The Guarà, along with the Biguà, was the swansong of the Modenese manufacturer De Tomaso. Its chassis was based on the Maserati Barchetta from 1991, and the suspension was designed by famed Formula 1 car engineer Enrique Scalabroni. As Ford was unable to supply engines to De Tomaso for its initial production run, they utilised BMW’s M60B40 4.0-liter V-8 engine, which was capable of 282 bhp. The engines were taken off the production line in Germany and modified at the factory in Modena, where they received different timing-belt routing and a new transmission. All the engines kept BMW’s warranty, ensuring easy maintenance for De Tomaso’s customers. BMW’s engines were used between 1993 and 1998, leaving early Guaràs more desirable as De Tomaso eventually transitioned to using the Ford/Visteon V-8 until the conclusion of production in 2004.

With a price tag of €145,000 when new, the Guarà was a true exotic which competed against the Ferrari 348 and the Lamborghini Diablo. Its race car-like design and powerful acceleration ensured thrilling performance on the open road and was a compelling alternative for the enthusiast looking to stand out from the crowd.

While the vast majority of Guarà production consisted of coupés, 38 to be precise, De Tomaso produced just four Guarà Spiders, which were built by Carrozzeria AutoSport S.r.L. Powered by the aforementioned BMW V-8, this particular example was the 19th Guarà built in total. It was purchased directly from the De Tomaso factory in 1998 by its current and only owner through one of De Tomaso’s partners, Armin Fischer of Fashion Sports Cars. Already the owner of a Guarà coupé, the consignor specified a number of unique features into this particular car after spending lots of time behind the wheel of his coupé. This included not only its fantastic purple metallic paintwork, but also a space for luggage at the rear (which replaced some of the exhaust silencers), additional interior storage, an early DAB radio, and power-assisted steering, amongst other features.

Always quick to attract attention when out and about, the Guarà Spider has been shown at the 2010 and 2018 Goodwood Festival of Speed Cartier Style et Luxe Concours. It was used as a recce car on the Tour of Flanders rally and participated in the De Tomaso Forni Avoltri tour in 2001, likely the last factory-organised event before De Tomaso’s demise. With just under 13,000 km from new, it remains in stunning condition throughout as arguably one of the most spectacular Guaràs in existence and a wonderful part of De Tomaso’s history.

Please note that this car’s original registration number C1RAL is available under separate negotiation. Please contact an RM Sotheby’s representative for further details.