1971 Maserati Ghibli Convertible

The Maserati Ghibli was introduced at the 1966 Turin Motor Show. Its beautiful design was courtesy of Giorgetto Giugiaro and featured long, razor-edges that were both brutal and refined. Equally impressive was the 4.7-liter four-cam 90-degree aluminum V-8 engine that gave the car a top speed in the neighborhood of 170 mph.

A Spyder version followed in 1969 and a year later, the Maserati 4.9 SS variant became available. It came with an increased power of 335 horsepower, making it possible to reach 100 mph in just 16 seconds and capable of 174 mph top speed.

Of the approximately 1,275 Ghiblis built, just 125 were Spyders. Of those, only 46 Spyders were fitted with the larger 4.9-liter engine.

This Ghibli 4.9 SS Spyder was ordered on February 1st of 1971 by Mario Tozzi-Condivi of MTC Cars Ltd. on behalf of William Benjamin. The majority of the 125 Ghibli Spyders were exported to the United States, this example, however, was a European-specification example which was sent to Mr. Benjamin's villa in Antibes, France.

The Spyder came witted with several 'extras' including the dashboard and transmission tunnel covered in Connolly leather, an air-conditioning system, power steering, a manual gearbox, a Becker radio with electric antenna, twin speakers, overtaking lights in the front grille, Borrani wire wheels, a hardtop and fitted luggage. It was also fitted in Verde Gemma over a Senape interior. The final build invoice totaled $16,590 and, when delivered, the car cost an astounding $17,792.

On May 12, 1971, Maserati issued the Certificate of Origin. Six days later, Mr. Benjamin traveled to Modena and collected his $17,000 Maserati. The following month, Mr. Benjamin wrote to the factory complaining of various faults with his new car A factory driver picked the car up in Antibes and returned it to Modena where it received the requested work, some of which was not covered by the guarantee and therefore invoiced directly to Mr. Benjamin.

Mr. Benjamin is known to have owned the car for just a few years. Around 1978, Sander Van der Velden in Tilburg, Netherlands, purchased the car from a Porsche dealer in nearby Eindhoven. A short time later, the car was sent back to Italy where it was repainted in burgundy and partially re-trimmed. After refurbishment, the 4.9 SS Spyder was shown at the Zandvoort Concours d'Elegance where it won an award.

In 1983, the car was sold to F.W. Overlander in West Germany. It remained there for a few years until being sold to Swiss collector Wolfgang von Schmieder of Blonay and later Cologny, Switzerland. A record from Herr von Schmieder's ownership dated June 6, 1987, noted mileage at just 80,168 km, slightly less than 50,000 miles.

In March of 2001, the von Schmieder collection was sold and purchased by another Swiss buyer in Geneva. The Ghibli was brought to storage in Bern where it saw little or no use.

Two years later, the Ghibli was bought by Ian F. Wade of Hong Kong, although the car remained in storage in Bern. The car was sold three years later to Simon Kidston of Geneva. While in Mr. Kidston's care, the car received a complete, eight-month restoration. Upon completion, the car was shown at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este in 2007 and then participated in the Ecosse Tour through Scotland.

In 2012, the car was offered for sale at the Gooding & Company auction held in Scottsdale, Arizona. It was estimated to sell for $700,000 - $900,000. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for the sum of $880,000 inclusive of buyer's premium.

By Daniel Vaughan | Jan 2012