The introduction of the Bora in 1971 represented a series of achievements for Maserati, including the storied brand’s first rear-mid-engine production car, and also their first with a completely independent double-wishbone suspension. The Bora’s sleek wedgelike coachwork was provided by Italdesign’s Giorgetto Giugiaro, and its styling meshed perfectly with Giugiaro’s contemporaneous commissions for Maserati, namely the Ghibli and Merak.

Its mighty V-8 engine—first displacing 4.7 liters and later enlarged to 4.9 liters—was derived from Maserati’s “Birdcage” Tipo 63–65 race cars. Performance was formidable: With 330 horsepower on tap, the Bora 4.9 could sprint to 60 mph in less than seven seconds, and Maserati claimed a top speed of 170 mph. Weight distribution, safety, and rigidity were also well-measured concerns in the Bora’s design, and to this effect the model utilizes a stout ZF five-speed transaxle that is mounted directly to the steel monocoque chassis.

The Bora was also perhaps the most practical supercar of its era, with a carpet-lined storage compartment in the nose and enviable levels of sound- and heat-deadening. The Citroën-supplied hydropneumatic control system not only powered the ventilated disk brakes, but also—ingeniously—permitted “touch button” movement of the pedal box, driving seat position, headlights, and windows.

One of only 275 examples fitted with the 4.9-liter engine, this very attractive US-market Bora was completed at Maserati’s factory in Modena on 3 October 1973, and subsequently delivered new to the marque’s West Coast distributor (Maserati Automobiles) in Los Angeles, California.

Accompanying build information confirms that the car remains correctly presented in its “as-delivered” color combination of Giallo paint over a richly trimmed black Connolly leather cockpit.

Inside, a full suite of Veglia Borletti instrumentation is complemented by an integrated Passport radar system. The car currently rides on a factory-correct set of Campagnolo alloy wheels (with removable alloy centers), which are presently shod in Pirelli P4000 tires befitting a period-style aesthetic. As a late-1973-built example, this Bora retains its US-market “slim” chrome bumperettes and single driver’s side Vitaloni California mirror. In 2013, the experts at Santiago Sports & Classics of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma were enlisted to perform over 320 hours of mechanical and cosmetic restoration on this Maserati. As a work summary on file notes, particular attention was paid to the car's suspension, drivetrain, and complex, advanced hydraulic system.

Still retaining its desirable and numbers-matching engine, this Bora 4.9 represents a rare opportunity for the discerning enthusiast to own a quintessential Italian exotic—one that remains a truly covetable alternative to a Ferrari or Lamborghini, replete with coachwork by a renowned designer and brimming with technological advancements.