Maserati Classiche has certified the authenticity of the first 5000 GT Frua ever produced, making it the first Maserati 5000 GT to receive the certification.
Created for the international jet set, it ranks among the most exclusive Trident creations. Its story is intertwined with those of sovereigns and collectors, embodying the legendary appeal of the Maserati GranTurismo.
Modena, 7 October, 2026 – Some cars stand out for their numbers, performance, and achievements. Others, however, transcend time and become part of a bigger story: one of people, places, encounters, and ideas capable of transforming an automobile into an icon.
The Maserati 5000 GT Frua, chassis *103*064*, belongs to this latter, extraordinary category. One of just 34 examples produced between 1959 and 1964, the 5000 GT ranks among the most prestigious creations in the history of the Trident and effortlessly embodies the spirit of the Dolce Vita: Italian elegance, the allure of high society, and the cosmopolitanism of an unforgettable era.
Today, this one-of-a-kind example adds a new chapter to its story: it is the most recent car, chronologically, to receive the Maserati Classiche Certification of Authenticity. This recognition attests to the brand’s commitment to preserving, celebrating, and carrying on a legacy that represents an essential part of Maserati’s identity and continues to inspire its future.
The birth of an icon
Created for a highly exclusive clientele, the Maserati 5000 GT represented from the outset a new synthesis of performance, luxury, comfort, and Italian savoir-faire. It was a GranTurismo intended for the few, designed for those who wanted something more than an exclusive car: an automobile capable of expressing personality, prestige, and a distinct sense of style.
Its story began in the late 1950s, when the Shah of Persia, after driving a Maserati 3500 GT, asked the House of the Trident to create an even more refined and prestigious car, one befitting his rank.
Engineer Giulio Alfieri, then Maserati’s Technical Director and a central figure in the development of the Trident’s post-war cars, embraced the challenge and brought the AM103 project to life. The goal was ambitious: to bring the character and technology of racing cars to the world of the GranTurismo, without sacrificing comfort, elegance, or refinement.
The result was an extraordinary vehicle. Beneath the hood lay a 5.0-litre V8 derived from the engine in the Maserati 450S race car, equipped with carburettors and capable of delivering over 350 hp in its first configuration.
It marked a new chapter in Maserati’s vision of the GranTurismo.
A blank canvas for the great masters of Italian coachbuilding
To bring the Trident’s new flagship to life, Maserati turned to the most prestigious names in Italian coachbuilding.
The first design was entrusted to Carrozzeria Touring, which created a sumptuous two-door coupé with refined interiors and an elegant design destined to leave a mark. Introduced at the 1959 Turin Auto Show, the car immediately captured the public’s attention and soon became known as the “Shah of Persia.” Only three examples were produced.
From that point on, the AM103 project became a sort of blank canvas on which some of the great masters of Italian coachbuilding could express their vision. Allemano, Pininfarina, Monterosa, Ghia, and Frua interpreted the 5000 GT through different stylistic languages, giving rise to a collection of custom-built cars in which the same extraordinary technical foundation took on ever-changing forms and personalities.
The mechanicals also evolved over time, with the introduction of indirect Lucas fuel injection and chain-driven camshafts, while output remained around 340 hp.
Its exclusivity and price, affordable only to a select clientele, made the 5000 GT one of the rarest Maseratis of all time: just 34 examples were produced in total.
Among them, the three built by Pietro Frua in 1962 stood out for their particularly sophisticated elegance and instantly recognisable stylistic identity. The first of the three is now certified by Maserati Classiche.
Frua: elegance that made history
The first 5000 GT designed by Frua featured the exclusive “Luci di Mezzanotte” livery, paired with refined “Camoscio” interiors. The car was used by Maserati for trials and demonstrations before being presented to the public at the 1963 Geneva International Motor Show.
Compared with the earlier versions by Touring and Allemano, Frua gave the car an even sleeker and more luminous character. The large glass surfaces and lower beltline, dropping to the level of the doors before extending toward the rear window, helped create an elegant and dynamic silhouette, defined by a shoulder line that was both muscular and sinuous.
Sculpted details in the bodywork, chrome accents, and the unmistakable Trident—set into the recess above the grille—completed a design in which every element seemed perfectly balanced.
However, the story of the first 5000 GT Frua was destined to go far beyond the international motor shows. After Geneva, the car was delivered to Maserati’s importer in France, where Karim Aga Khan IV would also have the opportunity to get behind the wheel of the Frua. The experience was so captivating that he commissioned Maserati to build a 5000 GT Frua of his own.
This episode perfectly captures the world to which the 5000 GT belonged: an international sphere in which Maseratis moved effortlessly between the major European motor shows, royal courts, high society, and the most prestigious streets on the continent.
A story straight out of a novel
The first 5000 GT Frua, chassis *103*064*, has one of the most fascinating stories to tell in Maserati’s entire production history.
At the end of 1963, the prototype returned to Modena and was later sold in Rome. In January 1966, its owner purchased a new Maserati and returned the special 5000 GT to the company.
The following month, the car was fully serviced and, at the new owner’s request, repainted by Maserati in the striking “Rosso Rubino Chiaro” livery.
Its new owner was Saudi Prince Magid Ben Saoud, who chose to give the car to his father, King Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
Thus began a remarkable new chapter for the 5000 GT.
In 1967, following the Six-Day War and the sovereign’s departure from Egypt, the car was seized by the Egyptian authorities. From that moment on, it disappeared from view for more than thirty years, remaining in storage in a warehouse in Cairo.
When it reemerged in 2000, the car seemed to have passed through the years almost untouched. The odometer showed just 12,700 kilometres, and the car was still remarkably original and complete.
It was purchased by a Texan collector, who then returned it to Modena for a meticulous restoration that took four years.
In 2004, the 5000 GT Frua was once again in the spotlight, this time at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, where its return received special recognition.
A timeless legacy
From Modena to Geneva, from Paris to Cairo, from the United States and back to Europe, the Maserati 5000 GT Frua *103*064* has crossed continents, eras, and distant worlds, retaining the timeless appeal that made it special from the very beginning.
Its story is rooted in the meeting of engineering and design, performance and refinement, motorsport tradition and the creative freedom of the great Italian coachbuilders. But it is also the story of an era in which an automobile could become the symbol of a lifestyle, an ambition, and a distinct idea of elegance.
Today, the Maserati Classiche Certification of Authenticity adds a new chapter to this extraordinary biography.
It recognises the historical value of a one-of-a-kind model and, at the same time, Maserati’s responsibility to preserve a story that is part of the company’s heritage and Italian automotive culture.
Because some cars do not just belong to the past. They continue to speak to the present and hint at what’s to come.
The 5000 GT Frua is one of these: a timeless vehicle in which power and grace, engineering and style, tradition and vision come together in perfect harmony.
Maserati Classiche
This constant dialogue between past and present is at the heart of Maserati Classiche, the program launched in Modena in 2021 to support the preservation and promotion of Maserati’s historic vehicles. Today, the division is part of BOTTEGAFUORISERIE, the project that safeguards the Trident’s heritage and carries it into the future through technical expertise and Modenese craftsmanship. This heritage is protected on several fronts, from the work of the Officine Classiche, dedicated to the certification of historic models, to the preservation of archives and museum spaces, such as the Collezione Maserati Umberto Panini in Modena. Together, these efforts make this history tangible and accessible, allowing it to continue to inspire. The centrepiece of the program is the Certification of Authenticity, overseen by a committee of experts who examine each vehicle through an in-depth analysis of its technical characteristics, historical documentation, and Maserati archives. The certification applies to automobiles over 20 years old, as well as special models and the brand’s limited series.
