“HOW IS THIS A BARN FIND?!?!!!!” I know, we don’t show 100% barn finds here, vehicles that were discovered hidden away for months or years. In the case of this 1985 Maserati Biturbo Coupe, you know for sure it’s one. The seller has this exotic barn find listed here on Facebook Marketplace in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and they’re asking… actually, they’re asking for best offers. Here is the original listing, and thanks to Paul in MA for the tip!
In case you didn’t know, there’s another vehicle-based website that used to only show cars that weren’t drivable, so they had to be trailered. Believe it or not, they evolved out of only showing those vehicles, just like Barn Finds doesn’t only show old dusty cars that have been home to rodents and have more dust than our window sills. The flip side of that is when an actual dusty, dirty barn find is shown, there will be comments lamenting about why the seller didn’t clean it up first, so there’s no way to please everyone.
The only way to please everyone is if we all owned Maserati Biturbos. No, really, I’d be up for that. I’ve wanted one for decades, but have yet to make the leap of faith. Between 1981 and 1994, Modena’s finest (no, not Ferrari, I’m talking about Maserati) offered the Biturbo in a two-door, four-door, and a convertible body style. It’s probably a good thing they didn’t make a shooting brake version like the one I just made too quickly in Photoshop.
Maserati’s famous puffy, butterscotch hand-sewn Italian leather seats are legendary for comfort, at least for what a grand touring car is meant for, high-speed driving and touring, not for track duty, where more side bolstering would be needed. With around 20 different models of the Biturbo available during its run, it’s hard to choose a favorite, but it’s hard to go wrong with the classic two-door body style.
With all of the good photos provided by the seller, it’s unfortunate that they didn’t bother to pop the hood and show the beautiful engine in this car. It should be Maserati’s 2.5-liter SOHC twin-turbo V6 with 185 horsepower and 208 lb-ft of torque. This one has a proper ZF five-speed manual sending power to the rear wheels, and the story is, this car was parked in 1991 when the owner went off to med school. They returned in 2002 and had it serviced with the intention of storing it, forever? Please read the description, it’s a long and detailed one, and a bit confusing. It has 12,800 miles, and Hagerty is at $4,900 for a #3 good-condition car. This one has been stored for basically 34 years, so it’ll need some work and money. Are any of you brave enough to take a risk on this Biturbo barn find?
Love the fact its cordoned off with a sign saying Barn Find Don’t Touch. It’s nice to see a sense of humor ( at least I think they’re joking) Thats some back story on this car, sitting since 2002. I’m wo dering what it would take to wake it from its slumber. I don’t know much at all about Maserati, but I have to say thats a very inviting interior. It just looks like it calling you to go for a 350 miles joy ride.
I don’t think that’s a sense of humor. I think that’s a reasonable precaution because if you touch it, it will break.
OK, that made me laugh out loud…
If I want an Italian sedan it would have to be a two door like this. This looks really good but brings lots of questions too. Namely, how are the engine and transmission, etc. etc.They want someone to make an offer without telling anyone first about its mechanical condition. “Send us an offer”…Only if I physically inspected the car, as there’s too much I don’t know.
You must like to wrench on cars, Scotty. Get a Biturbo and you’ll be doing that…a lot. They are not the most reliable tools in the box, for sure.
I can tell you they are pretty nice — if a wee bit squirrely when pushed — to drive (when things aren’t falling off) and the interiors are both comfortable and classy to look at. Italian design at its best. This one appears to have a digital clock taking the dashboard space occupied by a neat analog timepiece when new.
What to pay? Hagerty seems right on this one, but before you get all starry-eyed and reach for the checkbook, make sure to find parts sources first.
Love these, my dad had an 84 coupe just like this one when I was in high school. Great and very fun car when it was running right, which it did more often than not. Remember him remarking unpleasantly on the $$$ repairs though and it did strand him more than once. Hope it gets back on the road, best to the seller and buyer!
Always thought these were one of the best looking cars to ever leave the Maserati facility or any factory. Perfectly squared off on both ends, and sleek lines. 😎 Love that wagon SG 👍
Just don’t do it! You’ll only be enjoying the deluxe interior and waxing it while it takes up space in your shop
The ad has the earmarks of a seller on a fishing expedition, no price, still dusty, proud they didn’t even open the hood. I think the picture of the sign proclaiming it a barn find and not to touch is serous. What documentation is there, other than a picture of the speedometer to back up the claim of 12,xxx miles, which would have been about 700 miles a year from new until 2002.
These are cool, but are they popular with collectors?
Steve R
I’m sure the kid at AutoZone knows where to get parts….. Lol I told one kid over there I had a 66 El Camino, and he said, What’s that kinda car?
The seller should clean it up first.
Ha! Zinnnng. Well played, Howie.
No interest in the car, what about the barn? that I could use!
The interior looks like bread dough. I do like it’s wedgy angular look. Maybe swap the motor out with something different perhaps?
When I was a young computer technician in the 80s I frequently got sent to the office at the port of Baltimore where these came into the US.
The staff hated them. More than half required repairs to just get them off the boat to the lot, then from the lot onto transporters.
I always loved the cars. More realistically, I love the IDEA of the cars. The REALITY of the cars is likely too painful for anyone but the most dedicated Italian car nut.
I had to share this one. On the listing, you will see the 1991 inspection sticker on it. This baby was parked for good after six years. So the owner went to medical school in 1991 and came back in 2002?
Six years on the road made it longer than most. I had a friend who bought one and it was the same story. Was in hid early 20s, bought it used and he just could not keep it on the road even though it had low low miles. Were I ever to get one, it would be one at the end of the production run.
Place both hands firmly on the hood and push it back in the barn.
I learned the definition of “cowl shake” from a convertible Biturbo. It was new and yet was like driving an old milk truck on bumpy roads.
Barn Find? I always ask how many mice entered this car. I asked a seller once online that question and he said chipmunks not mice
Could be a good starting point for waking up.
Brought into the US as an attempt to compete with BMW, it ruined their reputation and Maserati left for a long time. I have always liked the look of these, being old enough to remember when they were new. Also the stories I heard about the assembly and quality issues. Some Maserati aficionado with experience and determination will snap this up. Reviving any car sitting this many decades is not for the inexperienced.
Ok, a,reasonable size, a, couple of turbo chargers, needs constant attention. Make sure you buy it cheap, strip out the interior, HVAC system, remove the bumpers, windows and motors and anything else that has no function as to make the car operate. (,lose as much weight as possible) Install stickey tires and go to track days! I like the shooting brake design Scotty! Maybe a little down rake on the back part of the roof. It sure looks like a Lancia HPE !
Ok, a,reasonable size, a, couple of turbo chargers, needs constant attention. Make sure you buy it cheap, strip out the interior, HVAC system, remove the bumpers, windows and motors and anything else that has no function as to make the car operate. (,lose as much weight as possible) Install stickey tires and go to track days! I like the shooting brake Scotty! Looks alot like a Lancia HPE!
If you like the looks of this car, try a 1987-1994 Plymouth Sundance/Dodge Shadow!