The Enthusiasts' Page

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All things 'Maserati'. News of forthcoming models, owner's cars, tips, 'Marque' reunions and the odd touch of humour! In fact anything of interest to the 'Maseratista'.

So if you have any news about Maseratis or have anything owners and enthusiasts should know, send details to maserati123@btopenworld.com


Grille trident on a Maserati 450S by Zagato
 
You can click on some pictures for a better view!!
 
 
 
 
From Martin in the UK
 

"Dear Sir,

I don't have anything important to share with you but I did want to express my passion for classic Maserati cars. I'm sorry if you get this kind of email regularly but I'm a final year student at University studying Engineering and I can't help but dream of the beautiful cars I hope to own once I can finally afford them! As an Engineer I really appreciate the craftsmanship and the quality of the older cars. For me, the ultimate car I could own is a classic Maserati Ghibli SS (red with black interior) with the 4.9-litre engine and a 5-speed box. I can really imagine myself driving the car down the country lanes of where I come from in North Norfolk UK.

I think with modern regulations on cars I feel we really have lost the amazing styling that was once possible with these glorious machines and I hope to do my bit in saving and preserving what cars where once like for future generations.

I'm really looking forward to graduating as I can finally stop dreaming and begin to save for one of these magnificent cars. I'm not sure what 'it' is about Maserati cars but very few cars make me feel the way a Maserati can. In short I've got the Maserati bug and I cant wait to own one! After seeing that you can pick up one of these cars of around £20,000 its got me thinking that one of these is not totally out of my reach one day.

Anyway, if I finally do get enough money to own my dream car I'll be sure to let you know.

Kind regards,

Martin."

 

REPLY FROM ENRICO:

"Hi Martin,

Thank you for your email.

Before you spend your hard earned cash, I think there are a few 'Classic Maserati Essentials' that you need to know.

Just remember, when it comes to restoring a Maserati, 'LOVE and PASSION' are the optimum words! Restoration of any classic car never comes cheap and Maseratis are no exception. And, unless the particular model you wish to restore is extremely rare or highly sought-after, or, you are qualified to do all or most of the work yourself, you will RARELY, IF EVER, see a return on any monies spent.

The soundest advice I could give is to look out for a Maserati that has already been restored, even better if that restoration has been carried out by a known and RESPECTED Maserati specialist. This will inevitably be more expensive at first, but probably turn out to be much cheaper in the long run.

On the other hand, you might have a Maserati specialist in mind and want to oversee the restoration for yourself. Many Maserati enthusiasts, who can afford it, choose this route. That way, they know EXACTLY what work has been done, and more important, HOW WELL that work has been carried out!

In which case, for a car that is in VERY POOR condition, but with no parts missing, it could cost you, depending on how many parts need replacing; up to £15K plus for a total engine rebuild; £3K on the braking system; £4K on the suspension; up to £20K plus for the bodywork, not all panels are off-the-shelf and might need to be fabricated; £5K plus for a total bare metal respray; and then there's the interior! If you buy a car with parts missing, those parts might prove difficult, if not impossible, to find.

Why have I quoted £15K-plus for a total engine rebuild? Simple, when any reputable Maserati workshop strips an engine, they will advise you on any parts that are worn or faulty and need replacing. They will quite rightly explain that as the engine has already been stripped down, it makes perfect and economic sense in the long run, to replace all the worn or faulty parts. This is the correct procedure. A workshop cannot be expected to give a guarantee for a job that is only half done.

Joining the Maserati Club would be an excellent start, and it only costs £50 a year. For that, not only will you receive three magazines and six newsletters a year, but you will also have the opportunity of meeting up with many knowledgeable and enthusiastic owners. You can find further details for membership at www.maseraticlub.co.uk.

Getting an expert like Bill McGrath Limited to check out the car prior to making any purchase is an excellent idea and in the long run the cost of such a report will pay for itself.

In your previous email, you mention £20K for a Ghibli SS. You won't find a decent one at that price! A decent Ghibli will set you back a minimum of £35K and there's no guarantee that you won't have to spend money on it! You will often see a classic Maserati described as being in a "well maintained condition", this is no guarantee, and a "once over" by an expert can save you a small fortune! (see email from Jules describing his painful experience with a classic car dealer in Northern Italy).

Another point to bear in mind is that these V8s are not that easy to drive. They don't have today's modern braking or suspension systems, and, a heavy car with 300-odd bhp can be a handful to the novice, and as such must be treated with respect. These were the supercars of the Fifties, Sixties and Seventies and a well serviced and maintained classic Maserati is a pleasure to own and drive, but with that ownership comes the responsibility of maintaining it as such.

