The Biturbo should be met with suspicion. After all, it was selected as Time's Worst Car of 1984. Piling on further, we've been advised by those in the Alfa Romeo community to permit the Biturbo ample berth. And yet the temptation remains.
We aren't fans of the shape, though once you get past the awkward, stunted proportions, the design details are handsome. The wheels are a classic design with a nice deep dish to them. The exhaust tips are interesting, and the fonts on the decklid are handsome. We can imagine how the interior, worn out as it is today, would have looked in the original design concept sketches and we see what they were going for. Still, it brings to mind the current Maserati Ghibli - a car that sells in relatively large numbers (for a Maserati) in spite of its odd appearance.
As the Tipo 138 Maserati Coupe and Spyder take over as the de facto used Maseratis, it's time to refresh on the original used Maserati: the Biturbo. Born out of a newfound desire for profitability (where have we seen this before?), the Biturbo was the result of de Tomaso acquisition of the Maserati brand. Whereas Maserati had previously produced GTs and mid-engined sports cars, they sought to compete down-market with the likes of BMW and their 3-series. Selling to a market with higher volume, de Tomaso's Maserati hoped to scale up production to the point of financial success.
With a name like Biturbo, naturally the engine would be a major focus of the development effort, but were nine distinct engines over 13 years really necessary? Sure, there is a bit of context to the constant churn and development. Italian cars would need engines displacing under 2,000cc in order to avoid excess taxes, whereas foreign markets could engine the full 2,491cc offering. And, fuel-injection was more or less replacing carburetion during the Biturbo's time period, so it would stand to logic that Maserati would source a system midway through the production of the Biturbo. The mid-cycle bump up to 2,790cc is an ironclad method of increasing power and reducing lag on a turbocharged engine. But a complete head redesign for the introduction of a 24-valve variant? Well, even that might have made sense too, as it was likely intended to carry on further into models such as the successor to the Biturbo, the AM336 Ghbli.
You are bidding on a mechanically sorted Maserati Biturbo with an unmatched pedigree.
History: This was the personal car of the owner of Fremont Foreign Auto, an Italian car specialist in Fremont, CA. He swapped the drivetrain along with the rear end, wheels, and some interior components from the donor vehicle, which I was told had covered less than 20k miles.
Reliability: Fuel-injected 2.5L twin turbo V6 and five-speed manual transmission from a 1987 Maserati Zagato Spyder (same platform, so everything bolts right in). Fuel injection cures many of the reliability problems that colored early Biturbos' reputations.
- California BAR certified
- New fuel pump and alternator were installed in November 2017.
- No other needs or issues. I would drive it across country tomorrow.
Character: The throbbing exhaust note and 3,000rpm turbo rush give the car a far richer personality than contemporary BMW, Mercedes, or Alfa alternatives. The chrome tubing and wrinkle-coated valve covers under the hood is more in-line with Ferrari than even Alfa.
Body:
- Paint is excellent and body is straight
- Surface corrosion around the edges of the hood vents is the only rust
Interior:
- Aftermarket CD/Bluetooth stereo with phone/microphone interface
- Period correct Momo steering wheel with Maserati crest
- Odometer inoperable but 56,514 indicated
- A/C condenser kicks on, no visible leaks, but air is slightly cooler than ambient at best
Reason for Sale:
- I acquired the car from a dealer in Idaho this spring. You can see dozens of pictures on his site: http://www.modernclassicautos.com/1984-maserati-biturbo/
- His walk-around video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgKheP3ORe0&t=106s
- You can see the car, with other Maserati, Ferrari, and Alfa Romeo, on the Freemont Auto site: https://www.fremontforeignauto.com/
I have moved and lost a garage space, so I would prefer to sell it rather than park it outside.
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We can't in good faith suggest that you'll notice the 10hp bump provided by the fuel-injected engine that the previous owner swapped in. From what it sounds like, this swap to fuel-injection carries the sole benefit of reliable operation - the seller goes so far as to state that the carb'd cars tainted the reputation of the Biturbo. Having met a very happy Biturbo owner at an Italian car event, we can get on board with this thinking. No, an engine swap is probably not in the best interest of the car's value, but a useable, reliable Biturbo is worth something to many.
Taking the seller's word to be good, good on him for selling the car rather than letting it sit. A rust-free Biturbo like this deserves some protection from moisture and the sun's rays. The interior, by the way, is preserved in remarkable condition for one of these cars. Take a look at the photos in detail, and you might notice the shift pattern. That's right - it's a dogleg manual transmission with 1st off the H. Spend some time diagnosing the weak A/C and get this thing out on the road to enjoy the snarly 90 degree V6. We heard that those are cool again - ask Alfa.
