1977 Maserati Merak Coupe

Alessandro DeTomaso, with assistance from the Italian Government, purchased the Maserati Automobile Company from Citroen in 1975. This purchase made the Maserati company an Italian company once again. With the purchase, several changes were made to the cars that were already in production. For the Merak, this meant that the complex hydraulic suspension and brake system was eliminated and switched with a more reliable setup consisting of conventional coil-over shock and A-frames. A ZF transmission, also found in the Ford GT, was added.

The continued development throughout the years of the Merak resulted in the SS version. Improvements throughout the vehicle, both mechanically and aesthetically, resulted in a weight reduction of over 300 pounds. The hydraulic headlight door servos were replaced with simple electric motors, aiding in reducing the overall weight. Mounted mid-ship was a more potent three-liter engine that now offered 220 horsepower. The top speed was around 140 mph and this was with reasonable fuel consumption at any speed.

This example has traveled less than 25,000 miles since new. It spent most of its earlier life in Texas and as such, is fitted with air conditioning. The interior is original and features tobacco leather. It has been given a bare-metal re-spay to Concours standards in the original Bright White livery.

In 2008, this Merak SS 2+2 Coupe was offered for sale at the Hilton Head Sports & Classic Car Auction presented by Worldwide Auctioneers. It had an estimated value of $35,000 - $45,000. As the gavel fell for the third and final time, bidding had reached $31,900 including the buyer's premium. Since there was no reserve on the vehicle, the lot was sold.

By Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2008