1980 Maserati Merak..$39,950

Just listed today. Haven't seen one of these in a while. Nice looking car: https://www.vintagedrivingmachines.com/Classic-Car-For-Sale/1980-Maserati-Merak?ajaxed=1&ad_id=1578757267&action=viewlisting&backurl=action=carSearch&make_id=107&model_id=890&sortby=Default&itemsperpage=5&page=1

 

It is a very nice car. Park Place brought it to our weekly Exotics @ Redmond Town Center event this past Saturday. It drew quite a crowd.

Here is a link to some more photos:
http://www.parkplaceltd.com/all-cars/detail/1980-Maserati-Merak-SS/282/AM122AUS2632/~/Make_Maserati~ModelActual_~Year_/5

Mike

 

Maserati Merak by Saurer
Godin Banks Ltd.

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colour Silver Blue
interior colour Red
drive LHD
type Coupe
year 1975
mileage 68.000 km / 42.253 mi
price 29.995 GBP
VAT No
This is a unique motorcar, a very special 1975 Maserati Merak by Saurer. This car is well known, well documented and would be a worthwhile addition to any serious collection.

Maserati followed-up its first mid-engined supercar - the Bora - with the similar Merak. Launched in 1972, the latter was intended as competition for Ferrari's top-selling Dino 246 and used a stretched version of the Maserati-built four-cam V6 that had debuted in the Citroen SM. The French firm owned Maserati at the time, so the Merak made use of the SM's transmission and power-operated, all-disc braking and, more controversially, Citroen's quirky instrumentation, though this applied to left-hand drive cars only, right-hand drive examples using the more conventional fascia of the Bora, which was later adopted for all variants.

Derived from a V8 engine designed by the great Giulio Alfieri, Maserati's V6 was increased in capacity from the SM's 2,675cc to 2,965cc for the Merak and developed 190bhp, which was good enough for a top speed of around 240km/h (150mph). The unitary construction chassis, all-independent suspension and impeccable handling remained basically as the V8-engined Bora's, though to reduce costs the latter's tubular rear subframe was replaced by an extension of the all-steel monocoque. In addition, the Merak offered the convenience of '+2' seating in the rear and superior all-round vision thanks to its distinctive rear 'flying buttresses'.

Competition from Ferrari's new Dino V8 prompted the introduction of a more powerful version - the Merak SS with 220bhp engine and revised interior - for 1975, ZF transmission being adopted shortly thereafter. By this time Maserati had been sold to Alessandro De Tomaso, and in 1976 all the remaining Citroen components were phased out, the high-pressure hydraulic brakes being replaced with a conventional servo-assisted system. At De Tomaso's instigation a 2.0-litre version  the Merak 2000 GT  was introduced to take advantage of Italy's taxation rates for vehicles displacing less than 2,000cc. Widely recognised as one of the finest, if not the finest, of contemporary V6s, the Merak engine proved smooth, powerful and capable of delivering its urge over a surprisingly wide range for such a high performance engine.

Like any true thoroughbred, the Merak possessed handling commensurate with its breathtaking acceleration and 150mph maximum speed. 'Performance and handling are the raison d'etre of a mid-engined sportscar, and the Merak's astounding cornering power is a match for its straight-line punch,' observed Motor magazine. The most successful Maserati of its day, the Merak ceased production in 1983 after 1,832 had been built, the approximate split being 1,000 SSs, 200 2000 GTs and 600-or-so of the original version.

This is an Italian supplied LHD 1975 Merak finished in Silver with Red Leather interior. The car has been completely restored and is in a stunning condition. This car was modified in the Eighties by Carrosserie Saurer in Switzerland as their ideal Hot Merak! It has been described in the past a the Surini Speacial also. It was originally finished in White with Maserati Emblem rear lights but is now fitted with standard rear lenses. The car is fitted with incredibly rare Gotti Alloy Wheels and arrives with a fresh MOT and ready to show this summer. IT is UK Registered and was imported to the UK by Ferrari Specialist Joe Macari.

This is an incredible car available for an incredible price. It was previously available at a significantly higher price so represents real value in todays market. With standard Meraks becoming more valuable every day, this presents a rare opportunity to purchase a real talking point!

 

Fake NAPA ducts on the rear flares? Why????

This kind of thing never ceases to amaze me, especially on this kind of car. I could understand it on a Mustang, but on a Maserati....

 

Really pretty car !

