1979 Maserati Merak 2000GT

1970"s Supercar with razor-sharp styling, mid-mounted engine and pop-up headlamps

Delivered new to Modena, Italy, two private owners from the same family and just 79,390 km

Original, unrestored and extremely well preserved, offered with Bill of Sale and Maserati handbooks

One of just 213 2000GTs produced mainly for the Italian market, one of the most striking car designs of the 70"s

Described as running and driving very well, a rare Italian GT that should feature in every classic car collection

By the beginning of the Seventies, every 'supercar' manufacturer needed a mid-engine design, and Maserati was no exception, so they employed the services of 'Designer of the Decade', Giorgetto Giugiaro. His creative pen was put to good use and the resultant Bora, and subsequent Merak were launched to much international acclaim. By 1975 Maserati had shrugged off the restraints of ownership by Citroën and was revitalised with De Tomaso as a partner.

In November 1977 at the Turin Auto Show, Maserati launched the Merak 2000 GT, basically a Merak with a smaller two-litre powerplant. It was built almost exclusively for the Italian market, where a newly introduced law strongly penalised cars with an engine capacity over 2000 cc. Maserati's competitors already offered similar two-litre models, specifically the Urraco P200 and Dino 208 GT4. The Merak 2000 GT featured a 1,999 cc engine generating 168 hp at 7000 rpm, obtained by de-stroking and de-boring the V6.

First registered in Modena, Italy on 31st January 1979, this example would remain in the same town as the manufacturing plant and in the same family for 38 years. Purchased new by the father then passed on to his son, this example has been clearly cherished and mainly dry stored away from the elements in the family garage. Our vendor describes the car as very original and overall corrosion free. This example retains its original windscreen and the body shows no sign of collision damage. Open the door to the cabin area and the Blue velour sports seats appear to be in excellent order as is the dash and instrumentation. The car is said to start and run very well, however, will require some new tyres if it is to be used frequently. The Merak is to be sold with original Italian documents, Handbooks and maintenance manuals, and a NOVA Certificate is currently being applied for and will accompany the car prior to UK registration.

This is an opportunity to own a rare 2-litre version of a late 70"s supercar, with a mid-mounted engine and pop-up headlamps that is fondly remembered for decent performance and excellent handling. An example that has yet to be "got at" and as a result offers the option to enjoy "as is", or maybe restore to 'Concours' standards.