I've tried to be as honest as I can and hope this helps.

Regards,

Enrico."

 

E-MAIL ON THE SAME SUBJECT FROM J.:

"Hi,

I just wanted to inform you (and perhaps all the users of your fantastic homepage) what happened to me after having purchased a 4.9-litre Maserati Indy from a classic car dealer in Northern Italy, in August 2005.

The car had been described as being in good condition and well maintained. After 3,000 kms I found the power of the car a little bit "limited" and decided to hand the car over to a specialist in Germany: Boecking Ltd.

The engine has been stripped and as you can see from the pictures here attached what has been the result: Broken valve springs, broken piston rings, 2 valves had touched the pistons, the cam chains did run along the cylinder heads aluminium and the cam lobes have to be re-engineered to work perfect for the future.


 


The broken valve springs


The broken piston rings

So this seems to be the "well-maintained" state in which the car had been offered to me by the seller. No maintenance at all, no more valve clearance etc.

So please do not hesitate to check every offered car in the way it is described on the homepage.

You can't trust anybody, not even so-called classic car dealers.

Thank you.

Best regards,

J."

 

REPLY FROM ENRICO:

"Hi J.,

I'm very sorry to hear about your bad experiences, and I am sure that once you get everthing sorted and you are driving along those country roads listening to the roar of that V8, you will soon forget about it.

Yes, I am afraid there are a few 'cowboys' out there, but thankfully, there are also many well-respected and genuine dealers. Most Maserati owners know who the 'good guys' are, and, who the 'bad guys' are.

This is yet another reason why I always recommend Maserati enthusiasts to join their local Maserati Club. Once you have joined, you will be able to chat with your fellow members, who will often advise you on who to go to, and more importantly who to avoid.

Good luck with the restoration and please keep in touch!

Enrico."

 
 
 
 
Coming soon to a Maserati dealer near you!!
 

Maserati Gran Turismo

Worldwide preview at the Geneva Motorshow.

Modena - 20th February 2007. The new Maserati GranTurismo, styled by Pininfarina, makes its worldwide debut at the Geneva Motorshow.

The Maserati GranTurismo is a muscular and sporty car, that can be enjoyed every day and at the same time is engaging for the driver. Its excellent handling and sportiveness makes it a point of reference in its category. The Maserati GranTurismo is built with particular attention to comfort, choice of materials and details and with enough room for four people, as only Maserati can do.

The new Maserati GranTurismo is a high-performance sports car, exciting to drive with a 4.2 liter V8 engine, delivering 405 HP, and a weight distribution of 49% at the front and 51 at the rear. It is fitted with an automatic gearbox and equipped with an adaptive control system which adjusts the gear-shifting mode to the driving style and the driving conditions. Maserati's tradition of the Gran Turismo concept dates back to 1947 when the Trident Company, following its clients' demand, unveiled at the Geneva Motorshow its first Gran Turismo, the A6, designed by the great Pinin Farina. It was the first Maserati road car and was produced in 58 units. The car was acclaimed by the automotive press for its advanced technical content and for its avant-garde style solutions.

The new model name - Maserati GranTurismo - is not incidental. Once again, the partnership between Maserati and Pininfarina gives birth to a car that is able to generate emotions and sets itself apart from competitors, due to the technique with which it is built and its unique style.

The new Maserati GranTurismo represents a further step towards the completion of the Trident product range, following the worldwide launch of the Quattroporte Automatic at the 2007 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

 

Note from Enrico:

Maseratisti will note the similarity between the front grille on the new 'GranTurismo' and that fitted to Pininfarina's 1953/54 A6GCS Berlinettas. Also, you will observe the trident design on the alloy wheels.

 

 

 

 
 

 

 
 

The original sketches by Pininfarina

 
 

 
 

All photos are the strict copyright of Maserati SpA

Maserati SpA a socio unico
Direzione Stampa e Pubbliche Relazioni
Viale Ciro Menotti 322,
41100 Modena,
Italia
 
 
 
 
 
From Andrew in the UK
 

"Hello Enrico,

I was given your email address as a possible contact for help by a friend, he mentioned that you are a Maserati enthusiast.

I am trying to find out who would be able to services a piece of Maserati merchandise to be more specific a Maserati titanium solar wristwatch which my father bought in 1995, but I have been told there are no longer any contacts at Maserati because of the restructuring that took place when Ferrari stepped in, that can help.

I am hoping that you may be able to help in locating a person or company that can perform a service/repair on the watch.

