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| Presenting a selection of the photographs contributed by Maserati Club members |
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If you would like to add your Maserati photos for publication on this page,
please send your photos to me at maserati123@btopenworld.com. Thank you! |
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| Henry Peder |
| The Classic MotorShow 2006 |
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The ex-1974 Paris Motor Show MASERATI QUATTROPORTE SERIES II PROTOTYPE
Chassis No: AV 123 004 - Body No: 600003
Engine: six cylinder, four overhead camshafts, 2,965 cc, producing 210bhp at 6,000rpm; Gearbox: manual five speed; Suspension: front and rear, independent hydropneumatic suspension with automatic self-leveling; Brakes: four wheel disc brakes with automatic distribution of load. Left hand drive Beige with brown leather interior.
Model history
Maserati reacted to the continuing demand for sporty limousines in the early sixties. In 1963 Maserati brought out a new family of V8 engined cars, among these, the Quattroporte I. As its name suggests (four doors), it was a large four door high performance saloon for the distinguished gentleman who also wished to transport his family in style. The late sixties saw control of Maserati pass to Citroën and a lot of Citroën's advanced technology has been transferred into the new Maserati models.
As the years passed by, production of the Quattroporte I ended and the need for a new four-door saloon became apparent. And so was born the Quattroporte II, built with many sophisticated components already in use in the Citroën SM: hydropneumatic suspension, the 'fullpower' braking system and self-centring power steering, even when the car was stationary. The fuel crisis of the early Seventies and the opportunity of making use of the 3-litre V6 engine that had been in production for some time, made this power unit the obvious choice for the new saloon, even though its weight demanded a more powerful larger capacity engine. The prototype of this model, designated AM 123 004 by the factory, was first displayed at the Paris Motor Show on the 3rd October 1974.
With coachwork designed by Bertone, who had utilised all his skills to achieve a design that was 'clean' with proportionate dimensions, the Quattroporte II gave one the impression of being elegant and "leggera". Particular attention was paid to sound insulation of the engine bay and wind noise was kept to a minimum by its aerodynamic exterior profile. The well finished interior oozed luxury (all four door widows had individual retractable sun blinds), the digital instrument panel 'á la Citroën', being particularly sophisticated. Thanks to the use of the front-wheel drive, the Quattroporte II had a spacious interior, with a clear floor-pan free from the traditional transmission tunnel, and an extremely spacious boot compartment . The drive was effortless in spite of it's size: steering was particularly light with a total lack of adverse reactions. The level of ride comfort was extremely good thanks to the use of Citroën's hydropneumatic suspension, power steering and the servo-assisted brakes. However the car lacked something in the power and torque department, enough to make one weep for the power of that V8 engine. Performance figures from the official factory brochure claimed a top speed in excess of 200 kms and acceleration from 0 to 100 kms in nine seconds.
Standard equipment included air conditioning, tinted windows, sun blinds, radio cassette, electric windows, power steering and a heated rear window. Optional extras included leather interior and an electric sliding roof.
The refusal on the part of Citroën to make any further investment into the company made the financial situation at Maserati so serious that on the 23rd of May 1974, Citroën placed the company into liquidation. These events meant that the Quattroporte II was unable to complete its full homologation process and only the 13 examples on the line were completed when production ended.
Specific history of this car
Unfortunately the Quattroporte II remained as a prototype. Some people say only one car was produced other sources say 13. Both opinions are right, the first prototype, Chassis number 002, was never finished completely as it was used for crash testing and was destroyed. The second prototype, the car offered here, is the sole car which was built to perfection including digital instruments, a wooden dashboard and the very special magnesium wheels. Furthermore Chassis number 004 was the car presented to the public at the Maserati stand on the Paris Motor show in October 1974. Due to various problems on the financial side and with the homologation of the new prototype, Maserati decided to produce with the remaining parts a limited series of 11 cars which were sold to the Middle East, although these cars did not have a lot in common with the first prototype. In order to keep the financial damage as limited as possible these cars were fitted with various older parts from the Quattroporte I.
It is believed that the factory sold this car to an Italian dealer and the present owner purchased the car in 1997 from Autosport Bologna, Italy. Due to a lack of time, he has used and showed the Quattroporte very rarely, but always at prestigious events such as the Cartier Style et Luxe concourse during the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2000 and 2005.
Text courtesy of Christie's |
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The Quattroporte II
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Courtesy of Edwin Faulkner
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The rare Maserati Quattroporte II
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The rare Maserati Quattroporte II
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The rare Maserati Quattroporte II
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The Maserati L/125/T2 'Turismo Lusso' motorcycle
Years of production: 1954-1959; Two-stroke single cylinder 123 cc engine (Bore 52mm/stroke 58mm); Compression ratio 6.5:1; Power output 4.8 bhp @ 5000 rpm; Maximum revs 5000 rpm; Dell'Orto carburettor; 3-speed gearbox; Maximum speed 60/65 kph; Dry weight 80 kg
Maserati motorcycle history
It is a curious fact that the motorcycles that carried the famous 'Trident' were not made by the famous car maker, but by a subsidiary company of the Orsi Group that manufactured spark plugs, batteries and bulbs for cars and motorcycles. These two companies having only the famous name and the Trident logo in common.
The association with two wheels goes right back to the origins of Maserati, for it was Carlo Maserati who started his engineering career building single cylinder engines to mount on bicycles working from a workshop just outside Milan.