 

What do you think?
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A silly comic on wheels! A Merak on drugs...:(

 

Well, I don't know Walter!

The tulip motif in the back sort of Grows on you, if you look at it long enough. At night, it puts a whole new Light on everything.

Ciao,
George

 

...eh...what??? You must be kidding!!!!

 

I agree with Walter in that I don't care for the tail lights. I think they are some attempt to imitate the trident symbol.

However, the vented bodywork added into the roof buttresses might be okay. I'd need to see a profile view of the car and know about how much it restricts the driver's vision. Post some more photos if you have them.

I know that some of you guys want only original equipment on the cars. Generally, I am okay with doing any modifications as long as there is not sheetmetal harmed and as long as the mod's can be undone.

 

Go for it George! Isn't there some kind of tulip festival in Georgia? You would be it's centerpiece!

That car must have reprensented a ton of work by somebody and so now it's all been removed?

 

The rear lights on the Saurer bodied car have now been converted back to original: http://www.classicdriver.com/uk/find/4100_results.asp?lCarID=1848943

 

Not normally a fan of the full red interior but it looks great on that Maerak.

 

Seems that the inspiration for this conversion came from the Bora Gr IV.

The result of this Merak-Conversion would have been better if they had also copied the rear fenders of the Gr.IV.

Also the modified front-grill is -IMO- overdone!

Yes, silver changed this car from Drag-Queen to "Queen"....

 

Yes Walter, it's just some dry humor, we are in drought conditions here.

The key terms here are Tulips & Grow, but you knew that!

Ciao,
George

 

Well here goes,

I wonder if this might actually be a good buy? !!!

I think this car has some poorly executed ideas but it is offered at a normal Merak price for Europe. For that you get a well documented one off body which must have cost a fortune to produce [ albeit not by the factory ]. I can see some visual similarities between it and the Group IV Bora but the very 1980's use of bodycolour everywhere makes it look very tacky at the moment.
How about this with black for the headlight inners, black slats at the front and remove those terrible fake intakes off the rear quarters.
I actually think you might be impressed


Julian
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comparison
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Let me guess, someone decided to modify a cheap Merak to create something different (maybe like the Bora GrIV).

But the result came out as a grotesque parody of a car, too ugly to comprehend, so the owner decided to get rid of it (and rightly so).

I think this car has been for sale for 3 years or so, with a few re-paints and some other modifications (like the rear lights), at this point it's like applying make-up to a corpse

 

Hi Maserati Blue,
I fully agree that the result wasn't very successful, but I think this was a serious modification effort by a proper "Carrosserie". You have to remember that this was done in 1980s... in Switzerland...

Yes, the modifications done lately make the poor car somewhat more acceptable to currents tastes. A few more "adjustments" and it would look rather nice - I think and hope...

 

Anyone buying this vehicle is throwing good money after bad IMHO. If they drop the price by $30K US then it might sell as a curiosity. It's a custom hot rod version of a Merak and if I'm not mistaken it has no extra oomph. So strike the adjective "hot" from that description.

For some odd reason I think of Jennifer Lopez when I look at that car from a certain viewpoint ...

It would fit in great in Miami no?

I'm already missing those tulip taillights.

 

so you think that Swiss people in the 80's had cr*ppy aesthetics?

heh just joking..

 

Yep, I heard that the car is featured in the next Miami Vice series!!!

MIAMI HERE WE COME !!!
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well,

I had a go at Photoshop too!
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I like it. Fix up those headlights a bit..they don't need to be that big, drop a 348/355 drivetrain in it, dump the stupid mineral oil braking system if it hasn't been done already, and you have a nice car to drive..(finaly)

Face it, the Merak was NEVER a good car from day 1. The SS was O.K but not by much. They are beautiful though arn't they?? I would own one, but gut it completely and make it a machine you can drive and have fun with.

 

Always a good car, even the most pessimistic roadtest of the time would concede and a great car with the SS. Most of the contemporary reviews I have copies of simply slaughter it because of those Citroen brakes... I actually like them for one. [ I could be the only one mind you ] The engine was often called the best V6 engine in the world [ yes really ] and the Merak was always praised for its high speed cruising ability, refinement and finish. If you want more performance then yes a Ferrari could probably get there marginally quicker but according to my favourite magazine of the era, CAR, the Lamborghini Urraco P300 was the better drive anyway. As an all rounder the Merak SS got the verdict unanimously.

CAPITALS don't make it a fact!!