In the wide world of automobiles, there is no telling what might happen at any turn in the road. For those who have followed the life and cars wearing the Maserati badge, there are few surprises left in that haven’t hit the company represented by Neptune’s trident.

After World War II, the marque had a record in motorsports that was the envy of the world, including another Italian car maker over in Modena; Ferrari. Through a series of business transactions, it seems that the passion for winning at such venues as Le Mans, Monaco and even Indianapolis took a back seat to becoming a financially viable concern. By the early 1970s, while many car companies around the world were setting out to worry how many miles to the gallon they could get, Maserati was looking to attract customers with new sleek designs. As a marketing move, starting in the late 1960s, exotic winds from far-off lands began to lend their names to new models from this revered company, Mistral, Ghibli, and in 1972, the Merak.

Wearing sheetmetal designed by Italdesign’s founder Giugiardo, these cars were as sleek and slippery as the name they inspired. In base form they were quick and somewhat affordable when compared to competitive Italian sports coupes. Then in 1976, shortly after the arrival of new management in the form of Alejandro DeTomaso, the Merak SS was born. With a bigger V-6 (3.0-liter) engine rated at around 215 horsepower and with an "advertised" top speed of 153-mph, this was a force to be reckoned with. Shifting the car is via a five-speed manual transaxle.

Awaiting here is a wonderful example of this exciting model, the Merak SS. Finished in red with a matching red interior; just over 25,000 miles are displayed on the car’s odometer. These are thought to be original by the current conscientious owner, however the title indicates exempt. The Merak has been recently serviced with the engine gone through, carburetors adjusted and the four-wheel disc brakes received mechanical attention also. The Maserati was recently detailed and it is reported to remain in nice condition.

Normally reliable sources show that the Merak was produced from 1974 to 1982 and built a total of similar models that is disputed – some show 1,666, while others point to 1,732. Regardless, this is a conservative production run that is further defined by 292 1977 editions built and approximately 1,000 SS variants during the entirety of their availability. Considered to be one of the most affordable of all Italian supercars of the 1970s, the new owner of this Merak SS is sure be smiling when he takes to the road, looking casual and driving in a level-headed, but forceful manner like Fangio and Moss did regularly when driving Maserati racecars to victory during the era when their brilliant careers played out before the world’s sporting press and their dedicated throngs of fans.