Buyer’s guide: Maserati Merak

By Malcolm McKay

| 31 May 2019

Classic & Sports Car – Buyer’s guide: Maserati Merak

Why you’d want a Maserati Merak

Maserati burst into the 1970s with a superb mid-engined V8 supercar, the Bora, backed by Citroën investment.

A clever plan had been hatched to spread costs: a smaller Bora would use the four-cam V6 engine that Maserati was building for Citroën’s SM, tuned to compete with the Lamborghini Urraco and Ferrari Dino. The SM’s transaxle could be used, and its powered hydraulics, which was also handy for raising the pop-up headlights without costly and weighty electric motors.

Economies of scale would give the Merak a competitive price and losing two cylinders made room for small rear seats, too. That was the theory. In practice, the Merak ended up substantially different from the Bora, with a completely revised rear structure, while the SM’s sales tailed off and Citroën’s finances plummeted, forcing it to abandon Maserati in 1975.

Fortunately, Alejandro de Tomaso came to the rescue, but the economies of scale had vanished and Merak production remained low.

Giorgetto Giugiaro had brilliantly adapted the Bora’s styling for the 2+2 Merak, with a flat rear deck and (removable) flying buttresses instead of the sloping screen. The Giulio Alfieri-designed quad-cam V6 was superb and, with great handling plus a nice five-speed ’box and a big front boot, the Merak was a practical supercar that was quiet and reasonably comfortable.

Competition from Ferrari’s much quicker Dino 308GT4 led Maserati to upgrade the Merak to SS form – with an extra 30bhp – and de Tomaso added a 2-litre tax-break model for Italy.

SS looks nearly identical to standard Merak

As a classic buy the Merak is hugely appealing, but requires great care because it rots severely from the inside out.

The two key areas are around the front suspension mountings welded into the boot floor (lift the stuck-on carpet and it’s not unknown for the remains of the inner wings to come too), and around the fuel tank ‘bins’ on either side of the engine. Both areas require serious expenditure to rectify and can be in tatters on cars that, from the outside, look perfect.

The next scarily expensive area is the engine. They can clock up 150,000-plus miles without major attention, but – particularly if unused for long periods – the sodium-filled exhaust valves can snap and wreck the V6, says Andy Heywood of Bill McGrath.

A full rebuild can top £20,000, so it’s worth finding out if the valves have been replaced – c£3500 if nothing else needs doing.

Images: Tony Baker

Maserati Merak: what to look for

Bodywork

See above for trouble spots

Engine

Access to the engine isn’t bad with the space-saver spare out, though removing the exhaust manifolds is a major challenge. Look for proof of regular maintenance and check for oil/water mixing or water blowing out, suggesting head-gasket failure (c£2400 to replace both). If exhaust valves haven’t been replaced, budget for it.

Suspension

All bushes, dampers and springs are available so suspension rebuilds are not frightening, but rotten mounting area is; steering rack is NLA new.

Wheels

This is the original paint finish for the wheels; many are brighter. The pattern changed slightly for SS and tyres went up one size, 185 to 195 f, 205 to 215 r.

Hydraulics

Brakes/headlamp pods are worked by Citroën hydraulic system; it powers SS clutch, too. It’s reliable and not costly to fix; a recon main brake sphere is £100.

Gearbox

SM-derived gearbox was also used by the Lotus Esprit and there are some spares around. Test for worn synchros (notably second) and a slipping clutch.

External trim

External trim is unobtainable new and second-hand parts are extremely scarce, so ensure it is in good order or budget to make new from scratch.

Interior

Most Meraks had leather trim and it’s the simplest answer to worn velour: unobtainable, as are most interior items. Column stalks are expensive.

Maserati Merak: on the road

The Merak should feel taut, lively and responsive on the road

The engine should feel smooth and flexible right through the rev range, with serious performance above 3000rpm. Expect 1-2bar oil pressure at tickover when hot and 4-5bar at speed; gauges are unreliable, so use a remote one if unsure. Wear shows as excessive blue smoke on the overrun, usually from worn valve guides.

The SS had different heads with larger valves and ports, higher compression and slightly bigger carbs. SS cam covers have six bolts, while normal Meraks have five. It’s not unknown to find an SM V6: check the number with club or specialists.

