Today’s Maserati started life as chassis #3074 in December 1957 and was shipped to Antonio Mendez de Barros in Brazil for the 1958 season.

Antonio raced the car with Luis Milan on it’s racing debut in the 1958 1000kms race in Buenos Aires where the pair finished 7th overall. For some reason the car was sent back to the factory and restamped chassis #3035 before being sent back to Antonio, according to the Maserati factory records. Driving the car now known as #3035 solo he finished 4th overall in the 1959 500kms race at Interlagos.

Celso Lara Barberis bought #3035 in 1960 and recorded 3 wins all at various meetings run at Interlagos between 1960 and 1962 including the 1961 500kms race and the chassis last known race in May 1962.

#3035 was rebodied in South America by the time Australian Bob Spicer described buying the car in a “sugar bag” in the 1970’s. After sorting out the contents of his sugar bag into a recognisable racing car he sold it to Bob Jane in 1976.

Regular readers might remember that at this time Bob Jane still owned the 300S chassis #3059 at this time.

#3035 remained in the Antipodes and was restored in Christchurch New Zealand before being returned to Europe via auction in 1994.

Mark Knopfler bought the car at auction for over $600,000 and had it restored again with yet another new body as seen in these photographs taken earlier this year at Silverstone Classic.

Thanks for joining me on this “Bought In A Sugar Bag” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again when I’ll be looking at a Bugatti. Don’t forget to come back now !