The Maserati Biturbo was a series of grand touring cars built by Italian automaker Maserati between 1981-94. It was slightly smaller than the car is targeted as primary competition, the BMW 3 Series. The cars were known for their two-liter V6 engines with two turbochargers and luxurious interiors. This one from 1986 was a running auto when it was parked but given the amount of shrubbery that is growing up around it now, that was some time ago. Located in Somerset, New Jersey, this complicated project car is available here on Facebook Marketplace for $1,400. Thanks for the tip, Jeff Chamberlin!
When Alejandro De Tomaso bought Maserati in 1976, he wanted to transform the marque into one that offered more affordable cars, thus grabbing additional market share. The Maserati Biturbo of the early 1980s was one of those cars and tallied sales of more than 40,000 units during its run. However, the Biturbo developed a reputation for its poor quality as well as reliability, and demand for the car tapered off in later years. Financial reverses promoted De Tomaso to sell the company to Fiat who grouped Maserati with its erstwhile rival Ferrari.
Likely an impressive machine when it was new, this ’86 Biturbo looks to have been languishing outdoors for several years. At least long enough for the flora and fauna to begin growing up all around it. The entire rear end of the car is now hiding in the brush. At 90,000 miles, it “ran the last time I parked it” but there is no telling what it will take to get the car going again. The maze under the hood looks daunting to me, but perhaps a Maserati aficionado would be less detoured. The interior may be passable, but it’s hard to tell what damage, if any, may have occurred to the body over time.
The Biturbo series competed in world touring car championships but didn’t have a great deal of success. They were prone to overheat until after the carburetors were replaced by fuel injection. These cars often show up in listings of some of the not-so-great automobiles of the 1980s, along with the Chrysler TC by Maserati. If you were to acquire a car like this to restore, you’d need a real love of the brand and a lot of patience.
Yard art. I guess it could be said this one is outstanding in its field😂 too far gone to recommission it’s a good parts source for hard to find items. The 86 wasn’t a bad year with fuel injection and I find them to be attractive and interesting. The one I rebuilt drove beautifully.
Ciào
I knew two guys who had them new in the mid 80s. They were constantly in the shop while my MB 190D ran for almost 400,000 miles!
They had incredible interiors though.
I will gladly take $1,400 to pull it out of the rest of the field and find a new use for it.
A resting Biturbo in New Jersey – what could go wrong?
– OR –
Two wrongs don’t make a right
True, but two rights make a jug handle…
and three rights make a left
I think we should just back off slowly and let Mother Nature continue to reclaim it.
“Hey Fred, I just found a Volvo in the bushes!”
Nothing more expensive than a cheap exotic!
Perfect spot for it right where it is.
I bought one at an auction for $600.00 about 20 years ago in beautiful condition. It had a few problems that were fairly easily fixed. ( oil and vacuum leaks, misfire ) Had the car for years and proved reliable as long as maintenance was kept up with. About as complicated and problematic as a Passat. Comfortable quiet ride and great acceleration.
This is the first time I have ever read anything positive about this car, but good for you. I am glad you enjoyed it while it lasted. Apropos the Passat, THAT has to be one of the most complex cars ever put on the road. . Like the Maserati, it´s a great ride and also like the Maserati, it has more than a fair share of technical problems, like how about repairing the horn for $1.500? — and it gets worse than that!
No hurry, listed 14 weeks ago.
“Known for their two-liter V6 engines?” Did the author grow up in Italy? (Export models were all 2.5, later 2.8 L.)