Category Archives: Giugiaro

Giugiaro, Maserati

2004 Maserati Coupe GT on BaT

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We are going to miss having the Maserati around. A restrained design, 6-speed manual, and an engine from Maranello with nearly 100hp/liter of displacement all add up for quite an enjoyable car. We always thought that we would replace it with a Ferrari 456 GT, but we think this will get replaced by another Maserati Coupe down the road.

For now, having the space back for our growing list of project cars will be welcome. The car has been perfect throughout our four years of ownership, with only a window regulator failure to report on as far as issues go. And we were able to come up with a fix for those here.

2004 Maserati Coupe GT for sale manual transmission Ferrari engine side
Click to view auction on Bring A Trailer

Year: 2004
Model:  Maserati
Engine: 4.2L V8
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Mileage:  49,000 miles
Price: No reserve auction
Location: Dearborn, MI

2004 Maserati Coupe GT for sale manual transmission Ferrari engine black interior
Click to view auction on Bring A Trailer

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2004 Maserati Coupe GT on BaT

This 2004 Maserati Coupé GT is finished in black over black leather and is powered by a replacement 4.2-liter V8 paired with a six-speed manual transaxle. Equipment includes 18″ seven-spoke wheels, a Blaupunkt CD changer, a carbon-trimmed shift knob, automatic climate control, and Tubi rear mufflers. The car was originally delivered to The Collection of Coral Gables, Florida, and later moved to Michigan, where it was acquired by the seller in 2017. Service in 2020 consisted of a heater core replacement, a coolant flush, and oil change, while the battery was replaced in preparation for the sale. This Coupé GT shows 49k miles and is offered at no reserve with three keys, an owner’s manual, service records, a factory tool kit and tire inflator, a Maserati-branded car cover, a clean Carfax report, and a clean Michigan title in the seller’s name

2004 Maserati Coupe GT for sale manual transmission Ferrari engine
Click to view auction on Bring A Trailer

The car had an engine replacement at 33k miles, so the new engine has just 16k miles on it. We replaced the heater core with a Saab aluminum unit in summer of 2020, and changed the coolant and engine oil and filter at that time. We installed new Michelin tires at around 43k miles and repaired both window regulator pins. The car has minor paint imperfections and stone chips, but the car shows very well.

We hope that the next owner can enjoy the car as much as we did, and continues to keep it in great shape. Enjoy the final day of the auction!

-Graham

Alfa Romeo, Giugiaro

1978 Alfa Romeo Alfetta GT

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We really don't like dealing with rusty cars. Certain components - suspension, brackets, exhaust - can be dealt with with reasonable effort, but once the body begins to rust, the rehab process becomes very involved. Best to cut out the rust and replace with new metal to prevent problems down the road.

Buying from the American Southwest is one way to avoid virtually all rust. Dry enough to store airplanes, the desert air is kinder to the sheetmetal. That said, with the dry air usually comes intense sunlight, and those powerful rays have a way of destroying car interiors. So, unless the car is garage-kept, you pay for your clean sheetmetal with an exploded dash and disintegrated seat foam.

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Alfa Romeo, Giugiaro, Uncategorized

1982 Alfa Romeo GTV-6

At one point, we owned a GTV-6. Black on black cloth, ridiculous 17" wheels, transaxle and DeDion sitting next to the car, rusty but no rot. Bought at a decent price, but never got around to getting it on the road. Part of that was a lack of commitment to making new hydraulic lines, and part of it was the fact that we needed garage space, having sacrificed work and storage space to that GTV-6 and an Alfetta project for too long. Our Milano Verde, with its acquired taste styling, checks many of the same boxes as a GTV-6, but as a friend with five GTV-6's will tell you, the sense of occasion is much stronger in the Giugiaro coupe version of the Alfa transaxle platform.

