The official Maserati Merak Value thread

OUCH!, That is scary bad!

 

Man ... it's the Christmas season and look at the gift Santa could put under someone's tree!

I hope nobody has been this naughty.

 

The red one is a 2 liter with the funky interim dashboard, but the black one and the blue one are gorgeous, (though I am not crazy about the red interior).

 

Niiiiiice.

 

So where is the Merak SS market?
The black one which did not meet it's reserve, (Mine!) at $55,600 and the Dark Blue one which looks like it didn't sell at $79,995. (I am not counting the red one which is a 2 litre car).
Maybe somewhere in between? ...but where? What do you guys think?

 

So, What do you think?
....just trying to revive the thread.

 

This one sold recently.

 

I never understood the frenzy of last year on 308/328. Many people I met were talking about having just bought one or looking for one. I feelt like the lone wolf outsider... Nice car but these cars jumped to 6 digit figures with no warning in no time despite many made.
Note also that oil is not the only issue. Financials are also going down the drain and may be more so and that will have a bigger impact.
I am also putting plans for one more on halt at this point.

 

I have always liked the Merak more than the 308. I know the 308 is sportier and a bit faster, butI liked the style of the Merak far more and also it just seems a bit more substantial to me.
Just my opinion.

 

Great car but it's not a Ferrari. The other item keeps prices low is the hydraulics. Not too many people left who know how to work with this system. I for one would convert the car and eliminate the system completely. But that doesn't do much for value as an original car..or does it?

 

You are correct. 328s went crazy. Same goes for 348s, 355s.

 

Most of the later SS Meraks have no Citroen Hydraulics. I thought everybody knew this, I guess not. ..and No they aren't a Ferrari that's like saying a Mustang isn't a Camaro.
I have always felt that Ferrari's, Maserati's, and Lamborghini's of this vintage, (when they were all independent of each other and competitors) are similar to Ford, Chevy, and Mopar, i.e. all different but fairly equal just depended on which flavor you liked.
Bora's and Ghibli's were actually higher end cars then their counterparts at the time. Nowdays everyone wants faster / sportier because of the image but for actual real world driving on the road i'd take the Maserati.

 

Sadly this is true in large areas of the US.
Absolutely NOT a problem in Europe.

Also please remember that the exact same hydraulic concepts managed by today's electronics
underpin both my Mercedes S Class Coupe (Active Body Control) and my Panamera (Air Suspension).

Regards.

 

+1

The Merak is poised for great gains in the market given a healthy economy.

Regardless of the Merak vintage and the subsequent maintenance procedures and/or part requirements, the Merak Group [easily googled] offers the single most comprehensive resource of information for any current or future Merak owner.

Just Sayin!

Ciao,
George

 

There's an interesting article by Maserati expert Andy Heywood on the Maserati Club UK website entitled "Vino Verde".

Go to their website and click on "publications".

The article first appeared in the Spring 2005 issue of the club magazine Trident.

Not sure if I'm allowed to post a direct link ???

 

Mine is the Non Citroen later cars, But I really don't get the "mystery + fear" about the Citroen cars. It is basically a high pressure pump and lines with servos and pressure reseviors, no? There are far more complicated systems in many classics. Take a look under the hood of a Jag XJS V-12, look at modern cars electronics, yet people figure them out.

 

I hear you, but forget logic. The perceptions were set long, long ago, before the information age of the internet helped demystify so many things. Perceptions can be measured through sales prices, but changing them is difficult. There's too much inertia. I still hear about how Maseratis are terrible and unreliable despite their being quite bulletproof today. Reputations are hard to change. Now it they become one of Oprah's favourite things…

BTW, take a look at Jag XJS V-12 prices.

 

For exactly this reason, I recently chose to buy a Merak when I could have afforded the very best 308 or 328 on the market.