The weekend of the annual Maserati Club concours was fast approaching and after two years judging, I decided this year to enter the concours with my modest Ghibli MY94.
The car hadn't been used since its last trip back in April and the battery needed re-charging. A glimpse under the bonnet seemed to confirm that the engine needed a wash. So come Friday morning, I duly covered all the electrics with 'Cling' film, sprayed the engine with 'Gunk', waited a few minutes and hosed the engine down with a jet spray. I then removed the cling film, blew compressed air over all the electrical connections, fuses and relays to make sure everything was dry and fired up the engine. Good, she started first time - no problems there!
My car was now washed, polished, and the interior given a quick wipe over and a good hoovering. My Ghibli was now ready to take on the Maserati world! Or so I thought!
Saturday afternoon I set off for the Hanover Hotel near Brinkley to attend the Annual AGM and the pre-concours dinner. It was a sunny day and not wishing to arrive too early, I cruised northwards up the M5 at a steady 70 mph. After about 30 or so miles, 50 mph warning lights warned of a contra-flow system ahead. This together with an earlier accident had caused a 3 mile tail-back, I slowed down and joined the 'queue' and listened to a Brook Benton CD and hadn't a care in the world! But life isn't always that easy for the Maseratista and with the cooling fans at full blast and the air-conditioning on high, the warning light on my voltmeter started flashing. It was then that I noticed the voltage reading on the voltmeter was beginning to drop. When it reached 11 volts I decided to pull over onto the hard shoulder.
I had just passed the junction 9 northbound slip road and carefully reversed back down the hard shoulder out of harm's way. I parked just ahead of a base set up in the slip road for emergency rescue vehicles. I called the RAC informing them of my plight and that a tow back to my home address would be required and was told that help would be with me within 30 minutes. Being a hot afternoon, I took out a chair and a can of Coke and relaxed reading a magazine whilst help was on its way.
Within a few minutes a tow truck began reversing down the hard shoulder of the slip road. Ah! help has arrived I thought. I got up and walked towards the reversing tow truck. The driver then stopped his vehicle, got out and walked towards me. Just as I was about to thank him for his quick reponse, you can imagine my amazement when instead of coming to my aid, he hurled a mouthful of abuse including "What the 'Hell' are you doing picnicking on the hard shoulder of a motorway," or words to that effect!!! I tried to explain that I had broken down and was awaiting the RAC but he wouldn't let me get a word in edgeways continuing his foul-mouthed lecture on the 'dangers of picnicking on the hard shoulder of a motorway'. Eventually when he had calmed down, I was able to explain that sitting on the grass verge of a motorway wasn't my idea of a good time, that my car had broken down, and that I was awaiting assistance from the RAC.
I moved my car to a spot that kept him happy and awaited the RAC. Sure enough within half an hour the RAC arrived, the car was loaded up and I was on my way home.
It was then that I experienced that warped sense of humour that only wives possess when I asked if I could borrrow her car to continue my journey. I had a spare alternator in the garage but was in no mood to get down under the car and replace the faulty one on a hot Saturday afternoon!
I arrived at the Hanover Hotel, in my wife's VW Golf, at around five thirty, checked into my room and freshened up in readiness for an assault on the bar where I expected to find most of our members.
Sure enough the bar was half full of members, but as thirsty as I was, I had a small job to do. Scot, a Ghibli Cup owner and Maserati enthusiast, had lent me a very rare book and I was happy to return it. With Scot were Andy Heywood and Kerry McMullen, the Head of MIE, who was Andy's guest and had been invited by the club to be one of the judges at the concours.
We shared the odd drink, Kerry seemed to enjoy a pint of Boddingtons, and chatted till it was time to attend the club's AGM. Following the AGM, members enjoyed a wholesome buffet dinner in an area of the hotel's Brasserie specially reserved for the club. After dinner we returned to the bar, where much to my annoyance they had run out of Campari. However, all was not entirely lost as I found an acceptable replacement in their ten-year-old malt and was able to continue our Maserati talk until the early hours.
After a traditional English breakfast; perhaps I should add substantial to that, we were off on the short drive to Stanford Hall. Our group was among the first to arrive and having paid the modest GB £7.00 entrance fee, I followed the Maseratis, and while they parked in a reserved area, I 'hid' my wife's Golf behind the Graypaul marquee.
David Thomas was setting up his bookstall and I noticed he was selling the latest issue of the Maserati: Catalogue Raisonné at the special 'give-away' price of only GB £49.99, reduced from the original asking price of GB £129.99. As I already have a copy of the earlier version, I had decided not to pay £129.99 for this latest version in what amounted to just one additional chapter. But at £49.99 it was a steal and well worth it! I immediately phoned my friend Marcello Candini in Italy to ask if he wanted a copy at this very low price, needless to say he said yes! He can't get it that cheap over there! Copies are now available at this special price via Regalia!!
I wandered around taking the odd photo as the cars began to arrive. It was then that I spotted Richard and Jarle. Jarle had come over from Norway to attend the concours and being a regular contributor to our pages it was great to finally meet him. It was then that we heard the roar of a car being 'fired up'. It was of course Anthony Hartley's superb recreation of Maserati's fabulous 16 cylinder Tipo V4. We rushed over to see this magnificent work of art for no other words can describe it, it's quite magnificent! Mr Hartley has spent the last eight to ten years with the project and estimates he has spent in excess of 12,000 hours working on it. Just think, he has made every nut and bolt on this car working from factory drawings. You could almost say that this car was made in the same manner as the original.
