Meet the £3m Maserati collection up for sale in London

Private collection set for auction in September

You can 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 in this unusual sale 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.

1972 Maserati Ghibli SS 4.9 Spyder (cont.)

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.

1970 Maserati Ghibli SS 4.9 Coupé (cont.)

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.

1971 Maserati Ghibli SS 4.9 Coupé (cont.)

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.

1962 Maserati 5000 GT (cont.)

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.

1962 Maserati 5000 GT (cont.)

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.

1974 Maserati Quattroporte (cont.)

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.

1972 Maserati Bora (cont.)

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.

We'll let you know in September how much they all make.