Italian manufacturer Maserati has built some achingly beautiful cars over the decades, but their offerings from the 1980s probably won’t rate as their most stunning in the eyes of many. However, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so we will undoubtedly have readers who will look at cars like this 1980 Quattroporte and love what they see. If they do, they will also be pleased to know that this car’s beauty is more than skin deep. It is a tidy and rust-free classic that has a claimed 15,000 genuine miles showing on its odometer. The owner has decided to part with the Maserati, so he has listed it for sale here on eBay. It is located in Marshall, Virginia, and an impressive 35 bids have pushed the price to $10,366. That figure remains shy of the reserve, so there’s still time available for interested buyers to stake their claim on this beauty.
The styling of the 1980 Quattroporte was very much of its era. If you examine vehicles from across the globe, you find a proliferation of straight lines and hard edges. That means that the Maserati doesn’t break new ground with its appearance, but its overall condition goes appear to be pretty respectable. The “Celeste Metallizzato” paint is consistent across the car, although it shows its age. The shine is beginning to disappear as the clearcoat has deteriorated, but it remains presentable for the original paint on an Italian classic from this era. The panels are also straight, although I can spot some damage in the trunk lid that will require attention if the presentation is retained to a high standard. This is an Italian classic, so that almost inevitable question about rust needs to be considered at some point. On this point, the news looks to be pretty positive. The owner mentions no problems, and there are none visible in the supplied photos. Still, it would be worth the effort for potential buyers to perform an in-person inspection to confirm the car’s rust-free status. The trim looks good, as does the glass. The Quattroporte rolls on its factory Campagnolo alloy wheels, wrapped in what is believed to be the original Michelin tires. The owner suggests that these Michelins should probably be changed for safety’s sake.
Apart from steel that has a reputation for dissolving like a soluble aspirin, if there’s one thing that older Italian cars are renowned for is interior trim that crumbles before your very eyes. That isn’t the case with this Quattroporte because this interior is one of the nicest that I’ve seen in a Maserati of this era for a long time. The color is bold, and it might not be to everyone’s taste. However, the leather looks supple and inviting, and it remains free from any wear or physical damage. The same is true of the timber veneer, the dash, the carpet, and the plastic pieces. After a lot of searching, I did notice that the pockets in the front seatbacks have begun to sag, but the buyer could fit new elastic to address this. Beyond that, it looks to be in as-new condition. Its overall condition also tends to support the owner’s claim that this Maserati has a genuine 15,000 miles on the clock. Luxury cars deserve plenty of luxury equipment, and the Quattroporte is no exception. As well as air conditioning, this Maserati features power windows, power seats, power locks, cruise control, a rear defroster, and a premium Blaupunkt AM/FM radio/cassette player with a power antenna.
It’s disappointing that the owner supplies no engine photos, but he does provide a shot of the trunk showing the genuine Maserati luggage included in the sale. A 4,931cc V8 engine occupies the engine bay with a brace of Weber carburetors hanging off it. In peak form, this V8 should be producing around 276hp, which finds its way to the rear wheels via a bulletproof TorqueFlite transmission. Power steering makes light work of the driving duties, while power 4-wheel disc brakes should effectively bring proceedings to a halt. While the company conceived the Quattroporte as more of a traditional Grand Tourer than a sports car, the 15.8-second ¼-mile ET still looks pretty respectable for a vehicle that tips the scales at 4,650lbs. The owner only purchased the car earlier this year, and changed circumstances mean he is being forced to part with a vehicle he has coveted since he was a lad. He lists a raft of recent mechanical work that has been performed, but it appears that the previous owner performed this work. He also claims that it has a genuine 15,000 miles on the clock, but he doesn’t indicate whether he holds verifying evidence. He clarifies that this Maserati runs and drives well, and apart from replacing the ancient tires, it would seem to need nothing.
While the paint shows its age, the overall condition of this 1980 Maserati Quattroporte appears to be well above average. Its lack of apparent rust and its spotless interior make it something of a rarity. It seems that I’m not alone in this belief because the bidding history suggests that there are a few people who feel the same. It hasn’t reached the reserve yet, but I suspect it’s not far from doing so. Is this an Italian classic that you might be tempted to pursue further?
I like it. I especially like the saddle leather interior. The lines remind me of the 84 VW Quantum that I once owned. That was a great car! Dark blue metallic, 5 cylinder, 5 speed with factory snowflake GTI wheels.
Bluetec you made me laugh comparing this to a 84 Quantum. But you are right. My brain was processing the lines and recognizing a familiarity I couldn’t place a finger on. I like the car as well and my pursuit if owned would be to convert it to euro spec. Not sure if the Quattroporte will ever gain exotic status but if you buy it right and keep it nice I think it’s done depreciating.