It was now time for lunch so we set off to the Graypaul marquee for the traditional club barbeque. Chicken, steak, sausages, burgers and all kinds of salads were laid out before us and we came away with our plates suitably filled. Now I'm not one to complain and I'm not saying that the steak was tough, but it did help when the other diners held the table when I cut my steak!!!
After lunch I went over to the Graypaul stand and had another good look at the new Quattroporte. Graypaul had also brought along the new Coupe and Spyder. The rest of the afternoon was spent taking photographs and meeting old friends. It was great to see so many of you there! A final count established that 96 cars attended the concours, I'm pretty sure the numbers were up on last year, it certainly looked like it.
Finally a word about concours winner Norman and his Indy. Norman came all the way from Scotland to attend the concours and only bought the car a coupe of weeks ago. He has been a Maserati enthusiast fro a while now but wanted to buy 'the right car'. Well he certainly did that, congratulations Norman!
On a final note I would like to thank Ken Painter for bringing along his rare Tipo 4CS, Anthony Hartley for sharing his recreation of the formidable Tipo V4 with us, to Graypaul, Maserati/Ferrari distributors, for displaying the new Quattroporte, the Coupe and the Spyder, the Maserati Club members and the Maserati owners who made the day such a great success.
I would also like to mention for special thanks Bill Jackson who organised such a splendid display of Maseratis.
ROLL ON 2005!!
Maseratis monopolised ...
... the hotel car park
There were Maseratis everywhere ...
even Scot's recently restored Kyalami
The series 5000GT by Allemano
Restored by Bill McGrath Maserati
Red line - Alfieri Maserati produced
Blue line - post-Alfieri Maserati produced
The 3500GT and Stanford Hall
Scot's Kyalami was an early arrival
Rear suspension
Ghibli Cup chassis plate
Contestant's commemorative medal
Anthony Hartley's Tipo 4
"A 12,000 hour labour of love"
Auto-focus accidently turned off!
Each component made by Mr Hartley
Huge ventillated drum brakes
A recreation of Maserati excellence!
Exquisite craftsmanship!
Unbelievable attention to detail!
Jarle and Richard 'pose' by the V4
No apologies for the repeats!
Well worth another look!
The magnificent V4 engine at the NEC
Note the two large Roots superchargers
Chassis plate of the 3500GT
Straight-six engine of the 3500GT
Two spark plugs per cylinder
Three twin-choke Weber carburettors
Khamsin
Sebring IIa serie
Simon's splendid Mistral
The Kyalami - seriously under-rated!
Ghibli SS
Ghibli Spyder
Ghibli
The gorgeous Spyder Vignale
Biturbo SE Coupe
Karif
Spyder
222 SE
The Spyder and Coupe
Quattroporte IV
Spyders in all colours
The Coupe
Another Ghibli Cup
Coupes, from the first to the latest!
Ghibli Primatist
Rare green interior for a Ghibli II
... smart isn't it!
Ghibli Cup
Another one, just to keep Scot happy!
A Ghibli Cup with a difference!
Adjustable rear spoiler
Huge oval tail-pipes
90 plus Maseratis on view!
Spyder 3a serie
4200 Coupe
Quattroporte IV
Ghibli Cup - one of 14 of show!
Maseratis at Stanford Hall
A Citroen SM joins in the fun!
Rare home market Biturbo Si!
3200GT
Officine Alfieri Maserati 3200GT
90 plus Maseratis at Stanford Hall!
Maserati Club members enjoyed ...
... a fine lunch in the Graypaul marquee
Graypaul displayed the new Quattroporte!
Andy tries out the new Quattroporte for size
Wheel of the new Quattroporte
The new Quattroporte ..
... in the grounds of Stanford Hall.
The Tipo V4 departs ...
... and almost takes me with it!!
Spyder
Ghibli Cup
Large crowds gather to view ...
... a magnificent display
Henry and his gorgeous Ghibli Spyder
The distinguished judges ...
... the merits of this Ghibli
Merak
Quattroporte I
3500GT - winner of Class 1
Ghibli
Simon 's Mistral
Andy's series 2 Sebring
Khamsin
Norman's Indy - Concours winner
Kyalami
Ghibli
Ghibli Spyder
Ghibli SS
Two of a kind - well almost!
In the background the Graypaul stand
3.2-litre V8 engine - Quattroporte IV
4.2-litre V8 engine - New Quattroporte
Chassis plate of the Karif or Spyder
Chassis plate of the Shamal
Scot displays his commemorative medal
The Allemano 5000GT
Last but not least ...
... Ken Painter's spledid Tipo 4CS
Early Biturbo 18-valve engine
Alex Fyshe thanks all concerned
The winner of Class 1
The winner of Class 2
The winner of Class 3
The winner of Class 4
The winner of Class 5
Outright concours winner
My thanks to the gentleman on my right who allowed me to photograph his left shoulder - nice polo shirt, and the keen photographer, with matching baseball cap and polo shirt, on my left whose photographs will probably appear in the next issue of Trident!
