1974 Maserati Bora 4.9 Coupe (LHD)

Description

Named after a wind from the Trieste region of Italy, the Bora was Maserati’s mid-engined masterpiece, a styling and technological Tour de Force replacing the gorgeous front-engined Ghibli as a direct competitor for the Lamborghini’s Miura and the Ferrari 365 Berlinetta Boxer.  Engineered by Giulio Alfieri under the watchful eye of Maserati’s new owner Citroën, the Tipo 117 Bora utilised the French car-maker’s complex hydraulic system to operate the headlamps, the adjustment of both the driver’s seat and pedals and the brakes, while the engine remained Maserati’s quad-cam V8 derived from the legendary 450S sports racing car.  Like the Ghibli, the Bora was styled by the talented Giorgetto Giugiaro with a number of novel features, most notably the brushed stainless steel roof panel.  More luxurious inside than its chief rivals, the Bora came with air conditioning and power windows as standard, along with full leather upholstery and comprehensive instrumentation befitting the massive price tag.  Under the svelte exterior panels, the Bora was also the first Maserati equipped with four-wheel independent suspension, employing coil springs, telescopic shock absorbers and anti-roll bars, along with rack and pinion steering and ventilated disc brakes on all four wheels.  The Bora was sold in both 4.7-litre and 4.9-litre versions, the latter predominantly for the US market; rated at 330 bhp at 5500rpm, the 4.9 Bora had a theoretical top speed of 285 km/h.  Remaining in production from 1971 until 1978, sales were hampered by the Oil Crisis and just 564 Boras are thought to have been made in total, of which 42 were right-hand drive and fewer than a dozen exist in Australia.  Maserati had intended to race the Bora in Group 4 endurance events and two were built for the French dealer Thepenier but the inability to build enough cars to homologate the model curtailed the project.