The undercover supercar. Will this rare right-hand-drive Bora exceed expectations in London?
Compared to other Seventies supercars, the Maserati Bora borders on affordable. But why? We asked Hagerty’s valuations expert and Italian car buff John Mayhead for his opinion on the example being offered at the RM Sotheby’s London sale on September 5.
‘By any standard the Maserati Bora is a particularly pretty car. The Guigiaro-designed body seems to hunch over the front axle as if ready to pounce, the rear tapering purposefully over the engine deck. Inside, there are excellent leather seats and a true supercar feel to the cabin. The mid-mounted V8 engine revs wonderfully, sounds the part and delivers over 300bhp to the rear wheels. It’s a beautiful sports car from an iconic manufacturer and only a few hundred were made, 42 of which were right-hand drive. It should be highly collectable. ‘Recent auction results have been mixed – a low-mileage 4.9-litre Bora was bid up to £133,000 at Bonhams’ Paris sale, short of its £160,000 low estimate, and last year at Chantilly a 4.7-litre car sold at £86,000, again under low estimate. Two 4.9s sold at Scottsdale in January, both around the £100,000 mark.’
So why have the Bora and other Seventies Maseratis not risen higher in value? ‘Some are put of by the Citroën hydraulics, others by the odd driving position and many by the servicing costs. But a well-maintained or well-restored example can be a wonderful and reliable car. Hagerty has been saying for years that Seventies Maseratis are undervalued but still their star is yet to rise fully.
‘Although the RM car is a 4.7-litre model, not the more desirable 4.9, it looks to be in top condition with matching numbers, a recent restoration by marque expert Bill McGrath and a lovely (if non-original) colour combination of red with light tan leather.
‘It’s being sold with no reserve as part of a Maserati collection. The top Hagerty Price Guide value of £149,000 seems a bit high given the current appetite for Boras, but anything under £125,000 has to be a good deal and could see a future increase in value.’
Maserati Boras consistently underperform their Italian rivals – could be a great buy then.
‘Some are put off by the Citroën hydraulics, others by the odd driving position and many by the servicing costs’
