Introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in March of 1971, Maserati’s new Bora, designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, was intended to be a mid-engined grand tourer. While mid-engined cars had proven to be wonderful sports cars but quirky and somewhat compromising as grand tourers, the Bora sought to bring sophistication to the mid-engined platform. Offering contemporary styling with a comfortable cabin, usable trunk, and four-wheel independent suspension, the Bora quickly proved itself to be a compelling alternative to a Ferrari, Porsche, or Lamborghini.

Utilizing Maserati’s familiar 4.7-litre four-cam V-8 engine, the Bora was fitted with a five-speed ZF transaxle. With 310 horsepower on tap, performance was brisk with a 0–100 km/h time of 6.7 seconds and a top speed of 260 km/h. Due to Maserati’s partnership with Citroën, the Bora utilized a handful of components from the French manufacturer. Notably, the Bora utilized hydraulic components from Citroën, namely its hydraulically operated brakes, pop-up headlamps, driver’s seat, and adjustable pedal box.

From 1971 to 1978, just 564 Boras were produced. In addition, only 289 of these were fitted with the 4.7-litre engine, including the example presented here.

According to information provided by Maserati Classiche, this Bora was produced in June of 1973 and finished in Black with a Senape (tan) leather interior. It was stored for two years at Maserati’s facilities in Modena before being sold to its first owner in Palermo. It remained with its first owner for five years before being sold in March of 1980 to Giorgio Valassin of Seregno. The car later returned to Modena, where it was restored, and in 2003, it was sold to Germany and purchased by Michael Waschmann of Hann. In 2011, the car was sold to its next German owner, Peter Wiesner of Salzburg. Today, the Bora resides with a collector in France, still wearing its original colour combination of Black over Senape, and it retains its original engine. The car presents quite well overall, with a flair of sporting elegance thanks to its gorgeous colours. Also important to note is that the car is accompanied by a history file, including a Certificate of Origin from Maserati Classiche, a brief history from Walter Bäumer, and a handful of service and restoration invoices, including the invoice of the last service, done recently in Monaco at Cavallari, the official Maserati workshop.

Said to be wonderful to drive, the Bora retains the requisite sense of occasion one expects from an Italian, mid-engined coupé, along with a healthy dose of comfort and luxury. Quickly becoming collectable, well-presented examples are often difficult to find. Presented in wonderful original colours and retaining its matching-numbers engine, this Bora would be exciting to drive on a Sunday afternoon or on an extended road trip.