number of Bora built each year from 1971 to 19--?

I am trying to find out how many Bora were built in each of the years they were produced, that is so many car in 1971, so many cars in 1972, etc. Does any one have some reasonable figures on yearly production. My car is #1000, a US model, and the build sheet says 3.4/78 and ritiro del 5.4.78 but Cozza wrote at the bottom of a copy of the build sheet that was sent to me. December 27, 1977. I would be curious to know if, due to the problems with US EPA and DOT standards, the production date was back dated to avoid such problems. In any case, I'm guessing that my car is one of the last twenty five built in regular production. I understand that some additional cars were built from the supply of spare parts in later years based on special requests but that was long after regular production ceased.

Elliot

 

Hi Elliot

I did find this information on Enricos Maserati page.

According to the 'Catalogue Raisonné 1926-1990' by Gianni Cancellieri, 9 Boras were built in 1971, 220 in 1972, 157 in 1973, 85 in 1974, 29 in 1975, 12 in 1976, 15 in 1977 and 3 in 1978.

I hope this helps.

Thanks
Jorgen

 

Realize that the factory was practically mothballed during 76: there are no 76 US Khamsins for example.

The Tabucchi book which came out in 2003 has production figures year by year. I don't have it here. They are probably the same numbers mentioned in the post above but if someone has it handy then you can check: be careful as I found an error in the Khamsin production numbers.

As Cozza explained to me the chassis were not necessarily built in numerical order: if a silver car was needed and was third in line they would shuffle the cars during assembly so a higher number would in fact come out of the line before some lower numbers....

 

...causing much confusion to the poor historian!!!

Ciao!
Walter

 

I haven't checked my copy of "Catalogue Raisonne", but in the Maserati Pocket History also by Cancellieri and De Agostini which was included in in the owner's manual of Biturbo era cars uses the same numbers.

However, we know that those numbers are not correct. First that gives a total of 530 cars when we know only 483 + 1 were built. 2nd at least 14 cars were built between June and Oct 3rd when #1046 and #1048 were built. (These two cars were twins in Rosso Rubino with tan. The only difference appears to be that #1048 had Red cam covers as opposed to the standard Black which we assume was how #1046 was built).

The +1 car was built in mid 1991 using leftover parts and probably was one of the scraped chassis' from the factory fire in 1975. We can only assume that the 530 number includes chassis' numbers destroyed in the fire.

Joe
#1046

PS the owner of #1048 is also a member of this forum

 

Walter: si la grande confusione!

Joe: Never heard about that fire: how bad was it? Do you have an idea of its scope and how many cars were damaged lost? I assume it was accidental I can't imagine any strike movement starting a fire!

Yes I could ask Cozza but prefer to group a number of questions and send him a list once in a while, don't want to be too demanding.

best regards,

Marc

 

I agree that more than 3 Bora were built in 1978 as 4 have crossed my hands. They were titled as 1977 .... but that is entirely a different story. I find it interesting to find a manufacture date decal plate on the doors of December 1977, but plenty of evidence (glass, wheels dates, etc) that the car was built months later. Maserati must have invented time travel and do not want to share the secret

Ivan

 

My Khamsin (#1226) is stamped as 11/77 but wasn't completed until Feb '78. A possiblity is that Maserati stamped the cars when the entered production not completed. Also remember that 1977 was the first full year of the DeTomaso era. The cars could have been put into "production" in 1977 for tax purposes. Part of DeTomaso's deal with GEPI was he would build higher volume cars. The Bora and Khamsin were not going be those cars. The Merak, Kyalami and QP lll would provide higher production numbers until the new small car was on line in the early 80's.


Joe

 

Ivan,

I think you know the reason behind this do you not?
No, H.G. Wells was not working on the assembly line either.

Bob S.

 

AFAIK only one, the one for the museum which is now with Panini. Pictures of the factory production log book with Mr. Cozza holding it open would appear to back this statement up.

Bob S.

 

It's far worse with the older Lamborghini's so count your blessings.

 

I do not agree! Maserati is not existing ONLY with the GT-cars like Ghibli, Bora etc.!
Perhaps most of the esteemed members here forgot that Maserati-history starts in 1926 - and thats a highly complicated issue! Until the early 60ies Lamborghini regarding cars was ....nothing!

Ciao!
Walter

 

NO Walter, we don't forget but let's be realistic. For most of us those cars are unobtanium and we were talking about GT cars hence the comparison with Lamborghini where indeed their numbering can be very non-sequential. Then you get all of the specification variations which makes for fun. At least with the Bora there is a nice orderly factory log book and "some" variations over the years.

Bob S.

 

At Maserati the archives are errr..."Italian" and you expect that. At lambo....che casino: there was a lot of dissimulation, number changes crashed rebuilt cars sold as new etc, MORE than at Ferrari or Maser.

 

Bob, correct- but this Forum doesn`t seperate both parts of Maserati-history. And - on the Ferrari-forum you find experts discussing both historical GT- and race-cars, and most of them cannot affort ANY Ferrari.

Most members on this Maserati group doesn`t care about the race cars - they are not interest in the fact that the racers have more of Maserati than the later GT-cars, who have green soup, diffs from the UK and gearboxes coming from France and The Fatherland.

Its a real pitty!

Ciao!
Walter

 

Yes it is Walter. Some of us have to settle for we can afford. But we still manage to enjoy them. If that bothers you so much then you don't have to pay attention to them.

Bob S.

 

Bob,
to make it clear: they are all Maseratis! The Ferraristi also manage to enjoy their cars - but their enjoyment is not only focused on those they can afford. They love the marque and the fantastic heritage while it seems sometimes to me that Maserati-GT-owners like their cars (only!). But nuttin`mo`...! Again - a pitty!

Ciao!
Walter

 

Walter,
If we want to be technical, there are less than 50 Real Maseratis. Everything built after Alfieri died or the remaining brothers sold the company to Orsi are no different than the Citroen or Biturbo era cars.

The last real Maseratis were called O.S.C.A.

Joe

 

At times Walter, you are unfathomable. Maybe it's a translation thing. Perhaps the moderator could make a Maserati Racing Cars only section and then you could hang out there and bypass the teeming masses of GT car owners?
It might get a bit lonely though.

Bob S.

 

Probably just Walter and me debating 450S #4505.

Joe

 

No, they have a special ward at Bellevue hospital in NYC just waiting for you two. Room 4505. ;>))

Bob S.

 

Yes, it will be VERY lonely - and that is a pitty! You really got my point here!

Ciao!
Walter

 

hehe...a very good one!

Ciao!
Walter

 

Joe, with a "real Maserati" I meant that everything from the cars was made more or less inhouse prior to the 3500 GT`s. Its not significant here (!) that the marque was owned by the Maserati brothers who sold it to Italians - wether later the Orsis sold it to the green-soup-producers from France while Ferrari made gearboxes, diffs etc. inhouse. This was a very significant changing of the guards as it was also changing the philosophy!

No, O.S.C.A never were Maseratis (altough some of the cars used Maserati-engines from the Orsis!). They were -only- build by the Maserati-brothers. but they are great cars.

Ciao!
Walter

 

Of course Ferrari has at times sourced their gearboxes from GM.

BTW its not green-soup. It's Vulcan Blood.