Giorgetto Giugiaro, a famous Italian designer, has penned countless iconic vehicles over many decades – but that isn’t all. He also designed office furniture, watches, a 7,000-pipe organ for a cathedral, camera bodies for Nikon, and even a sexy new pasta shape. One of his automotive designs is this 1982 Maserati Quattroporte, listed here on eBay in Phoenix, Arizona. There is no reserve on this sleek sports sedan, and there is a single bid of $2,000.
The seller says this Quattroporte is a “true barn find”, having been bought in California and parked in a local collection in Phoenix for the last 25 years. Presumably, parked inside out of the sun as it doesn’t appear to have been burnt to a crisp inside or out. They also refer to it as a 1981 model with a 4.2-liter engine, but the VIN decodes to it being a 1982 Quattroporte with a 4.9-liter engine, so I’ll stick with that. The seller says it’s “fully intact without rust”, and the odometer shows 52,950. It looks great overall on the exterior, with just enough to keep you busy for a weekend or two.
The third-generation Quattroporte, known as the Quattroporte III, was made from 1979 through 1990 and the shape is unmistakable. If you wondered why it looked similar to the Delorean, it’s because Mr. Giugiaro designed that car, too. Also, the BMW M1, Lotus Esprit, Maserati Bora, and had a major role in the VW Golf Mk1. This Quattroporte looks pretty straight and solid but there appear to be a few things that need attention, such as the trim on the trunk lip above. Speaking of the trunk, here’s what it looks like inside.
The classic (I almost used the word iconic again) Maserati pillowy leather seats look wonderful in this car, not like what a 42-year-old car that’s been in Phoenix for 25 years would normally look. There isn’t a photo of the rear seats but there’s one of the rear control center, or console, showing off 1981 technology for keeping the rear passengers comfortable. The seller included an underside photo and it looks solid, with some normal surface rust in a few areas.
The engine should be Maserati’s 4.9-liter V8 with 288 horsepower and 388 lb-ft of torque when new. Backed by an optional Chrysler-sourced TorqueFlite three-speed automatic sending power to the rear wheels, this one hasn’t been started in many years but the seller says it turns freely. A five-speed manual would have been nice to see here. The openings shown in the photo above are scary since Phoenix is a major rodent area, and a Maserati engine that hasn’t been started in years is scary enough on its own. Hagerty is at $7,800 for a #4 fair-condition car, which this one isn’t yet. How much is it worth?
No money down without an inspection, and then there’s the posible Rodentis Infestis…
I’d look at it but ..
“My Maserati does 185
I lost my license, now I don’t drive
I have a limo, ride in the back
I lock the doors in case I’m attacked
I make hit records, my fans they can’t wait
They write me letters, tell me I’m great
So I got me an office, gold records on the wall
Just leave a message, maybe I’ll call”
Fyi:
I can only imagine the current pricing to get this engine running with parts or labor….
Good luck with sale …
At the very least. Life’s been good to me so far.
“epoca di malessere” is Italian for Malaise Era.
You don’t want to get involved in this ride. I already saw issues in the engine area. Unless you know Italian engines stay away!!! This can get very expensive real quick! Good luck to both parties! 🐻🇺🇸
Someone will try a LS swap I bet
I just read a Car & Driver review of this car from 1982, and according to them:
–$65,000 in 1982 ($209K in 2024 dollars)
–4 cam V8, 4 x 2bbl carbs, 276hp
–4600 lbs
–0 to 60 in 9.2 seconds
–8mpg city/10 mpg hwy
So many reasons to run away from this car, but man I love those catcher’s mitt seats!
Ah, but when it is good, it is a wonderful ride. LIke the little girl with the curl in the middle of her foehead, “When she was good, she was very, very, good, but when she was bad, she was horrid.” A great road car, but the maximum towing range for AAA is 200 miles, once a year, and if you have towing on your policy, check it out before you go very far from home.
A magnificent road car, but, like the girl with the curl in the middle of her forehead, “When she was good, she was very, very, good, and when she was bad, she was horrid.” AAA’s maximum towing range is 200 miles, once a year, at least the CA version, check your auto insurance towing policy before you go far from home. A Sterling, or a Mercur 4 door, is not as exotic, but will get you home, equally inexpensive, almost as luxurious, and most having gone to the junkyard by now, pretty rare.
Its priced right. From the Autocheck from the listing it has a salvage title and milage hasn’t changed since 1993. Even with this, I would take a shot if it were closer and the price didn’t go much higher.
Want to sell it? Get it running.
Agreed
Apparently there’s an odometer issue with the correct mileage?