I have attached a couple of photos, best I can get at the moment, as the finish on the titanium is problematic.

The whole face of the watch is the solar panel, but unfortunately it doesn't photograph very well.

My sincere thanks for reading this email.

Andrew."

 

 
 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
From the 2007 FIA GT Championship
 

JMB Racing returns to GT1 with Maserati.

After taking a sabbatical from the GT1 class in 2006, JMB Racing will step back up into the top FIA GT Championship class for 2007 with a pair of Maserati MC12s.

For the Monaco based team, entered a single Ferrari 430 in the GT2 class last season for Tim Sugden and Iradj Alexander and although they will again be represented in the GT2, GT3 and GT4 classes, JMB will also appear in the GT1 category this year.

For the Monaco based team, it marks a return after finishing second in the standings in 2005 with the driver partnership of Andrea Bertolini and Karl Wendlinger.

Their driver line-up hahas yet to be announced, although a reuniting of the existing Bertolini-Wendlinger partnership is impossible after the former driver signed for the sister Playteam squad last week.

The return of theJMB Racing Maseratis is excellent news for this year's FIA GT Championship, as it takes the tally of Maseratis alone up to six (JMB Racing Team x 2, Vitaphone Racing Team x 2 and Scuderia Playteam x 2), pointing the way to a bumper grid of cars when the championship gets underway at Zhuhai next month.

 
 
 
 
 
From Rene in Belgium
 

"Hello Enrico,

How are You, I hope you're fine,

It has been a while since you heard from me, I have since moved to Belgium and I have been renovating our new home, which is why I contact you for help.

As you may remember I own a 1990 Maserati 2.24v, and I was wondering if you could help in finding somebody who wants to buy the car, because of the work I have on our new house the car has been neglected and I sadly have to say and I simply do not have the time to get her in to shape, so the car has to go.

The engine needs work because it is not running as smooth as it should.T he bodywork is in reasonable condition but needs some TLC. The interior is in good shape and the original shocks are still in good working order, a new clutch, front discs and K&N filter have also been fitted.

This would be a good donor car, although I think this would be a shame.

A reasonable 2500 Euro will sell the car to its new owner.

I thank you for your time and wish you all the best.

Regards,

Rene."

If you're interested you can email Rene at rsanders@telenet.be

 

 

 
 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Coming to Modena??
 

"Dear Sirs,

We are aware that you belong to an amateur motoring club and we should very much like you to spare a few minutes of your time to let us introduce our hotel. We are situated in Modena, the true capital city of motoring and cradle of some of the most outstanding of Italian sports car manufacturers, such as Maserati, Ferrari, Pagani, and Lamborghini.

Each spring and autumn, it has become a tradition for our hotel to welcome groups of vintage and specialist car enthusiasts, parties who may wish to combine a visit to one of the historic car museums – Ferrari, Panini, Stanguellini - with a gastronomic tour of the restaurants and ancient vinegar distilleries in this area.

Very well located, and with its own spacious parking area (which can easily take up to 200 cars), the Rechigi Park Hotel**** is the ideal venue for a prestigious vintage car rally. We have 72 rooms of varying sizes, furnished with taste and elegance, set in a beautifully restored late 19th century villa.

We hope that you will be interested in the range of services we can offer you and warmly invite you to contact us for our rates and any further information you may require.

Yours sincerely,

The Manager."

Rechigi Park Hotel
Via Emilia Est, 1581
41100 Modena
Tel: +39 (0) 59 283 600
Fax: +39 (0) 59 283 910
Web site: www.rechigiparkhotel.it

 

The Rechigi Park Hotel, Modena
 

All rooms furnished with the latest in comfort

A spacious parking area of up to 200 cars
 
 
 
 
 
From the UK
 

Bristol Italian Auto Moto Festival - 28th April 2007

MASERATIS ARE ALWAYS MADE WELCOME!!!!

Once again the West Country's Latin Quarter will pulsate to the sounds of pedigree exhausts as Italian vehicle enthusiasts from far and wide descend on Bristol city centre for the annual Italian Auto Moto Festival on Saturday 28th April. The event will bring some of Italy’s most desirable and charismatic cars and bikes into the heart of the Old City. The show will run from 11am to 4pm and will be centred on the Corn Street / St Stephens Street area, surrounded by some great restaurants, pubs, cafes and the Saturday market stalls. The display streets, (not far from the city's shopping centre), will be closed to traffic, creating a pedestrian friendly zone where the cars and bikes, parked ‘Italian style,’ may be safely viewed. Admission is free of charge both to entrants and spectators.

