Having only been driven an average of 706 miles a year since the one and only owner bought this 1984 Maserati Biturbo new in California, this is one incredible car. It can be found listed on eBay with a current bid price of under $6,000 but the reserve isn’t met. It’s located in Lake Oswego, Oregon – just south of Portland. This may be the nicest 1984 Maser twin-turbo on the globe.
I don’t think that I’ve seen a nicer Biturbo, ever. It’s impossible to verify the mechanical condition by looking at photos of any vehicle but wow, this car looks like it’s in 95% perfect condition to me, cosmetically. The Biturbo was made from 1981 to 1994 which is quite a spread for such a complicated and sometimes (often?) troublesome car. The Biturbo was available in the U.S. beginning in the 1984 model year but most experts, and owners or former owners, will tell you to concentrate on the 1987 and later cars when most of the bugs had been worked out.
Hagerty lists a #2 excellent condition 1984 Biturbo as being valued at $5,800 which is approximately the current bid price for this example. A #1 concours car is valued at $8,400 but those are usually reserved for trailer queen vehicles that aren’t used on a regular basis. Maybe this is one of those cars? According to the seller, this is a one-owner California-delivered car with only 24,000 original miles on it. Check out the photos, it really does look like new, if your idea of new is a boxy, obviously-1980s car with an uber-complicated engine.
Those famous seats! Yes, the interior looks as nice as the exterior does – I don’t see a single flaw in this beauty other than some new leather which doesn’t have the comfortable look of the original leather. The seller mentions that the armrest and tops of the doors have received “replacement leather” at considerable expense, and you can see the difference in color and texture. An automatic transmission was available but it’s always nice to see a 5-speed manual.
Here is one of the nicest, best-sounding, and potentially-frustrating engines to come out in the last few decades: Maserati’s 2.5L V6 that should have around 185 hp. This car comes with a “large binder of receipts details nearly $30K of service work over the last 34 years…and is evidence that this car has always received everything it ever needed, when it needed it, without fail. The only modification from stock is an aluminum radiator that keeps this twin-turbo motor running cool.” This one may top Hagerty’s #1 concours value before the auction is over with, is it worth the gamble?
The interior, yeah, that is what I am talking about, sooo Italian.
And oh so sweet
Low miles. Not by choice, mind you…
One of the most unreliable cars ever made
I once had an apt. Where there was one of these…2 years never saw it move
The new Fiat 500 is trying to win that race.
1984 Corvette, 205 HP, $5000. And the kid who cuts your lawn can work on the engine. Just saying.
Bidding ended at $6,300 reserve not met. Sure seems like it would be worth more than that, even with the reputation?
If any of you here buy this car, I wish you luck.
Keep it away from salt air, or snow, or any other type of weather.
These cars were bought back by the manufacturer for serious rust issues.
Its one owner because no one will buy it!
Although to be fair, once these got fuel injection, they got much more reliable. Did I just type that???
Besides, they are ugly.
Beautiful interior, and this is in remarkable condition. Also not far from me. But line this up next to a Ghibli, Bora, Merak, and a Khamsin and answer me this: WTF?
185 hp? My 88 Supra Turbo would blow it away!! And not cost $30000 US in service work after 24000 miles!!
LMAO ! great take on “one owner” Yank…
Okay, 1984 ? Should have gone for the poor guy 5.0 Mustang or Z28. Better resale after 35 years !
Jeff, will never forget the I-6 Celica/Supra. Even the NA versions were great, very dependable too…
Looks remind me of my (gone) Volvo 780 Bertone.
Always had a thing for these.
Actually the Biturbo badge was not from81 to 94, but 81 to 87, the car was redesigned in 88 and then was badged 228, 430, Spyder, Ghibli II or Shamal.
Of course the know-nothings predictably begin chiming in about this car. Always the same…
Who would you consider a know-nothing?
How do you know they know nothing?
The good: It will look great sitting in your garage/your mechanic’s garage, as that’s where it will be 95% of the time. Your physical health will be top notch, as you’ll be walking alot when this beauty decides she’s had enough driving for the day.
The bad: Your financial health will be circling the drain real fast. 80s Maserati’s were awful in reliability.Pitiful resale value
She’s beautiful, but a heartache in disguise. Much like the Rollers/Bentleys of the 80s/90s, the market isn’t there. Maybe in 15-20 years, but not now
Be nice to have it parked in the garage in front of the big screen tv. Sit in there and with the right tv it would be like being at the outdoor theater. That is one great looking interior
Whoever is brave enough to buy this please buy a large fire extinguisher before you drive it anywhere.
Much like a DeLorean there is a reason every one you see is low miles, it because they never ever ran. My dad wanted one of these when they were fairly new. He looked at three, and all three were in guy’s garages on flat tires, they just gave up, and this is when they were fairly new. I made the mistake of buying one once, I got it for $350! Still didn’t make much money on it. Never again.
Same engine as Citroen SM?
Uh, well, that’s a dubious lineage. Its a beautiful example. I wonder if he ever got it to run?? I actually looked at one of these in 1987. The dealer was offering some real deals. He still had some unsold 84 or 85 examples. Am I correct in thinking there was no 86 model of this car?
Reminds me of a friend who married an extraordinarily beautiful woman, who took him for all he was worth one year later. She looked good on his arm when he acquired her, but she spent him into the poorhouse, and then took what was left when she went out the door. (When he was away for a few days on business, the movers came and took everything, even the food in the cupboards and the refrigerator, she emptied the bank accounts, and all he had left was his clothes and one of their cars and his electric trains.)
Auction ended at $6300 with reserve not met.
How much did this thing cost new? I think it’s extremely undignified that a VIN plate and cowl tag off an old rusty Chevy Camaro is worth more than this whole stuffy little truffle.
I owned an 85 model. Parts are very expensive and mostly only available from a place outside Seattle, Washington. The valves are adjusted by grinding little round spacers. The clutch on mine got stuck on the transmission input shaft breaking an aluminum plate on the firewall. I finally gave the car to someone who restores imported cars. Good luck George.
You’d think in these times where some people seem to hate their money, someone would’ve bit on this. I guess not though. Probably takes an American muscle car to make all sense fly out the window.
Fiscal self-immolation. There’s a reason this car has low miles. They were maintenance queens from the off. If you were lucky, you wouldn’t be hurt or killed when the engine grenades or burns. The interiors were sumptuous, but everything else was a disaster. So bad that Maserati pretends the model never existed.