The 1964 Earls Court Motor Show car
Sold new to screen icon Diana Dors, the “English Marilyn Monroe”
Right-hand-drive example; one of 14 built
Sold by RM Sotheby’s in 2015 for 526.400 £
This Mistral Spyder is one such right-hand-drive example, fitted with a 3.7-litre engine which has been mated to a ZF five-speed manual gearbox. The car was built in October 1964 and delivered straight to London for the November 1964 Earls Court Motor Show, as can be seen from the original factory documentation which accompanies this car. As noted on the build sheets, the car was to be finished to the highest standards, given its appearance at Earls Court.
The Mistral was sold directly from the Motor Show stand to its first owner, Diana Dors, the English screen icon frequently known as the “English Marilyn Monroe”. She is said to have fallen in love with the car after seeing it first-hand at the motor show. Dors, one of the earliest English stars to court the press, and gain notoriety in the process, was famously the youngest person to own a Rolls-Royce, despite the fact that she was not even old enough to drive at the time. The rare and highly desirable Mistral undoubtedly fit in with the movie star’s high-profile lifestyle.
Following Diana Dors’ ownership, this Mistral found its way into the hands of an Australian living in London and was subsequently exported Down Under in 1976. In 1983, the car was then sold to its next owner, Philip Larson, who kept it until 2004, when it was sold to Clive Smith, a well-known Australian collector of Ferraris and other Italian cars. Prior to Smith’s purchase in 2004, the car was fully restored, and it remains in excellent restored condition today. This Mistral Spyder has also benefitted from a full engine rebuild by a marque specialist (receipts for which accompany the car) and has recently had a new set of correct Borrani chrome wire wheels fitted. It comes complete with a set of original tools and a jack, as well as its Maserati Classiche documentation.
This Mistral Spyder with celebrity ownership is presented in its original combination of Argento Auteuil over a Black Connolly interior, exactly as it was when first displayed at the Earls Court Motor Show. It has enjoyed a pampered life in the dry Australian climate and presents in excellent condition following a comprehensive restoration. As it has had a recent service, its next owner is able to immediately enjoy this incredibly rare car, one from a time when Maserati was at the top of its game.