In the UK, post-’75 Meraks have to pass the CO emissions test when MoT’d, which can take some fiddling because triple Webers are not efficient at low revs. Once passed, they will probably need to be readjusted to run smoothly – and don’t expect much fuel economy if you use the performance. As well as the valve issue, little-used engines are prone to blowing head gaskets.

On the road, the car should feel taut, lively and responsive. Tired Meraks give themselves away with soggy, unpredictable handling. If the rear end squeaks, budget for all-new bushes soon: it is seizing and could break a wishbone.

Not everyone likes the Citroën brakes, but they are less shocking compared to over-servoed modern brakes – just gentle low-speed braking takes some practice.

The SS’ powered clutch has a spool valve that wears: run the engine, turn off and pop the lights up and down until the pressure goes; they should lift at least six times. The spheres are a service item and should be replaced every two years, but some cars still have originals.

Maserati Merak price guide

Show/rebuilt RHD: £45,000
Show/rebuilt LHD: £40,000
Average RHD: £35,000
Average LHD: £30,000
Restoration: £10,000+

Maserati Merak history

1971 Giugiaro-styled V8 Bora launched

1972 Oct: Merak introduced, using many Bora components with 3-litre V6 plus Citroën SM dash on left-hand-drive cars

1973 UK RHD imports begin

1974 USA cars fitted with huge rubber bumpers and full-sized spare with hump in engine lid

1975 Mar: SS takes over. Left-hookers are fitted with square-shaped dashboard

1976 Larger clutch fitted due to rapid wear. Citroën hydraulics dropped for US: conventional servo brakes, electric motor for headlights

1977 2000 GT added for Italy: 1999cc; 170bhp @ 7000rpm; 131lb ft @ 5700rpm, 135mph, c180 built. All LHD Meraks now have Bora dash

1982 Production ends: 231 total sold in the UK, including 140 SSs out of about 1000

The owner’s view

Owner John Cochrane has owned his Merak since 2006

“I’ve owned Alfa Romeos since my late teens,” explains owner John Cochrane, “and wanted something more exotic, but not a Ferrari – too obvious.

“I’d actually just bought an SS when I saw this car in 2006. It had only done 4000 miles from new and I fell in love with it.

“It is so original and has never been welded anywhere. I did have to have the engine rebuilt after it dropped a valve, though, but Bill McGrath sorted it and now it’s a lovely, usable car with a decent amount of storage space.

“They also modified the pedals slightly to make it very comfortable because I’m tall and have big feet. It’s done 11,000 miles now – we’ve just been to Ireland for five days with the Maserati Club and it didn’t miss a beat.”

Also consider

Ferrari 308GT4 (left) and Lamborghini Urraco are alternative buys

FERRARI 308GT4

Ferrari won the compact Italian 2+2 mini-supercar war with keen pricing and class-leading performance from new 2926cc V8 (a further 840 were sold at home with 2-litres). Rot-prone, but well supported by specialists.

Sold 1973-’80 • No. built 2826 • Mpg 14-22 • 0-60mph 6.4 secs • Top speed 152mph • Price new £13,000 (’77) • Price now £20,000+

LAMBORGHINI URRACO

With a stunning Bertone body, the Urraco beat its rivals to the market but initially didn’t offer the pace to match its looks and was too expensive. Steel structure rusts badly and the V8 is costly to fix.

Sold 1970-’78 • No. built 776 • Mpg 13-20 • 0-60mph 8.5-7.6 secs • Top speed 143-158mph • Price new £14,560 (’77) • Price now £30,000+

Maserati Merak: the Classic & Sports Car verdict

A well-maintained Merak is civilised and practical, ideal for high days and holidays two-up.

Choose a good one and look after it, and it need not be expensive to run. Buy one with problems, however, and you can expect substantial bills before you can enjoy it.

There’s no strong reason to choose an SS over earlier cars: simply go for the best that you can afford.

FOR

Remarkably practical supercar that should be reliable if it has been properly sorted
Superb quad-cam V6
Surprisingly civilised
Rear seat for small children/emergency use

AGAINST