Since there will be no clash with other significant events we are expecting a bumper year. Entries are already rolling in and the entry book will fill rapidly, so please enter early to avoid disappointment.

We have invited Alfa Romeo UK to display a new 8c and Black & White Garage will be bringing their newly acquired Matta jeep. Of the other Italian marques, the De Tomaso Drivers Club will be celebrating their 25th anniversary with a display of their members' cars. Seven are already booked in, including a rare Longchamps GTS wide wheeled version. A very good article about the event has been published in their recent magazine, so we can certainly expect more.

Pat Lockyer has entered his very rare Stabilimenti Farina Jowet Jupiter again. A fascinating jewel of a car if ever there was one. The Fiat Dino Club intend to double their 2006 entries by bringing at least ten of their delectable Coupes and Spiders and will use the Festival as their 'Season Opener.' On the two wheel front, Ducati UK will be letting us have some particularly interesting racing machinery and the Riders Ducati Bristol dealership will have their mobile display truck with TV monitors showing bike racing DVDs. The Gilera club has pledged full support and have already received an entry from Belgium. We have already had some MV Agusta and Moto Guzzi entries and there are bound to be more so it looks like being a very interesting event for bike fans.

The Bristol Mods will also be there with their colourful Lambrettas and Vespas. In addition, we have again invited the Bridgestone tyre company to bring along the F1 Ferrari and the F1 simulator, which created such intense interest last year. The Parc Ferme Valeting company will again have an extensive array of Zymol products for sale. Vehicle entrants must arrive by 10:00am. but the earlier the better, as the prime display positions soon get taken. 8:00am would not be too early to arrive!

All in all, an event not to be missed, so if you fancy a taste of Italy without needing your passport, come on down!

For entries and information please email: BIAMF@ourhemanpal.co.uk with your full name, address with postcode, phone & mobile numbers and vehicle details or phone 0117 947 5814.

BIAMF is organised by the Alfa Romeo and Ducati Owners Clubs local branches.

 
 
 
 
 
From Mauro in Italy
 

"Hi Enrico,

A brief update on the progress of our Quattroporte.

The engine needs some maintenance work (plus a new clutch, and others), and now it's in Tralli’s garage, I suppose that you know him.

My father is working on the brakes and other works (re-hang the doors, the windows and the rubber seals etc.). The car now is completely resprayed.

The interior was in very good condition as you can see from the photos.

Ciao Mauro."

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
From John in Greece
 

"Hi Enrico!

You can see my frozen Cup (-4 Celsius).

Regards,

John."

 

"My baby, it's cold outside!!"

 
 
 
 
 
 
FIA GT News for 2007
 

FIA GT News Saturday, 10th February 2007

Piccini switches to Playteam, joins Bertolini.

Andrea Piccini will split from long time co-driver Jean-Denis Deletraz in 2007 after scoring a deal to race a Maserati MC12 with privateers Playteam in the FIA GT Championship.

The reigning Italian GT Champions, Playteam will step up to the FIA GT Championship in 2007 with a two-car team, one MC12 being piloted by Giambattista Giannoccaro and Alessandro Pier Guidi, the second belonging to Piccini and Andrea Bertolini.

For Piccini, the move to Maserati ends a long and successful partnership with Deletraz, the duo racing together at BMS, Lister, DAMS, GPC and finally last year Phoenix Racing when they secured the runners-up spot in the standings.

Nonetheless, despite their history, Piccini will beat his own path this year after triumphing in a driver evaluation study at Adria against Gianni Morbidelli and Giorgio Mondini. He will partner Bertolini, the reigning FIA GT Champion, who will side-step from his place in the works Vitaphone Maserati squad to Playteam.

The car looks good, although the weather was wet and cold which made testing difficult," he said. "But the car is very nice to drive; the traction is great, and it is more like a single-seater than other GT cars I have driven. The team is very well organised and it looks like being a good season."

"It's nice to have an all-Italian car, with two Italian drivers, an Italian team, Italian-made car and tyres," he added. "I'll miss Jean-Denis, but he's happy for me, and we'll keep in touch! This is really going to be a good challenge."

Playteam, who made a brief appearance in the FIA GT Championship last year at Mugello, qualifying third and leading before crashing out, will make it at least four MC12s on the grid in 2007, with Vitaphone expected to merge remaining drivers Michael Bartels and Thomas Biagi in one car and feature an all-new line-up in the second of the Italian supercars.

