Meet the £3m Maserati collection for sale in September

By Chris Rowlands

| 18 Jul 2018

Meet the £3m Maserati collection for sale next month at RM Sotheby's London auction

You wait years for a rare Maserati to come along, only for six of the things to be sold at the same auction.

Such is the case at RM Sotheby’s London auction this September, where a six-car line-up of the Italian marque’s lovely machines is set to sell.

And, from famous former owners to very rare examples, these are some seriously storied motors – with two of the crop set to fetch more than £1m each.

Want to know the stories behind these exotic classics? Read on.

1972 Maserati Ghibli SS 4.9 Spyder

Estimate: £850,000 – 1.2m

First up is a rare right-hand drive example of the Ghibli SS 4.9 Spyder – one of only four believed to have ever been built by the factory.

Originally shipped to the former Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, it’s just been restored to concours standard – hence the £1.2m upper estimate.

1970 Maserati Ghibli SS 4.9 Coupé

Estimate: £200,000 – 240,000

Next up is the first of a pair of Ghibli SS 4.9 Coupés at the auction – a 1970 example that’s spent much of its life stabled with several well-known Australian collectors.

Restored in 1994, more recently this 4.9-litre V8-equipped Italian coupé underwent an even more thorough overhaul and therefore goes to auction in fantastic condition.

1971 Maserati Ghibli SS 4.9 Coupé

Estimate: £125,000 – 175,000

Second of the Ghibli Coupés is this rare, factory right-hand drive model. Like the first, the sporty machine packs 330bhp and is good for a brisk 174mph.

Still wearing a coat of Verde Gemma paint – just as it did when it left the production line – this 1971 Ghibli SS was restored by the same specialist as the previous one, McGrath Maserati.

1962 Maserati 5000 GT

Estimate: £1m – 1.2m

Next up is the headline lot, a 1963 5000 GT with quite the past. First sold in ‘64 to one Alfredo Belponer – president of Scuderia Brescia Corse Racing team – he used it to drive to the Italian Grand Prix that year.

Chassis AM103 026 then went on to be stabled with Italian singer Antonio Ciacci – ’Little Tony’ – before being owned by Joe Walsh of The Eagles in the ‘70s.

The Maserati was restored in 1988 and displayed at Pebble Beach in 1999. Subsequently kept in private collections and exhibited occasionally, it’s going to auction in fantastic condition as one of just 33 5000 GTs ever built.

1974 Maserati Quattroporte

Estimate: £150,000 – 200,000

Built to order for the Aga Khan, Prince Shah Karim Al Hussaini, this Maserati Quattroporte was taken straight from the factory in 1974 to Italian coachbuilder Frua.

There, the Quattroporte received bespoke bodywork worn by just one other car, making this quite the rare machine – not least because of its first owner.

1972 Maserati Bora

Estimate: £125,000 – 175,000

Last up is a 1972 Bora finished in fetching Rosso red. Equipped with a capable 4.7-litre engine good for more than 300bhp, it’s one of just 564 Boras ever built.

Going to auction in excellent condition – and with that all-important ‘matching numbers’ spec – this right-hand drive example is a slice of pure ‘70s sports car style.

“This year’s London auction will be all the more diverse thanks to this great range of rare Maserati models," said Augustin Sabatié-Garat, Auction Manager & Car Specialist at RM Sotheby’s Europe.

"This private collection of Italian exotica offers collectors the chance to acquire something truly rare from Maserati’s unique history. Some models were once owned by royals, rock stars and racing drivers, adding real character to the group.”

RM Sotheby's London sale takes place on 5 September, and you can view a full lot list here.

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Chris Rowlands

Perennially on the road, Chris has to content himself with writing about classic cars instead of owning them – though he’s sure he’ll one day have the keys to an E-type. A regular contributor to Classic & Sports Car, his first love is motorsport.