Maserati Bora - Picture Thread

Last time I saw Wilson at Monterey I learned that at one time he and Bob Grossman (look him up) were partners in business until Bob decided to go racing and he decided that was just too crazy. Bob Grossman was a fixture here locally at Maserati club events including at the track. A very nice man as well. He had the local Maserati & Lamborghini dealerships back in the day. It's really a very small community in a lot of ways. Wilson lived not too far from my inlaws home in Lodi and we visited there once as well.

 

RIP Wilson, I communicated with him some years ago, I had photographed the Bora he would later own for a long time in Paris back in the early 1980's when it was owned by Akkram Ojjeh, then one of the richest men in the world, father of Mansour, part owner of McLaren. Ojjeh lived one block from us in Neuilly just west of Paris and the caretaker of his car fleet owned a rame Ghibli spyder that he would wash in front of our garden which is how I spoke to the caretaker who became a friend for some time.

In a meeting with Ermanno Cozza last month we determined that it was in fact Akkram Ojjeh who was the potential buyer for Maserati in 1975 when Giulio Alfieri tried to encourage him to do so, Ojjeh was a good client of Thepenier the French importer. In the end as we all know it did not happen and de Tomaso took over, booting Giulio Alfieri out on morning one.

Good that the Bora now has a good home and that Mrs Werhan took the time to send you the file, all too rare, these things often end up in the garbage, speaks highly for she and her late husband.

 

Image Unavailable, Please Login

Chacun a son gout...
Saw original pics of Bora as designed... sans bumpers. Would like a copy of original drawings and even more photos of the original two cars.
Even the early euro' bumpers looked clunkoid by comparison, even if not so much as any of the US ones. My US bumpers carefully removed and kept, in such fashion as to be easily replaceable if anyone were so inclined/tasteless enough. Added italian Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login driving (not fog) lights in same position as the Thepenier racecar, for evocative tone and more lighting options. Happen to like that very well. Thrilled also to not have that slot in the hood, as appeared in later s/n cars.

 

So what's on your rear end?

 

This Bora in Switzerland has more discreet added lights to "flash the peasants out of the fast lane". We did a photoshoot of it for my book 8 years ago.

It is actually a US car fully Europeanized cosmetically, it had fooled me completely I must admit then we used its photos much less than planned in the book.

The owner Mario was an extremely nice guy who suddenly passed away a few years after that, quite young, but the car is staying in the family and will be enjoyed by his son: that's the spirit.

Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

My Bora is having an identity crisis. It thinks it a Lambo Mura with its bull horn doors Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Image Unavailable, Please Login
BORA #1978 AM117/49US1040
http://www.leclere-mdv.com/html/fiche.jsp?id=8584059&np=1&lng=fr&npp=10000&ordre=&aff=5&sold=&r=

 

During the first oil shock of 73 there was a lot of controversy about speed on the roads. So Maserati decided to store the cars in this warehouse.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

Tour drive in Bora
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Sorry Christian but that is not why the cars were actually stored. I spent enough time researching for my book not to see misleading statements, the cars were not stored because of controversy. Sales slowed down drastically because of sudden societal changes in the fall of 1973: the quadrupling of fuel costs due to the middle east crisis (Kippour) and its consequences, implementation of new speed limits, car free Sundays mandatory in Italy and a lot of union strikes. The cars were not in any way "hidden" away.

There was however a large batch of cars, equivalent to roughly the number of cars in this warehouse, which were shipped to Paris when Peugeot forced Citoen to close Maserati in May 1975. The cars were taken to a Paris warehouse to be sold to recoup some income.

The second photo is a well known factory archive photo taken in front of the Palazzo Ducale in Modena.

Best regards,

Marc

 

Yes the second one is a factory tour drive with a Bora, there s also some others pictures.

Concerning the first one, probably the mention is uncorrect? My edition, comes with this information.

But as you explain more in detail, one thing causes the other one.

I need to check others pictures showing more cars in a another (or same) warehouse.

Thanks Marc for your comments.
Which book it was?

 

Mine's the silver one in the middle of the third row from the back. Here are the keys. I need it 5 minutes. Thanks ...



Some of the two tone paint jobs are a bit curious. Are these all factory new cars?
Mostly Meraks?

 

Hello Christian, thanks for your comments, here is the info for you:

http://www.eaurougepublishing.com/publications/detail/maserati-the-citroen-years

I got paid by contract long ago so not pushing sales. Researching and writing it almost killed me but it is the best thing I ever did

Bob now I am really curious what is in your coffee;-)?! I don't see a single two tone paint job in that warehouse? As you will recall from your factory visits the high ceiling and its glass apertures generate all kinds of photo ruining reflections.

Yes they are all new ready for delivery. A few Boras obviously while at the far end to the left there is an Indy or Khamsin. There is another set of photos of cars in a warehouse that I have seen which may be the same but shot from the other end of the room, that had a couple of Khamsins in it.

 

You re very rude

Waow! Impressive book! I like the jacket and it seems to be a good reference book. I keep it in my Christmas list.

 

Merci, I hope you enjoy reading it

FYI Amazon does NOT have it (crooks don't believe them, don't deal with them we do not).

Eau Rouge my publisher has it obviously, the major car book shops such as Horton's Chaters in the Uk the ones in Paris and Pau in France do (to buy in person or mail order) and you can also find it at major shows such as Retromobile, Tecno Classica, Monterey etc.

 

I have my library books in Pau. Customer service is excellent, and he s a really nice passioned by cars.
I put the link in my favourites
I did the book comes in one tongue?

 

Amazone do NOT the correct way for taxes. Sorry for them, BANNED.

 

Marc,
I find the pictures concerning the warehouse, and you know what?...same period but it was in Lamborghini factory..

 

Do you hear Lanny or Laurel?

Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

-Christian: yes the book is only in English, it was not feasible to do a version in another language, 160000 words, 510 pages and there are not enough people who don't speak English who would buy the book if it were translated in their language. Cost wise it was unfeasible for German, Japanese, Spanish or French. Also I do not compromise I do not do dumbed down simplified versions of anything.

You may have found photos of Lambos at St Agata but that does not belong in this thread...this photo is certainly at Maserati in Modena, zero doubt about that.

-Bob, as usual (lol) I haven't a clue what you are on about;-)?!

 

Thanks Marc.

 

I highlighted the two cars with red. One sort of looks like a racing stripe and the other like a below the beltline other color.

The other is about two people hearing very different things, it's been all over the internet.

http://www.smoothradio.com/news/quirky/lanny-or-laurel/

It's actually Yanny or Laurel ...

BTW, my car still isn't out of that damn garage! Actually, I don't think mine was in that lot as it's the last one and was finished in 78.

 

Yes just the way those ceiling windows of the building create reflections...like the neon lights in some car shows making it impossible to get good photos.

Ahah I am now educated as to Yanny or Laurel, grazie mille;-)

Yep yours was built later so no long wait at the Modena valet parking line

 

Ok something only an anal historian devoid of a life would notice, right hand side of photo, light colored car in front of the double doors. First Bora with radiator exhaust vent in the hood? Anyone got the Telaio?

 

Sorry Joe I don't, the Lucas fuel injection on my time machine is acting up;-)

 

Hello Marc,
I look again in my computer and I found this Pictures was made in the Maserati
Factory Modena - 5 février 1974 -
Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Including Bob friend's
Image Unavailable, Please Login