Ghibli spyder at RM Monterey

RM will be auctioning what appears to be a nice 4.7 liter Ghibli spyder at no reserve.

http://www.rmauctions.com/featurecars.cfm?SaleCode=MO12&CarID=r221&fc=0#

AM115S1043

Looks good in dark grey. Does anybody know this car?

Wire wheels do not look quite right (aftermarket?) and no mention of power steering. A photo of the engine would have been nice.

Ivan
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Yes, and what I heared is not the best!

Its the ex-FLOTEX-car, that once was owned by a member of this forum. He discovered that it was made as a coupe and chopped.
It seems that the engine comes from a Kyalami or QPIII.

The car was later sold by the German owner to the USA and the owner there sold it on -as a replica!- to Ed Waterman!

#115.1043 originally was delivered new to a dealer in Bologna, Italy.
If the story RM mentioned is true reg. the "30 years ownership" then a 2nd car #1043 exist within the USA and possibly this one with RM is the real thing.

 

Walter,
This is the real #1043. This is the car I asked you about a few months ago when I was offered it.

Joe

 

Good to hear! But now two #1043 are in the US.....!

 

I have photos of the other #1043 and they are not the same car. Therefore, Walter is correct, there are two Ghibli spyders claiming to be #1043 and one of them is clearly not it.

I do not believe this fact should be a black cloud over this car as the imposter spyder was so badly done that it should be clear to anyone with a minimal knowledge of Ghiblis to tell the difference between the real and the fake.

Ivan

 

Is anyone bothering to notify RM?

You sound like you have the evidence Ivan.

BTW, in the Lamborghini world, a long time owner (10 years) of a car has finally gotten the duplicate chassis number resolved on his car. His was no fake. It was just a factory screw up.

So it can happen.

 

I have no idea what happened to the above mentioned cars, but I do know that the factories of Ferrari, Maserati and Lamborghini (and some non Italian ones, like the Bugatti factory) have all re-used chassis numbers.

I remember some cars that got shipped with the same chassis number to the same owner who owned the original chassis number, so for example someone who owned #123 would later buy a new car and the factory would stamp it as #123 again, so as to appear as if it was the "old" car, thus the new car would be untaxed!

That was just one of the tricks, there are 2-3 other tricks like the above...

Maybe relevant to this car or maybe not...

 

So far I found no less than 9 Ghiblis with a double identity, all of them in the US. Some of this cars and (!) also their "doubles" we delivered to the US.
In the 60s/70s oversea was far, far away from Italy and nobody knew about the wonders of the www....

 

haha well said Walter.

 

Bora #158 was delivered to Parma ansd then sold to Bergamo. Little later the car got a carnée and was ssold to Switzerland.

Another car with that VIN used the same carnée to be sold to the USA.

Go figure....

 

I do not think there is anything to notify to RM.

I have no reason to doubt the car RM is auctioning is the genuine #1043. I do not want to get into details but I do know that the other #1043 is a fake and not a factory screw up.

Ivan

 

Don't forget to mention owners themselves messing with numbers: I came close to falling for the joke with a 512 BB many moons ago. The car was impounded while I was on my way to go inspect it for purchase, thankfully not a day later! Caveat emptor.

 

Oh I though the situation was reversed.

 

One thing is for sure, that vin plate is 100% genuine. This car has all the correct features of an early spyder. The wheels appear to be aftermarket but New Borranis bolt on are still available. Also this is a factory 5sp car not an automatic conversion.

I know of 3 Ghibli spyders with the same serial number. One is in the U.S the other in the UK and the last one was last seen in France.

Jacques

 

Just out of curiosity: what is this number?

 

Trying to provide some information to a controversy originated in post #2, please find a copy of a notarized bill of sale which in combination with a copy of the title shows the most recent owner since 1980.
These documents come with the original car, of course.

Regards.
Cris.-
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Anybody see the grey Ghibli spyder at RM? What were the results? How was the car?

Ivan

 

If I remember correctly $360 hammer.

BTW you can watch both Gooding and RM auctions on-line through their websites.

 

Did someone inspect the car? How was it?

Ivan

 

I did. Terrible metalic-paint with to many flakes. Conversion too Borranis.
Not a good car.

Regards

Wolfi

 

Thanks. It is difficult to know where the true market is on Ghibli spyders when cars being auctioned are not good examples.

Ivan

 

Nice Graphite metallic. Anyone knows how it is labelled if I want to ask paint shop to find this colour?

Is there a paint code available?

 

Agreed - and same is true for the Coupes ...
But why shold one owner sell a perfect car at an auction if he can get the right price for a very good example straigth away?

 

I have never sold a car at auction but I've seen prices at auction that would be very difficult to replicate in the "real world".

Ivan

 

Well in that case- thank you Cris- I knew the car quite well from about 1985 to the late 90's or so as it was in my hometown. It was a very nice original car in whatever the original Maserati color closest to that would have been.
It's a shame that it was 'restored/freshened up'. It's shinier now but it was a really nice original driver. Perhaps the new owner will consider re-spraying by someone more attuned to Maserati originality, and sourcing the right wire wheels.