During the First World War, Alfieri Maserati, on completing his miltary service, set up a spark plug factory in Milan which was transferred to Bologna in 1919. Thus, when in 1937 the Orsi family acquired the Maserati workshop, they also acquired the factory manufacturing spark plugs.
In 1939 Maserati moved to a larger factory in Modena, the centre of the Orsi family's operations, with the spark plug factory sited at a separate factory some 2 Km away from the car factory. During and after the war this side of the business, aided by goverment contracts, flourished and in 1947 Società Anonima Fabbrica Candele Accumulatori Maserati was formed with its headquarters in Via Generale Paolucci 165, Modena.
The company was now expanding fast: thanks largely to an intense advertising campaign in motor cycle, national and provincial magazines and journals, and the product range was extended to include the production of batteries, bulbs, distributor caps and contact sets for the car and motorcycle market.
In the early fifties the Orsi Family divided the various activities of the company amongst its members, with Adolfo retaining "Maserati Automobili", brother Marcello given the foundry business, "Fonderie di Modena" and sister Ida the spark plug factory, "Fabbrica Candele e Accumulatori Maserati". Due to a combination of a misunderstanding and an oversight on the Notary's part, Fabbrica Candele e Accumulatori Maserati retained the right to the use the Maserati name and the 'Trident' logo.
It was at this time that the home market showed signs of an increasing need for cheap motorised transport, especially on two wheels. With this in mind, Fabbrica Candele Accumulatori Maserati decided to enter the field of motorcycle manufacture.
Realising the high cost of developing a motorcycle from scratch, they decided to purchase an existing motorcycle manufacturer and turned their attentions to a small well established motorcycle manufacturer in Bologna by the name of Italmoto. In 1953, a deal with Dr Giuseppe Migliori, the major shareholder of Italmoto, was arrived at and Fabbrica Candele Accumulatori Maserati bought Italmoto. At their factory in Via Ferrarese 171, Bologna, Italmoto produced three motorcycles, two 125cc two-stroke machines and a four-stroke 160cc touring bike.
In 1953 all motorcycle production was transferred to the Fabbrica Candele Accumulatori Maserati factory in Via Generale Paolucci 165, Modena. Early production of Maserati motorcycles consisted of the 160cc four-stroke touring bike previously produced by Italmoto but now sporting the Trident logo and renamed the Tipo 160/T4.
The company established a new department to design and produce their own bikes and their first model, the L/125/T2, was influenced greatly by the German DKW design. Over the following years several new models were introduced with engine sizes varying from 50 cc to 250 cc.
The company's initial success in this field and a dramatic decline in the demand for its batteries and spark plugs forced the company to concentrate its efforts towards motorcycle production and emphasis was placed on the utilitarian 50cc 'Moped' sector of the market. They produced two 50cc bikes: the T2/U (U for UOMO/ man) and the T2/D (D for DONNA/ woman) distinguished by their frames, the first tubular and the second pressed-steel. There followed two four-speed 125cc models, the T2/TV and the T2/M, and two sporty 50cc models, the 50/T2/S and the 50/T2/SS. The latter, with a dual-beam back-bone frame, wrap-around front mudguard, race number carriers in front of the headlamp and at the rear, and a dummy megaphone exhaust pipe. These features made this model particularly popular among the younger enthusiasts as it gave the impression of being a larger engined bike.
The unusual 'back-bone' design of the 50/T2/SS gave rise to its nickname which originated in the premises of Lina and Guido Borri at Via Mazzini 54 in Bologna; the Borris were formerly dealers for Italmoto but now Maserati. When they took delivery of the new model, Lina took one look at the it and exclaimed: "Ma cos'è questo brutto rospo? ("What is this ugly toad?"). From then on, the 50/T2/SS was nicknamed 'Rospo' (toad) and Guido even attached specially designed decals to his bikes depicting a toad 'ready to pounce'.
Maserati did not have its own motorcycle racing team, even though this route was proven to have a positive effect on sales, but it did, however, encourage some of its retailers to organise races for its customers. Those races include the 'Giro d'Italia Motociclistico' (The Motorcycle Tour of Italy), the 'Milano-Taranto' (The Milan to Taranto race) and many other local races.
At first the Maserati motorcycle business was able to resist strong competition from FIAT, with its small cars that had now invaded the motorcycle market. The Maserati motorcycles had secured an established slice of the market and by 1958 Fabbrica Candele Accumulatori Maserati were producing no fewer than ten different models (shown below). For many young people and Maserati enthusiasts, to own a Maserati motorcycle was a sign of distinction making it preferrable to other marques.
In the first four years, demand for motorcycles at home and abroad was good with markets firmly established in South America, Europe and North Africa. Then in 1957, news of serious financial difficulties within the Orsi group began to leak out. This was followed by the news of Maserati's withdrawal from Formula One and other official competition.
In 1958 the company was in serious financial difficulties. For a variety of reasons, its foreign customers refused to pay and were no longer placing orders. Demand on the home market fell drastically due to the serious competition not only from such prestigious marques as Morini, MV Agusta, Benelli, Laverda and others, but the arrival of more competively priced cars from FIAT: which had a dramatic effect on the Italian motorcycle industry. In spite of this, there was potential for increased sales but the company desperately needed an injection of capital, and when in 1960 the banks decided to 'pull the plug', it marked the end for 'Maserati Candele, Accumulatori e Moto and the company went into liquidation.
It is ironic that the factory producing the first product made by the Maserati brothers should go into liquidation at a time when car production was on the increase. |
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The L/125/T2 Maserati motorcycle
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Courtesy of Autoshield Maserati
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