Disappointing indeed, the car sold for $3,000 more in 2020. Maybe condition and originality does trump aesthetics and performance after all. That said the sale price may reflect the color change or that you can’t remake a US Bora into a European Bora. The surprisingly rough-looking chassis (see engine crossmember: a potential iceberg scenario?) may have raised concerns with some potential bidders. Finally, I don’t think anyone addressed the question: “…is it wise to bore out the steel cylinder liners of an aluminum block V8?” which could have been a potential wet blanket on auction participation.
When I look at it closely it's clearly not as good an example as the last couple we saw. That doesn't mean it's a bad car just not quite as spectacular.
Here's the PO's post who sold the car in 2021 https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/posts/148023683/ There's nothing exceptional about this Bora. If someone is looking for a time capsule like one of the more recent Boras mentioned here that still had the plastic covers on its door panels then this is not that sort of a car. https://rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/az22/arizona/lots/r0070-1978-maserati-bora-49/1199138 Bora #1044 sold twice on Bat over the last two years the most recent sale being the the most spectacular. That car has been well attended to and has a very nice set of colors hence the spectacular, for a Bora, price. As I look through that service log it's not a restoration (remanufacturing) log like we saw with what has to be the most spectacularly done Bora on here, the green one. From Australia I think. I'm not sure what you're referring to when you speak about the engine crossmember? Maybe I missed that. Could you post a photo or link. The bumper conversion for the 75-77 YM cars is not a simple bolt on affair. Engine compartment construction as well as subframe construction was not originally done to a high level of finish. Rather disappointing actually. I'm not sure that having the original bumpers would have helped this car as it was neither an original time capsule nor a fastidiously maintained original? It was a nice driver if not especially sharp.
An observation that may mean nothing, both Bora #1044 (Oro Longchamp) and Ghibli #1584 (Marrone Colorado) are period earth-tone colors that are gaining an appreciation. Both cars are very good examples that hammered at much higher numbers than most expected.
See pics 56/149 through 59/149 on BAT, particularly 57 & 59: Looks like paint covered corrosion to me. https://bringatrailer.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/1975_maserati_bora-4.9_Interior-37-1-96211.jpg?fit=1920,1280 https://bringatrailer.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/1975_maserati_bora-4.9_Interior-40-96223.jpg?fit=1920,1280 https://bringatrailer.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/1975_maserati_bora-4.9_Interior-38-1-96215.jpg?fit=1920,1280 https://bringatrailer.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/1975_maserati_bora-4.9_Interior-41-1-96227.jpg?fit=1920,1280
OK you're looking at the upper chassis crossmember. A pretty important piece! That's just crummy "restoration" prep before painting. I've never heard of a bora that had and structural failures such as that. They are built like beasts. But it wasn't nicely prepped. My engine compartment looked like crap @ 3000 miles and it was original.
The blue Bora is not going to win any originality awards but it did not look like a bad car. The neon blue interior is not my cup of tea but I realize colors are a personal choice. Since the car is not original, the Euro conversion is a welcomed sign and the blue exterior color looks classy on the car. The new owner got himself a car that probably does not need much and will get a lot of attention. Agree with staatsof that the engine cross menber paint is not a concern; late cars were poorly detailed. Ivan
Bora owners - can one of you kindly share the conservative dimensions (L x W x H) of your front trunk space and post it here? Our #932 was delivered intact yesterday to the auto terminal at the Port of Drammen, Norway and it is time to plan out in detail what luggage, tools and spare parts I will have room to stuff in it.. Thank you, - Art
Needs to be a Bora with a hood vent I think? Take soft luggage anyway including some for all the sides behind those two bulkhead doors in the rear under the hatch. Thin garment bags over the rear cover takes the wrinkles out of the clothes ...
Sure, can anyone offer the dimensions of a vented-hood Bora? The luggage will contain 45lbs of tools, spares, fluids, documents for the 7 week drive in Scandinavia - I'm evaluating what is suited to soft-shell vs hard-shell luggage. Grazie, - Art
Found the trunk information online here: https://www.uniquecarsandparts.com/maserati_bora.htm Footprint is apparently 500mm x 860mm. I scaled the image and get a sloping height of appox 480mm tall. Cheers, - Art
Art don't forget to take photos at the port when you pick up the car....have fun on the fabulous roads of Sweden and Norway!
Hi all. Just seen Bora 362 has sold for 73000 euro in France today. The photos looked ok, and it was originally a Euro car and blu Ischia. Did anyone see it up close? Seems a bargain. Image Unavailable, Please Login Best. Mark.
Hi Mark, Where did you see that it sold? Neither Aguttes nor Drouot seem to have posted results yet. Typically such smaller auction houses take a while. I have not seen this car but I would expect it needs total recommissioning.
They had an online stream Marc. Slightly to my surprise! If the link is still open, they had posted the results of each lot under the catalogue details. I suppose it had 14.4% buyer’s premium on top, but on the face of it one could have the makings of a nice car for really not so much… M
This link still takes you there: https://uk.drouot.com/live/bidlive/121185 At the bottom of the page you can scroll left and right. Looks like this. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Aha so they have made some forward strides, good for them. I can't access it via the link as it requires sign up etc etc. Yes perhaps someone got a bargain, good luck to the buyer.
Yesterday I paid a visit to the first of the two Bora Group 4's: AM117-3000, which I drove 13 years ago for my book and article; always special to see it The second photo is from that June 2009 day at circuit Paul Ricard and the third is at Thepenier in the very early eighties when I went there at 16 or 17 on my moped to see the cars. Of course if someone had told me then I would drive it decades later I would not have believed them! Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Fabulous. By far my favorite Bora. I have wondered what Maserati or Thepenier did to the internals of this motor. Regardless, Maserati should have taken a lesson from Lancia on how to homologate a car they had not actually made 500 of haha.
yes an envelope dropped on the floor works better tends to work better than dinner with a lot of alcohol, unless there’s a puttanesca and a hidden camera involved.
Citroen and Maserati management did not want to lie about production numbers, unlike some scoundrels in Maranello.
