1982 - Maserati Quattroporte III 4.9L - Lot 6

1982 - Maserati Quattroporte III 4.9L The epitome of the Italian luxury sports sedan of the 1980s French registration Chassis n°ZAM330000CA003808 - Developed under the De Tomaso era on the basis of the Kyalami derived from the Longchamp - Designed by Giugiaro and powered by the in-house V8 inherited from racing - The most powerful 4.9L version, and a very rare example with manual gearbox! - Dark Golden Beryl paintwork and cuoio leather interior with aluminum and wood Nardi steering wheel - 31,500 km on the clock since the top end was rebuilt by Franco Tralli - One owner for almost 25 years and exceptional state of preservation The file and additional photos of each vehicle are available at the following drive link (after requesting access): https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1RwKXJg_gayUizKp59Gu10G4uN9FCSzRt When we think of a luxurious limousine, most of us visualize Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Jaguar; or even BMW or Mercedes. Fewer imagine themselves behind the wheel of a Maserati. Yet the Quattroporte, first produced in 1963, is an institution, even a dynasty among Italians. Each one has marked its era, whether wearing a Frua dress for the first, or a Bertone dress for the second, although only 13 were ever produced. Quite simply, the Maserati Quattroporte is the most luxurious and dynamic Italian limousine of its time. Despite an erratic gestation by Citroën in the '70s - which had the merit of saving the Modena-based brand from bankruptcy - after the takeover by Alejandro De Tomaso, a third iteration was produced in 1979. At the time, it was the most expensive model in the catalog, and following the V6 of the second generation, it relaunched the brand in the sports limousine segment, with the return of the V8, with a displacement of 4.2L or 4.9L. Designed by master craftsman Giugiaro, the Quattroporte III features the famous "Alfieri" V8 with 4 overhead camshafts and 280 hp, whose origins date back to the 450S racing cars. The chassis, inherited from the De Tomaso Deauville, is a model of rigidity and was designed by Dallara. The result is a sedan almost 5 meters long, with a baroque beauty, dynamic handling and entirely hand-assembled. The third-generation Quattroporte also boasts equipment uncommon at the time, such as central locking, electric seats and air-conditioning, housed in ubiquitous leather and wood trim. In fact, the finish is particularly sumptuous. After a last stand with the Royale version, a total of 2141 Quattroporte IIIs rolled off the production line, making it a rare bird. It was the last Maserati to be equipped with one of the most prestigious Italian engines of the entire post-war era, before twin-turbo V6 engines established their hegemony. Our Quattroporte III is the most exclusive, a powerful 4.9L and a very rare version equipped with the ZF five-speed manual gearbox. According to our information, only 150 examples have been fitted with this transmission. The Dark Golden Beryl color is combined with a natural leather (cuoio) interior, identical to that of the press model of the time. The only departure from the original, the leather steering wheel has been replaced by a Nardi aluminum and wood accessory. It has known only a few owners, one of them for almost 25 years, giving it a stable history, always a guarantee of quality. All the more so as it has obviously always been used sparingly and maintained. This undoubtedly explains its simply exceptional state of preservation for this model. The odometer shows just under 31,500 kilometers, corresponding, according to one of the former owners, to the mileage covered since the top engine was rebuilt by Modena-based Italian specialist Franco Tralli. The car was also regularly serviced with parts from the renowned Giuseppe Candini, also in Modena. Importantly for these cars, the bodywork is very sound and all instruments were working at the time of our test drive. The interior, too, is miraculously preserved, with a particularly flattering patina - one of the car's great strengths. It's worth remembering that this series of Quattroporte was largely neglected for many years, many of them having suffered the ravages of pro