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2006 Melbourne International Motor Show Auction
Lot
36

1978 Maserati Merak SS Coupe

PASSED IN

Passed In

Description

This lot is no longer available

Maserati's exceptionally pretty mid-engined Merak was perhaps one of the most civilized and useable supercars of the 1970s, with an efficient, high output V6 motor, plenty of creature comforts and the added practicality of occasional rear seats and a decent boot.

With styling by Giorgio Giugiaro's Ital Design of Turin, the Merak shared the basic shape of its big brother, the Bora, but departed at the rear with flying buttresses in place of the enclosed glass panels of the V8-powered car. At the Geneva Show in 1975 Maserati unveiled a more powerful version of the Merak known as the SS, with an additional 30bhp and a reduction in weight to markedly improve performance.

The quad-cam V6 now produced 220bhp and continued to drive the rear wheels through a ZF five-speed transaxle while the braking system employed the high-pressure hydraulic pump courtesy of Citroen. The interior also came in for some useful revisions and some cars were fitted with chin spoilers to aid stability at speed. Total production of the Merak SS was extremely low and in 1978 just 134 cars left the Modena factory gates, making the example on offer here very rare indeed. Most pundits agree the later SS Meraks are the best option, having been finished to a much higher standard than earlier cars and with a good deal more performance.