The GTV-6 was offered in the US from 1981 to 1985, with the 84-85 cars being most desirable to most due to their incorporation of many Milano upgrades. Those later cars got thicker Milano sway bars, longer sway bars to match the Milano (meaning heavy duty Milano bars can be swapped in), and the isostatic shift linkage from the Milano. They also featured the same 4.10 rear end as the 84-85 cars. In contrast, this 1982 model would utilize Alfetta torsion bars and sway bars and a 3.42 rear axle ratio. The seats are Alfetta-style, which is not necessarily a bad thing, as they are quite stylish, if a little bit less supportive.

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Alfa Romeo, Giugiaro

1979 Alfa Romeo Alfetta GT 3.0L swap

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Yesterday we featured a Maserati Coupe GT that the seller had transformed into a GranSport, and successfully so, if you were to ask us. Today's Alfetta GT (or is it a Sprint Veloce? discuss amongst yourselves in the comments please) is modified, but into what we could not tell you. All we can say is that we see what they were going for, and we think it's 80-90% there.

The stainless steel European bumpers look excellent on the dark-tan Giugiaro body. We like the Verde phone dials too, and the conversion to 5-lug hubs means that all of the GTV-6 wheel offerings are available as alternatives. A 3.0L Alfa V6 in stock form will make for effortless passing that is just not in the cards for the stock SPICA-fueled 2.0L.

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Giugiaro, Maserati

2006 Maserati Coupe GT

We are currently at work on a VW Rabbit pickup with a GTI engine and transmission swap. If VW had offered our favorite body configuration with the top-spec gasoline engine and close-ratio 5-spd transmission, they could have saved us some trouble. But, automakers can't always make a business case for the specific configuration of their offerings that we would enjoy most.

The seller of this Maserati Coupe GT encountered a similar situation: the GranSport is only available with paddle-shifter manual transmission, and clearly the seller prefers to drive a car with a manual transmission. The seller has grafted the GranSport body modifications onto this Coupe and has upfitted the interior with the GranSport goods as well.

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Alfa Romeo, Giugiaro

1976 Alfa Romeo GT

For a spell, we were convinced that the best way to get a sample of Alfa history was to bridge the gap between the new and the old. New to us was the torsion bar front suspension and DeDion rear suspension with rear transaxle and inboard rear brakes. And old was the venerable 4-cylinder hemi Alfa powertrain. We took one on as a project for our dad, and never managed to piece it together before it became apparent that it was never going to get the attention that it deserved. Then along came a running a driving example that wouldn't require assembly - today's blue Alfetta GT.

We remember late spring snow flurries coming down as we insisted that our dad purchase this clean, low-mileage Texas car in 2016. It came in on a transporter, and while the car was dry as expected, it was pretty apparent that the original paint wouldn't clean up. Add to the fact that 1976 wasn't the best year to be a SPICA car, and the Alfetta was clean, original, and dry, but not the most inspiring car to have taking up a garage space.

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Giugiaro, Maserati

2002 Maserati Coupe GT

Yesterday we discussed the bold designs of European cars during the early 2000s. Todays Maserati Coupe GT originates from that era, but lacks the boldness that we associate with cars out of the same period. The milquetoast exterior of the Coupe GT can be partially attributed to the fact that it is itself a refreshed edition of the Maserati 3200 GT, abandoning the boomerang taillights that set the 3200 GT apart on the road. Evaluating the contemporary Ferrari 456 and 550, the designs for front-engined exotic Italian coupes at the time were pretty restrained in comparison to what was offered from Alfa Romeo and Fiat.

This Coupe GT features the 6-speed manual transmission that is a less common sight among Coupes. As a refresher, the GT moniker denotes the manual transmission option, but many listings seem to stumble on this naming convention, so when shopping for a manual example, it's a good idea to comb through the Cambiocorsa offerings to make sure that you don't miss out on any mislabeled GT cars.