Credit - FIA GT

 
Photo Copyright Maserati/Studio Mazzi

The Playteam Maserati MC12 at Monza - 2006
Photo Copyright Maserati/Studio Mazzi

 
 
 
 
 
 
From Jacques in France
 

Maseratisti,

Some of you may be following the conversion from Coupe to Spyder of Jacques' Ghibli. Jacques has very kindly send me these photos of his Ghibli Coupe...

 

 

 
 

 

 
 

... and these of the beautiful Maserati A6GCS taken during the arrival of the Tour Auto 2006, in CANNES.

 

 

 
 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
From Felice in Italy
 

"Caro Enrico,

sono Felice, un appassionato maseratista italiano iscritto al Maserati Club, al Biturboclubitalia e al Club Alfieri Maserati 1914.

In passato Ti avevo già inviato alcune immagini della mia Ghibli Cup n°39 colore ARANCIO che Tu hai gentilmente pubblicato nel DATABASE GHIBLI CUP inserito nel Tuo strepitoso sito.

Ora vorrei inviarTi ( qui in allegato) le immagini del mio nuovo garage con la speranza che possano interessare sia Te che i visitatori del sito.

Volendo esagerare, avrei anche le immagini di tutte le mie Maserati attuali, vale a dire:

a) GRANSPORT MC VICTORY n° 003/180 (7-2006) colore 'Blu Victory' con blu medio all'interno

b) 3200 GT ASSETTO CORSA n° 35/56 Italia (10-2001) colore 'Blu Sebring' con grigio medio all'interno

c) 3200 GT AUTOMATICA (2-2001) colore 'Verde Mistral' con albicocca + beige all'interno

d) GHIBLI CUP n° 39 (5-1996) colore 'Arancio' con nero all'interno

e) GHIBLI K.S. (2-1995) colore 'Silver' con blu medio all'interno (compreso il volante)

f) QUATTROPORTE 3.2 V8 EVOLUZIONE (5-1999) colore 'Blu Luci di Mezzanotte' con beige all'interno

Se ritieni opportuno, posso inviarTi 4 o 5 immagini per ogni automobile, suddivise in 6 mail separate.

In attesa di Tue notizie, Ti ringrazio e Ti saluto molto cordialmente.

Un caloroso abbraccio dall'Italia.

Felice."

 

"Dear Enrico,

I am Felice, a psssionate Italian Maserati fan and a member of the Maserati Club, the Biturboclubitalia and the Club Alfieri Maserati 1914.

In the past I have already sent you a few images of my Ghibli Cup No.39 colour 'ARANCIO' (ORANGE) that you very kindly published on the GHIBLI CUP DATABASE in your strepitoso site.

Now I would like to send you (hereby attached) then images of my new garage in the hope that they will be of interest to you and the visitors to your site.

Volendo esagerare, avrei anche le immagini di tutte le mie Maserati attuali, vale a dire:

a) GRANSPORT MC VICTORY No.003/180 (07-2006) colour 'Blu Victory', with the interior in 'blu medio'

b) 3200 GT ASSETTO CORSA No.35/56 Italia (10-2001) colour 'Blu Sebring', with the interior in 'grigio medio'

c) 3200 GT AUTOMATICA (02-2001) colour 'Verde Mistral', with the interior in 'albicocca + beige'

d) GHIBLI CUP No.39 (05-1996) colour 'Arancio', with the interior in 'nero'

e) GHIBLI K.S. (02-1995) colour 'Silver', with the interior (including the steering wheel) in 'blu medio'

f) QUATTROPORTE 3.2 V8 'Evoluzione' (05-1999) colour 'Blu Luci di Mezzanotte', with the interior in beige

Given the opportunity, I could send you 4 or 5 images of ech car, sub-divided into 6 seperate emails.

I await your reply, thank you and best regards.

A warm greeting from Italy.

Felice."

 

Felice's new garage that houses his unique post-1995 Maserati collection
 

 

 
 

 

 
 

 
 

     GRANSPORT MC VICTORY No.003/180 - colour: 'Blu Victory', interior: 'blu medio'
 

 
 

 

 
 

 

 
 

 

 
 

     3200 GT ASSETTO CORSA No.35/56 Italia - colour: 'Blu Sebring', interior: 'grigio medio'
 

 
 

 

 
 

 

 
 

     3200 GT AUTOMATICA - colour: 'Verde Mistral', interior: 'apricot + beige'
 

 

 
 

 

 
 

     GHIBLI CUP No.39 - colour: 'Arancio', interior: 'nero'
 

 
 

 

 
 

 

 
 

 

 
 

 

 
 

 

 
 

     GHIBLI K.S. ('Kit Sportivo') - colour: 'Silver', interior: 'blu medio'
 

 

 
 

 

 
 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 

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