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Issue No. 35
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Quattroporte Bites “Snake”
Maserati's daily thrill for NHRA Champion Don Prudhomme With the ever-increasing success of the Quattroporte and GranTurismo we at Maserati Monthly find ourselves approached by an increasing number of interested and celebrated owners who want to share their wonderful Maserati ownership experiences. Space limits the number of dedicated profiles we can provide, however there are owners so interesting we have to find a way to squeeze them in. Vanessa Williams was a case in point in the last issue, and in MM35 we are honored to feature Don "The Snake" Prudhomme, a legend in professional drag racing, and a Quattroporte owner!
Over the past few years, we have met some pretty fast drivers – everyone from people who drive their Maseratis hard on the road through to the heroes who race the superlative MC12 in the FIA GT Championship. Don ‘The Snake’ Prudhomme is faster than any of them. He has won four Funny Car drag racing championships as a driver, and has picked up two Top Fuel championships as a team owner. Which Quattroporte does a man who has regularly driven over 300mph choose for his daily driver? A Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT, of course!
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“My best Maserati story is the one of how I came to get the car – because I was out to get a car, but not that one,” Don told us. “I had gone to the Los Angeles Auto Show specifically to look at the Mercedes-Benz – but nothing really grabbed me, all the different model numbers they have wore me out, the AMG versions weren’t available, so we left. Well, we were literally on our way out when I saw a crowd of people around a stand. I went onto the stand, saw the Quattroporte – and I fell in love with it. It was like, WOW, that’s it – the color, the bodywork, the interior, everything. It was just the coolest looking car; I ordered one before I’d even driven one! I ordered one, built to my specifications, but the car I had seen at the show was so right, I ordered one with the exact same options.”
What happened when he collected his car is a good story too – it illustrates perfectly just how much Don loves his car. “I went down to the dealer to pick the car up, and I got there just about lunchtime. So we were heading out to get something to eat before we did all the paperwork. But before we went to the restaurant, I had them start it up. The sound of that engine, in that building – I just thought, that’s it! I know, it makes me sound like a kid,” he laughed.
Don’s car was one of the first Sport GT versions delivered, and is fitted with the DuoSelect transmission. “I wouldn’t have it any other way – I like the semi-automatic, it’s fun,” he said. “You can use the paddles to change gear, and you can drive it how you want to, depending on the mood you’re in. On that first drive, from Beverley Hills to San Diego, by the time I got home I loved it – truthfully. Most of the time I leave it in Automatic mode, but I live in an area where there are some great winding roads, so I’ll use the paddles to downshift, and so on – you think you’re Michael Schumacher. It’s the coolest car I’ve ever driven. Don’t get me wrong, I like Ferraris, but I think that these days, they’re over the top – people think: “here comes Don in his red Ferrari”. It’s a bit much for me, because it’s too flashy. What’s so cool about the Maserati is that it has the flash, the styling, you can take four people – if you’re going out to dinner with another couple you can’t take the Ferrari.”
We met Don at the offices of his drag racing team, where there are shelves full of trophies collected during his illustrious career. The workshop is used for his extensive collection of cars – mostly drag racers, but with some old road cars as well – while his race team has a separate facility. He explained that he got into drag racing through the street scene of cruising and hot rodding. “We drove cars like roadsters and ’32 Fords – I’ve got one of those back there. There’s also a ’55 Buick, I used to have one of those when I was a kid; we’re planning on doing a number on that one, putting in a bigger engine and stuff. The funny thing is, I absolutely love how the front end of that car looks, but I really don’t like the back end. With my Quattroporte, I like every angle – when you see one on a turntable, when you see it from the front, the side, the rear, three-quarters – it’s gorgeous, it doesn’t have a bad angle.”
“I enjoy looking at it – when I pull up in my truck, I’ll just look at it; it’s like a good-looking woman, you just can’t help looking,” he continued. “Of course, driving the car is my other favorite thing, but I don’t get to do that too often – I travel a lot with the racing team. I’ve had the car about eighteen months, and it’s only got 10,000 miles on it. The good part of that is that I look forward to driving it; it’s like taking off a pair of jeans and putting on the fine suit you have sitting in the closet. But I have to feel like I deserve it – sometimes if we haven’t had a good time at the races, I might think that I haven’t really earned it, that I’m not worthy!”
Don got his nickname because of his lightning reactions off the start line – apparently, it was first put on the car by one of his crew, more as a joke than anything. But it proved to be the key to him achieving fame far beyond dedicated race fans. “There was a guy named Tom McEwen, who could sometimes beat us, so he started putting ‘The Mongoose’ on his car. We went to Mattel and agreed a deal; we got sponsorship for our cars, and they started selling Hot Wheels ‘Snake and Mongoose’ racing sets. They only cost about $2 in the beginning, but a car from one of those sets, in good condition, can now be worth up to $500,” he told us.
While on the subject of prices, it’s worth mentioning that Don thinks his Quattroporte is excellent value. “In fact, what’s really attractive about this car is that it’s actually undervalued, for what you get,” he explained. “Put that next to a Ferrari, look at what you get and how much you pay; the Maserati is ridiculously cheap by comparison. When they told me how much it was, I thought, I’d better buy that now, before they change their minds! Because for that price you get everything – the performance, the leather interior, the alloy wheels, everything. And I rate its quality as A-plus. Everything from the CD, the steering wheel, how it feels when you touch it, the quality – because I race, I’m familiar with good-quality parts and pieces, and this car reeks of quality.”
Performance, style, quality and excellent value – it’s no wonder that Don “The Snake” Prudhomme loves his Quattroporte Sport GT. Contact your local authorized Maserati dealer, and you’ll find that you don’t need to be a four-time NHRA champion to take possession of your very own set of hot wheels – the Maserati Quattroporte.
Favorite drink, wine or spirit: Merlot
Favorite current TV show: Entourage, and 60 Minutes
Favorite TV series of all time: Bonanza
Favorite movie: Pulp Fiction
Last movie you saw: No Country for Old Men
Favorite book: The Piranha Club: Power and influence in Formula One, by Tim Collings
Favorite genre of music: R ‘n’ B
Favorite performer, composer or group: Marvin Gaye
Favorite hobby: Hanging out with my dogs, fishing
Favorite vacation spot: Home!
What place would you most like to visit for the first time: Africa or China
Favorite natural wonder: Grand Canyon
Favorite man-made wonder: Hoover Dam
Whom do you most admire: Muhammed Ali and Ayrton Senna
Which figure from history would you most like to meet: John F. Kennedy
If you changed professions, what would you most like to do: Own a Formula One team – take Ron Dennis’ job!
What do you still intend to accomplish: To make our sport bigger and better than it is, and to win another championship.
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