1972 Maserati Bora 4700 - £29,995

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Click on the menu to the left for over 50 pictures of this car!

We are very proud to offer you a very rare car! This is a 1972 Maserati Bora 4700, UK Right Hand Drive Car, finished in Red with Cream Leather Interior. I want to firstly clarify the term "Rare" There were only 42, I repeat, 42 RHD Boras made, this compares with a Ferrari Daytona total production of 1350 and Lamborghini Miura total production of 750. It has probably been a long time since you have seen a Bora on the road or for sale but even the club know of only 23 cars!

Our car was the 4th RHD car made and has only had 3 owners from new with the previous owner having the car for 28 years! That is also a reason you never see them for sale, the Maserati collectors who own one are going to keep hold of theirs! The prices of the few Left Hand Drive cars out there have already gone through the roof and, in keeping with our policy, we are selling this at a very keen price!

Following the injection of capital which followed the take over of Maserati by Citroen in 1968, the company quickly embarked on a renewal of their stunning but somewhat aged model range. One of the first fruits of this was what has become one of the most famous and revered Maserati models ever - the 1971 Bora. The Bora nominally replaced the Mistral and was the first Maserati to use a mid-engined design for the ultimate in handling and roadholding. It was squarely aimed at the very top echelons of the supercar market, dominated at that time by the Lamborghini Miura, with a stunning bodyshell designed by Ital Design and a 4719cc 310 BHP V8 carburettor engine driving through a 5-speed ZF gearbox. The influence of new owners Citroen was also apparent in the use of high pressure hydraulics for the brakes. The motoring press of the day were quick to praise the Bora's stunning performance and roadability as it heralded a new, more user-friendly generation of mid-engined cars; a fact that anybody who has driven a Miura on the limit would testify to!

A combined steel monocoque chassis and body featured a tubular steel subframe at the back for the engine and transmission. Suspension was independent all round (a first for a Maserati road car) with coil springs, telescopic shocks and anti-roll bars. Citroën's advanced high pressure hydraulics were adopted to operate the ventilated disc brakes, the brake, clutch and throttle pedal box, the driver's seat and the retractable headlights. Wheels were 7.5 x 15-inch Campagnolo light alloy rims with distinctive removable polished stainless steel hubcaps in the earlier automobiles and Michelin XWX tyres. Engine-wise, Maserati decided to install a subtly uprated version of their familiar DOHC 90° V8, displacement having been 4719 cc thanks to a bore and stroke of 93.9 x 85 mm. Mounted longitudinally, compression was set at 8.5:1 and with four Weber 42 DCNF downdraught carbs and electronic Bosch ignition, the Bora could boast 310 bhp at 6000 rpm. Great attention was paid to reducing noise and vibration, the engine and five-speed ZF transaxle being mounted on a subframe attached to the monocoque via four flexible mounts. Additionally, the aluminium engine cover came trimmed in deep-pile carpet and the window between the passenger's compartment and the engine bay had double-glazing for noise suppression, a feature ahead of its time. The body was created by Giorgetto Giugiaro for Ital Design, fabrication of the all-steel panels being contracted to Officine Padane of Modena.

The Bora was an interestingly designed car. Standing 1138 mm high, perhaps the most distinctive details were the brushed stainless steel roof and windscreen pillars. Inside, the bucket seats, dash, door trim, centre console and rear bulkhead were trimmed in leather, electric windows having been standard, most cars also getting air-con. The steering column was tailored for rake and reach, the driver's seat being height adjustable only. Instead, high pressure hydraulics moved the pedal box, consisting of the brake, clutch and throttle pedals, forwards and backwards by around three inches, a first such application in the world for a production car. Weighing in at 1520 kg (around 180 kg heavier than the Ghibli), top speed was 165 mph whilst 0-60 and 0-100 took 6.5 and 14.6 seconds respectively. The first Boras were delivered to customers in late 1971.

Interior:
The car is upholstered in Cream Leather but it really is quite tired inside, the leather is worn and cracked all over. The carpets are OK and all the dials and instruments seem to work as they should but it would really benefit from connollising or ideally a retrim. The dashboard is all good and it is still a wonderful place to sit.

Exterior:
Our car is finished in Red and whilst the paint is quite presentable there are numerous spots on the body where rust has started to bubble through. Ideally the car would benefit from local repairs to all the rust spots and a full respray. The car has a new MOT and there are no structural rust issues but you will not win any awards this summer for the car. The wheels and tyres are good and the chromework also. Underneath the car is not pretty but is completely solid. The glasswork is all good also. This is a car with a fresh MOT you can drive away in if you are not too bothered about appearances. Alternatively the car would really respond well to a cosmetic makeover.

Mechanical:
Our car is in an extremely good mechanical condition and drives exactly as it should. She starts and pulls strongly with good oil pressure and no smoke. The car was comprehensively serviced last year at a cost of £4k by Bill McGrath Maserati. The hydraulics are all perfect and there is nothing to address at all, just get in and enjoy.

Summary
We have not seen a RHD Bora for sale for many years and you can wait decades before one is available and sometimes the asking price can be crazy simply due to the rarity. We have not priced this car on rarity, simply for a quick sale. The, arguably inferior, period competition was the Ferrari Daytona (£150k now) and Lamborghini Miura (£250k now), the Bora was more advanced, expensive and exclusive when new. Anyway, enough of me waffling on, I think I have made my point! This car has a new MOT and recent £4k Service but needs cosmetic work, which is taken into account in the price. Be quick or I will call you in about 10 years when the next one appears, and you really will not want to know the price then!

As with all our cars, we have priced her for an immediate sale. If you have seen the cars that are out there, come and see ours and your search will be over.

Please click on the links on the left to view many photographs of the car, but nothing compares to coming to view her and taking her out for a drive!

If you are interested in this car you can contact us by clicking on the following link:
sales@justinbanks.com