars.com.
The Pick of the Day is a matching-numbers 1969 Maserati Mexico that’s the recipient of an extensive frame-off restoration and has remained in the same family for the last 45 years, according to the seller.
While the bulk of Maserati Mexicos were equipped with a 4.2-liter V8, a select 175 versions were fitted with a 4.7-liter four-cam V8, and this example is one of those models.
The seller notes the 4.7-liter engine, factory rated at 290 horsepower, is linked to a 5-speed ZF gearbox.
During restoration, this 2-door Mexico was restored in its original paint color of Sera Blue.
The body, riding on Borrani wire wheels, features a large grille with a V-shaped upper insert sitting between twin headlights, engine cooling vents behind the front wheels, a driver’s side rear-view mirror and extended dual exhaust pipes at the rear.
The car has been upholstered in luxurious tan leather and features a woodgrain dash with matching steering wheel and shift knob. Amenities include air conditioning and electric windows.
“With plenty of power, air conditioning and electric windows, it provides the driver with a fast, comfortable and stylish ride,” the seller says in the car’s listing. “Few classic cars can compare.
This 1969 Maserati Mexico is being offered for $149,000.
To view this vehicle on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.
