But what do you do with it?
The contestant on the right is a 1980 Quattroporte III with Maser's own 4.9 liter V8 mated to an autobox. It was in a slightly shabby shape with the catalog describing it as a parts car. Some trim was missing, but overall it looked pretty solid on the outside and underhood. It moved around under its own power, though it needed a little help from the auction staff to get started, and did so with a fair amount of transmission whine. It was estimated at $3K to $5K, but received no bids at $1K and was passed. It appears that a deal was put together post-block, and it went for $1K.
The contestant on the left is a 1987 Quattroporte III in Argento Silver with Maser's 4.9 liter V8. It's a sub-50K mile car that was estimated at $8K - $12K in the Bonhams catalog, and was in excellent shape for a driver. Offered with no reserve from a California collection, it sold for $2340.
That's a lot of car for the money, but also a lot of money for the car. These aren't exactly in high demand, and there are one or two on eBay any given week (usually with roasted paint from sitting in an elderly owner's well-manicured Florida yard). While this wasn't exactly the deal of the auction, as some bigger steals were to be had, it was quite a bargain for a slightly very underappreciated piece of Italian V8 luxury. It would have been less so had the bidding reached its low estimate, but the crowd at Fairfield was less than enthusiastic about Miami Vice period pieces in September in Connecticut. But at this price I say no harm done, and a slight fluffing following a checking of its vitals may even be in order.
I have tried for a long time to justify/comprehend the pros and cons of Quattroporte III ownership at this point in the space-time continuum, as "But what do you do with it?" is what everyone tends to say about such purchases. In my view, this is one of those glass-is-half-empty/half-full buys, where the enjoyability and usefulness of a Qporte III rests entirely on the POV of the buyer. After all, there is a reason why a sub-50K mile Qporte III went for a swipe of the card before a bored crowd who was there mainly for the Jaaaaags.
It can't be raced at Lime Rock without peril or loss of public face, and its not something that concours judges will fawn over. However, at lesser shows rare Italian cars are popular, and this one is sure to draw a crowd. And it could make a fine first car for a high schooler, as this didn't cost much more than a domestic counterpart of roughly the same vintage, and would provide an invaluable education to a future gearhead. It can be driven (carefully) almost year round, and should go quite a long way before something starts to go wrong. And when it does, there are parts cars which can be had for very little money. At this price, both are disposable. After all, there was a reason the maroon sedan ran immediately after the silver one - a twofer with a donor is a good way to get into Quattroporte III ownership. In this case, the price was right, and I congratulate the new owner on a sharp addition (or two) to his or her motor pool.
But what do you do with it?
The contestant on the right is a 1980 Quattroporte III with Maser's own 4.9 liter V8 mated to an autobox. It was in a slightly shabby shape with the catalog describing it as a parts car. Some trim was missing, but overall it looked pretty solid on the outside and underhood. It moved around under its own power, though it needed a little help from the auction staff to get started, and did so with a fair amount of transmission whine. It was estimated at $3K to $5K, but received no bids at $1K and was passed. It appears that a deal was put together post-block, and it went for $1K.
The contestant on the left is a 1987 Quattroporte III in Argento Silver with Maser's 4.9 liter V8. It's a sub-50K mile car that was estimated at $8K - $12K in the Bonhams catalog, and was in excellent shape for a driver. Offered with no reserve from a California collection, it sold for $2340.
That's a lot of car for the money, but also a lot of money for the car. These aren't exactly in high demand, and there are one or two on eBay any given week (usually with roasted paint from sitting in an elderly owner's well-manicured Florida yard). While this wasn't exactly the deal of the auction, as some bigger steals were to be had, it was quite a bargain for a slightly very underappreciated piece of Italian V8 luxury. It would have been less so had the bidding reached its low estimate, but the crowd at Fairfield was less than enthusiastic about Miami Vice period pieces in September in Connecticut. But at this price I say no harm done, and a slight fluffing following a checking of its vitals may even be in order.
I have tried for a long time to justify/comprehend the pros and cons of Quattroporte III ownership at this point in the space-time continuum, as "But what do you do with it?" is what everyone tends to say about such purchases. In my view, this is one of those glass-is-half-empty/half-full buys, where the enjoyability and usefulness of a Qporte III rests entirely on the POV of the buyer. After all, there is a reason why a sub-50K mile Qporte III went for a swipe of the card before a bored crowd who was there mainly for the Jaaaaags.
It can't be raced at Lime Rock without peril or loss of public face, and its not something that concours judges will fawn over. However, at lesser shows rare Italian cars are popular, and this one is sure to draw a crowd. And it could make a fine first car for a high schooler, as this didn't cost much more than a domestic counterpart of roughly the same vintage, and would provide an invaluable education to a future gearhead. It can be driven (carefully) almost year round, and should go quite a long way before something starts to go wrong. And when it does, there are parts cars which can be had for very little money. At this price, both are disposable. After all, there was a reason the maroon sedan ran immediately after the silver one - a twofer with a donor is a good way to get into Quattroporte III ownership. In this case, the price was right, and I congratulate the new owner on a sharp addition (or two) to his or her motor pool.