Of the roughly 1150 Ghiblis Maserati built from ’67 to ’72, only about 120 Spyder convertible versions were built on Ghia’s beautiful Giugiaro design. Of those, the last 45 or so were the bigger-engined 4.9 SS version and this car is one of that select group.
The four-cam, four-carb alloy V8 cars were offered with both automatic and manual transmissions, making this original 5-speed one even more rare. Maserati historians believe only ~29 5-speed cars were made. (We have documents from Maserati Classiche confirming the car’s matching engine & chassis numbers and transmission option).
When Ghiblis were new, their main rival and competitor was the Ferrari 365 Daytona, cars that were also made as coupes and convertibles. Even though the Ferrari Spyder cost a bit more in the 1970s, three times as many were built!
And, while the Ferrari may have had a few technological bonuses, at least the Maserati styling wasn’t copied by a ‘70s Rover sedan!
This car was brought to our shop for restoration in 2012 following our success with several Pebble Beach restorations. You can see the restoration here. Two years and over $500,000 were spent to overhaul the car’s chassis, suspension, brakes, fuel, cooling and electrical systems plus new correct Ansa exhaust. The bodywork was perfected and given a beautiful deep blue finish that emphasizes the body lines. This was complimented by a full new Natural leather interior including door cards, carpets and dash. The car was finished off with chrome Borrani wire wheels, Michelin XWX tires and a new black convertible top. Factory hardtop and tool kit are not present.
The completed car was shown at Amelia Island where it won Best in Class, the Manufacturer’s Award for the Most Historically Significant Maserati, plus awards at subsequent shows. In the past ten years it has participated in numerous driving tours. It has been back to our shop for regular servicing and detailing regularly over the years to keep it running great and looking spectacular. This investment-grade Maserati is now ready for its next fortunate caretaker.
If you are considering one of the classic or collectible cars on our website, be assured that coming for a personal visit to inspect first-hand the car that has captured your fancy is very welcome. We practice transparency in all of our descriptions, but believe that nothing is as convincing as seeing and touching the car yourself. Plan a few hours, so you can see, touch, feel and drive the car, and enjoy a tour of our restoration shops to see 'where the magic happens.' If your schedule is too committed, we also welcome a knowledgeable agent visiting for you. Please understand that sales are final, so the time for all due diligence is before you buy. Our cars are sold AS-IS, since most are on consignment from owners. We follow FTC guidelines for all sales and certainly want our future clients leaving more glowing reports among our reviews!