1975 Maserati Bora 4.7-litre coupe (RHD)

• Arguably Maserati's first 'proper' supercar, named after an Adriatic wind
• Penned by the great Giorgetto Giugiaro, named 'Designer of the Century' in 1999
• The first Maserati mid-engined road car with the glorious 90-degree alloy V8 from the Ghibli
• 4.7-litres, 310bhp, 0-60 mph in 6.6 secs and a top speed of 177 mph
• From 1971 to 1979, just 530 Boras were built, of which only 42 were 4.7-litre cars in right-hand drive
• In the striking combination of Rosso Fuoco, Senape Tan and stainless-steel
• In original, unrestored condition having been part of a Swiss collection for many years

Maserati had enjoyed a golden age in the 1950s and 1960s, both on the track and with high-performance GTs like the original Ghibli. But it wasn't until the early 1970s that it produced arguably its first proper supercar. Unveiled in 1971, the Maserati Bora was undoubtedly the star of the Geneva Motor Show, and one of the first great supercars of the 1970s. It was also Maserati's first mid-engined car with the glorious 90-degree 4.7-litre development of the Ghibli's V8 engine mounted behind the front seats, producing a healthy 310bhp @ 6000rpm, the Bora transmitted its power to the road through a five-speed ZF gearbox, pushing this stunning coupe to a top speed of 170mph.
Also pinched from the Ghibli was its designer, Giorgetto Giugiaro, who won out against Pietro Frua in the competition to clothe the Maserati flagship. An impressively solid piece of work it was, too, and not just because Giugiaro was pretty much at the top of his game, ensuring the Bora's iconic status amongst the Seventies supercar-elite.
The Bora stands just 1138mm high, with a stylish, brushed stainless-steel roof and windscreen pillars, and a huge rear window, enveloping a stunning interior with sinuous bucket seats, and sumptuously leather clad dash, door trim, centre console and rear bulkhead. But it was practical too, with a decent-sized luggage compartment in the front end and a carpeted engine cover. Maserati also fitted an adjustable pedal box, which was just one of a myriad of innovations that showed the influence that new owner Citroen was to bring to bear. It made for a rather odd, old-school-brute-force-meets-idiosyncratic-French-tech driving experience, but that didn't stop it becoming a must-have set of wheels for the rich and famous. Customers included Karim Aga Khan and Sophia Loren's husband, movie producer Carlo Ponti.
With as few as 530 cars built, the Maserati Bora remains a rare car, and even more sought-after in right-hand drive form.
The car presented here is a 1975 Maserati Bora 4.7-litre and, intriguingly, just one of 42 such examples in right-hand drive. This is a particularly desirable example in the classic colour combination of Rosso Fuoco, Senape Tan and stainless-steel.
This matching-numbers car was bought by our vendor in 2013 to form part of his small and carefully selected, UK collection of classic cars. He purchased it from a prominent Swiss car collection, where it had been since 1995, having been acquired from renowned UK classic car dealer Nicholas Mee. For the 18 years following 1995, the last owner always ensured that the car was regularly maintained/serviced, including an engine overhaul, at international classic car specialist 'Bart Holland' in The Netherlands.
The car is in very original, unrestored condition and is believed to have covered the indicated mileage of just 16,651 miles (but this cannot be verified). The car has recently been treated to a sympathetic high-quality re-carpeting in a few areas and some remedial cleaning to the chrome-work.
Offering the perfect combination of performance, refinement and usability, the Bora is an eccentric grand tourer from a fascinating time in Maserati's history. Thanks to their rarity, especially in RHD, Boras have become quite collectable in recent years, and finding a well-kept original example can be difficult. Well maintained and ready to drive and enjoy, this Bora warrants serious consideration.