1978 Maserati Merak SS

By the beginning of the Seventies any supercar manufacturer needed a mid-engine design, Maserati was no exception so they employed the services of Giorgetto Giugiaro. The result was the Bora and the Merak which virtually shared the same underpinnings and body design. By 1975 Maserati had shrugged off the restraints of ownership by Citroen and were revitalised with De Tomaso as a partner. Fortunately for the Merak this would see an increase in power from the 3.0 litre Maserati unit and further weight saving - the Merak SS was the ultimate evolution. The Merak was now fulfilling its design brief to provide an alternative to the Lamborghini Urraco and the Ferrari 308/GT4. Like the Bora, the Merak was comfortable and refined and really only differed by engine size and the treatment to the engine cover. The 2+2 design did offer occasional seating in the rear. When production ceased nearly a thousand Merak SS had been delivered.

Offered here is a highly original 1978 Maserati Merak SS, the lighter and more powerful variant, in Rosso Fuoco Red with a velvet blue and black interior. This car is thought to have been delivered new to Japan, from where a friend of our vendor discovered this 'time-warp' car on a business trip.

In truly remarkable condition for its 37 years, the paint is faded, however, importantly, the body of the car and the panels remain in rust free condition throughout, providing a great basis for repainting. The shut lines on both sides look superb and are testament to the car's unmolested condition. Whilst in Japan and before the car was shipped, the engine was fired up and ran, so perhaps some simple service items are all that is needed to get the car on the road again?

Open the door to the velvet interior and the dashboard & centre console are both in great condition, whilst the seats also present nicely. Both door cards still retain the original manufacturers protective plastic coating - a rare sight on any car of this age and it leads us to believe that the 15,298 km (equivalent of 9,500 miles) shown on the odometer, although not warranted, could well be the correct mileage, given the overall condition of the car.

Supplied with a Maserati Certificate and a Nova reference number, this car has had all UK import duties paid, but will need an MoT before applying for a UK V5c. In summary, this highly unmolested and completely original Merak SS is a great find and is a perfect candidate to get back on the road this winter. Rarely do cars of this age in time-warp condition come to market and we feel this is a genuine opportunity to purchase a great car.