Update 7/6/11 – Sold at $20,100 with 25 bids!

The Maserati Mistral is often considered to be one of Maserati’s more attractive designs, with smooth flowing lines and solid performance from Maserati’s infamous inline six. The Mistral was the last Maserati to leave the Casa del Tridente stable with this fantastic 6 cylinder. The Mistral was named after the cold winds of Southern France, which seems fitting after the chills seeing one of these cars will give you. This 1966 Mistral was just pulled from the garage after being parked there since the ’70s and is now on eBay with a current bid of $12,226.

The body on this car looks to be fairly straight, although we aren’t too sure with what’s going on with the body work that’s already been done. The Mistral bodies came in a mixture of materials; some were built entirely of steel, others of aluminum, and some as a mixture of the two. This one is clad in aluminum, so be sure to check the points where the body and frame meet as aluminum and steel react to each other. The seller says there is very little corrosion, so we are hopeful.

One of our favorite features of the Mistral is the Maserati inline 6, which was often used to power Grand Prix cars in the ’60s and ’70s. The Mistral’s engine was quite advanced for its time, with hemispherical combustion chamber, fuel injection, twin spark and dual overhead cams. There were three engine sizes offered throughout Mistral production, which were 3500, 3700 and 4,000 cc. This car is fitted with the rarest and most desirable of the three engine sizes, the 4,000 cc block and while rough it appears to be complete.

This Mistral is pretty rough, but appears to be intact and original. The Interior of this car is of typical Maserati style, well-appointed and effective. The seller says the floors are solid and intact, we would assume they probably are if it really has been in the garage for the last 30 years. Be sure to inspect the inside of these cars really well to make sure they are intact and that the aluminum hasn’t corroded to badly.

This car would be a great project for someone with the time and money to invest in it. We would love to see this car back on the road and brought back to pristine condition like the red one above. We would definitely love to hear the sound of that beautiful six at redline. If the auction stays under $20k this car should be an amazing buy.