The Zagato-designed Maserati Biturbo still rubs me the right way, which is never a good thing. A car known for being somewhat finnicky in the reliability department, the Biturbo was never as bad as it was made out to be, but as often happens with luxury models with some high-performance features, the general public doesn’t know how to use it and the manufacture (along with the car itself) get blamed for the shortcomings. This 1989 Biturbo convertible listed here on craigslist supposedly has just 24,000 miles and has been lavished with maintenance since new.
The seller has listed this on behalf of a neighbor who can no longer drive, and is asking $26,000, which officially makes it one of the more expensive Biturbos we’ve seen in recent memory. I can’t blame the seller for asking all the money, as the condition does look quite nice. The real tell-tale sign of neglect with these cars (outside of the engine compartment) is the interior, as the leather will dry up, the wood trim peel off the dash, and the cheap aftermarket steering wheel has been thrown in. Not here: it remains all-stock and in excellent shape.
The Biturbo featured the world’s first mass-produced twin-turbocharged powerplant, which makes it fairly novel in its own right. It was also quite powerful by the standards of the day, kicking out a respectable 225 horsepower and 246 lb-ft of torque. The key thing that sets this Biturbo apart is the focus on maintenance: many of these cars appear for sale with significant gaps in their history file, or an owner who doesn’t understand why lack of maintenance is an issue for a sensitive car like this. The listing notes, “The owner spared no expense with its care and maintenance since his ownership” – and that’s what you want to see.
These details also speak to me, seeing a tool kit in absolutely mint condition is a rare sight in a Biturbo, and the fact that the seller is highlighting it shows that he knows he’s speaking to a detail-oriented crowd. The Porsche 924 Turbo was another car that was misunderstood by the general public because they didn’t understand various cool-down procedures, and if the general populace had been better informed, would the Biturbo have fared better? It’s hard to tell, but if you’ve been curious what it’s like to get behind the wheel, this could be the one to buy. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Curvette for the find.
Beautiful cars. Love the front end. Must be a treat to drive w that motor and stick shift 👍
As I recall, many of these came with “draped leather” or whatever was the term for flowing bordello couch texture on the seats. Nice to see proper Italian bolsters. This is really the best seen in a long time and obviously cared for by a real aficionado. A niche car with a horrible reputation. Someone who really appreciates these will buy it and be happy.
Ruched. In Europe you could get one with cloth seats that looked like the fabric on the new couch my mom bought in 1984.
That’s it, “ruched”. I knew there was a word, just couldn’t recall it. Thanks for that.
Generally if it ain’t finicky it ain’t Italian. And that toolkit? I’ve seen the same included with several motorcycles. Nits aside, I like this car. Great looks, Italian class and best of all, three pedals that enable you to take advantage of those turbos. The twin turbos were designed not so much for prodigious power but to get rid of pesky turbo lag that was prevalent on most 80s single turbo cars. If I had the garage space (because I know I’d have to fiddle with it from time to time) I’d stand in line to buy this.
It didn’t help that it’s styling wrote checks it’s engine couldn’t cash, in the opposite of the usual sense. It was an Italian supercar, tuned like one by people who’d only built supercars before, but the shape promised a practical daily driver.
This is one beautiful car. Sounds like the only issue is the AC doesn’t work. If it weren’t so far I’d be taking a look at this. It would definitely turn some heads.
Another under-appreciated car, a milestone in automotive turbocharging. A friend has been trying to sell his for way less money for at least a year. Show up with a briefcase full of $15,000 in cash, and this would probably be yours.
Located in Edmonds, WA
My good friend and former partner at 1 800 USA FIAT, Lenny Celiberti, is last season’s ITC unlimited 1st place SCCA winner in competition with V8 Camero’s, Fords, and MANY other makes and models racing his Maserati Bi-Turbo. Yet he was also ITC Champion racing 124 Coupes and spiders in the past! Just because a car was orphaned by the factory for some reasons does not put it in the round file. Lenny’s capability racing performance, skill and dedication to this black sheep is the essence of true ownership of a vehicle by an essentially “Garage Enthusiast” extrapolated to RACING PROOF! Lenny is the Go-To guy for parts as well.
Nice ad.
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They made a special edition of this car. Very rare. I’ve only seen one twice. One in person and one for sell. This car is as close as you can get to that model.