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Giugiaro, Maserati, Uncategorized

2006 Maserati Coupe GT Project

We are not serious drivers here at CICFS. We enjoy driving on the track enough to visit once a year, and for us that is plenty. It seems that every spring when the Alfa Romeo Owners' Club track day is approaching, we have some sort of tricky issue with our Milano that has us rushing to get the car track-ready. And every time that happens, we joke about just bringing the Maserati to the track.

Now, one of these years when the tires on the Maser are due for replacement, we'll make it onto the track. We're in no rush though. The Coupe is an odd car to bin into any single category. It's certainly not a sports car, lacks the power of a muscle car, and it doesn't ride well enough to be a useful GT. It's probably best described as a sports sedan with two doors, then. In any case, it doesn't beg to be driven fast, but with the willing V8 underhood and the beefy manual transaxle between the rear seats, it would certainly be enjoyable to drive at speed.

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Giugiaro, Maserati

2004 Maserati Coupe GT

The Maserati Coupe and Spyder bridge the De Tomaso and Fiat ownership eras at Maserati. The 3200GT, on which the Coupe is based, was the first new chassis developed under Fiat's sole ownership of Maserati. The twin-turbo V8 was borrowed from the Quattroporte IV, which remained on a De Tomaso era Biturbo chassis.

Ferrari's 50% stake in the outfit led to a substantially improved version of the 3200GT, renamed the Coupe and Spyder. Ferrari took advantage of its new luxury division to send the Enzo racing in Maserati MC-12 form, and it released its new F136 V8 to market in the Maserati Coupe before later introducing an uprated version of the engine in the F430. Better to get the teething issues out on the Maseratis than the Ferraris, we'd say.

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Giugiaro, Maserati

1974 Maserati Merak

Gandini might be the most recognized automotive designer when it comes to the 1970s wedge shape, but Giorgetto Giugiaro offered up his take on the wedge with the Maserati Bora and its little brother, the Merak. Substituting a Citroen and a pair of rear seats for the Bora's V8 offerings, the Merak competed with entry-level heavy-hitters like the Ferrari 308GT4 and the Lamborghini Urraco.

Maserati was owned by Citroen while the Merak was developed, so in addition to the quad-cam V6, the Merak received its brake hydraulics, clutch hydraulics, and headlight lift hydraulics from the venerable SM. Flying buttresses in the rear went a long way in distinguishing the Merak from the Bora, but both shared the majority of their front sheetmetal with one another.

1974 Maserati Merak red rear view
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Year: 1974
Model:  Maserati Merak
Engine: 3.0L V6
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Mileage:  not listed
Price: $39,950
Location: Los Angeles, CA

1974 Maserati Merak interior grey seats manual
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CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1974 Maserati Merak

1974 Maserati Merak This highly collectible 1974 Maserati Merak is available in a vibrant color combination of red with a grey interior. It comes equipped with a 5-speed manual transmission, power windows, chrome bumpers, air conditioning, Campagnolo wheels and includes the spare tire. This is a very clean and presentable car and an excellent opportunity to climb into vintage Maserati ownership at a great price. The car is also mechanically sound. For $39,950

Maserati Merak 3.0L V6 Citroen engine hydraulics
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It is said that the front suspension mountings and the rear fuel tank saddle areas are prone to rust on otherwise clean cars, and that both can require considerable expense to repair. In addition, on many cars, the sodium-filled exhaust valves are known to drop without warning, an outcome that is best avoided through proactive replacement. The transmission is shared with the Lotus Espirit of the era, so parts can be found, and the hydraulic suspension has an impressive reliability record, with replacement accumulators, the only real service part, obtained at a reasonable expense.

This seller features some of the roughest finds on the internet, so we aren't really sure what to expect from this particular example. It was likely out of service for a long period, and we wouldn't bet on the front suspension rust being already repaired. The passenger side door paint doesn't match the rest of the body, so expect some damage repair in the vehicle history. Production for the Merak is relatively high at 1830 units produced, but for a car so interesting and rare, we think the price of admission is well worth it.

-Graham