Factory Biturbo luggage??!!

Let's see a photo of the luggage in the booklet? Can you get a shot with an iPhone and post?

Robb

 

I can remember one prospective buyer for my 425, with the Missoni covered seating, describing it as resembling the interior of a Gypsy caravan. With sincere apologies to our Romany friends !

 

Well that's not quite fair but they did have a bunch of issues. When my wife and I visited the old Innocenti plant in 86 where the Biturbo's were being "assembled" there were a lot of sad looking problem cars in the parking lot. Not a good sight. As we toured the assembly line my very attractive wife distracted a lot of assemblers including one in the paint booth!

I think we contributed to the parking lot of rejects that day! LOL

If you saw how they were assembling them back then I think you could understand issues like bits of glue on the upholstery and hit or miss fitting of some panels. I had already purchased my 85 and remember thinking to myself aha not I get it.

When I torued the Modena plant again in 94 it was a very different situation. I saw Ghibli IIs, Sahamals and the new QPIV being assembled. That's year they introduced it.

But calling it a Ritmo is terribly unfair. These were very comfortable, luxurious and quiet cars will a hell of a motor but not terrific handling. In the USA a lot of the most serious issues were because of the poorly designed emissions system which was a variation of the one found on the QPIII. It caused problems on that car as well. But the early cars did have underrated componentry like brakes, transmissions and differential for a motor with plenty of torque and HP. It also was not an automotive appliance like Mercedes and BMWs were. It was best in the hands of crazy enthusiasts like myself. So it failed here, big time. Dealers got hosed, most customers did too.

But I still love them and mine is great!

The 425 with the worst of the enclosed carburetors was not a great car but the 430 that replaced it was! There was a 425i as well.

 

I never understood that Missoni interior. Just buy a sweater if you want something that ugly. It's a lot cheaper to buy a new sweater once you've come to your senses ...

 

I bet that luggage is a left over from the earlier 1970's GT era or possibly the QPIII?

Ivan Ruiz probably has a photo of the earlier luggage on his website. I think he even had some specially made up? It wouldn't surprise me if they're a match.

 

Hardly a coincidence. Detomaso took a 320i and I forget which Mercedes completely apart and ended up copying a lot of things brake and chassis from the 320i. We saw them at the Detomaso factory on our tour in 86.

Years later they even bought a LS400 and went all over it.

Obviously none of that car ever made to Maseratis at the time.

 

I don't recall being offered luggage when I bought my 2004 CC new. I do have a bunch of docs and literature I will review when I get back from my business trip.

 

This luggage looks very different from the one used on the Ghibli, Indy, Khamsin and Bora.

Ivan

 

I have no doubt Maserati partnered with some leather company to produce those for sale, "officially." I'm sure that Mr Schedoni would know the history. I will send him an email inquiry.

Robb

 

I didn't know anything about that luggage set, but if they were Schedoni produced (as they look to be...) , they now cost more than the car...

ciao