Just out of college, I joined a small software company of 15 employees that was soon sold to a major industry giant for big, big bucks. Soon R&D dollars were rolling in and the new CEO arrived with one of these Quattroportes. Problem was the few founders of the small software company were screwed out of a big payout as the industry giant ruled their original shares in the company were not of value. One Monday as the new CEO parked his 4Port in his CEO/designaged space, you could see a visible key-scratch down the entire length of the car. Claim was it had happened at church (pretty rough church), but I imagine a former founder was registering his discord.
These cars truly have “presence” when seen in person. I saw one in the small eastern Ontario city of Kingston just last week, and in the midst of the forgettable appliances that were surrounding it you couldn’t miss it. I was not alone in admiring it as it motored down the street.
If anything these ’80s Maserati sedans would’ve had less “presence” in Canada than the US, owing to the fact the Hyundai Stellar was offered there. Italdesign sold the same design to Maserati and Hyundai.
No contest. I’ve seen a Stellar in-person that somehow made it to the States, and while styled pleasantly enough, it just looked like a somewhat nicer Excel (which Giugiaro also designed), or really, closer to an ’80s Mazda 626.
I’ve also seen a few Quattroporte IIIs, which are a completely different encounter. The lines may be vaguely similar enough to suggest some distant relation but, as Wayne said, it has an undeniable Presence the Hyundai certainly didn’t. It’s a testament to the fine proportions that it’s hard to tell from photos just how huge these seem when one’s right in front of you, quite a bit larger than they actually are. It comes across like an impeccably-groomed Mob enforcer wearing the most rakish Italian designer suit you’ve ever seen — imposing, impressive, and not to be f***ed with.
The difference is like comparing suits from Armani vs. Men’s Wearhouse. The lines may be similar and maybe even hard to tell apart in photos, but seen in-person anyone with taste would never mistake one for the other.
“…he does provide a shot of the trunk showing the genuine Maserati luggage included in the sale.”
Junk in the trunk?
The only thing I remember about these when they were introduced was their horrible MPG!
Nicest one left or only one left? These were dark years for Maserati…I’m sure they’d love a do-over on these and Bitrubos
Any years were dark for Maserati, however the Italian pedigree earns it both disdain and collectability, go figure.
Except for smog problems (carbs on an 80ies car) zjese were somewhat reliable, but had bad gas mileage.
The problem car that earned the hate was the BiTurbo, the smaller V6 Bi-Turbo version of this that spent more time in the shop than with the owners.
And no it’s not the last one. I got one in the same color along with one in teal.
Those who don’t appreciate Maserati’s 1980s cars don’t know their cars very well. I’ve always found the 1980s Maserati Quattroporte to be one of the best looking cars of the 80s. How well built the car was, I don’t know, since I’ve never owned or driven one.
I had a 1964 Maserati Mistral for a short time and felt that it didn’t perform as well as it should so I sent it to the agent for a tune-up. The mechanic that delivered it back to me said that it hadn’t needed a tune-up, it just needed to be driven properly, and he promptly offered to show me. Cheezus, I think he was an ex racing driver because what he made that car do in about 2 miles of local, hilly, winding roads was unbelievable and I nearly bogged my rods! Quite an experience I can assure you and I sold that car purely on my description of that drive.
I got a chance to take one of these for a spin back in 1985. It even included a short blast on the highway. I always remember how sweet the exhaust sounded. Almost like a late 60’s muscle car.
I would grab that $10k offer and run!!
WHY ?
He ended up with $15 a few days later.
Funny, back when these were new I got to drive one. Felt it was huge. Looked up the specs and it is one inch longer and two inches wider than a new Camry.
The sound of the motor was great, the feel was great, and the looks, just amazing. These are not easy to keep running and they require regular attention to the interior. As for being thirsty, it is like my Jag, a marathon runner has nothing on these cars.
As a hobby car you could buy much worse for the same money.
Believe me, there are much worse Maseratis to buy.
Funny thing, every time I think of the Quattroporte … I think of “Top Gear” … every time that they test or even drive the “Q” … they end up dropping a piano on it … portense?
Wrong car. You’re thinking of the Biturbo, which is similarly styled but a size class or two smaller than this Quattroporte III.
Biturbos also had a completely different powertrain, which was the main source of their unreliability, at least in their early model years with the blow-through carbureted twin-turbo setup; the later Biturbo descendants with FI were greatly improved.
Quattroportes have a Maserati DOHC V8, derived from their classic V8s used in the previous Bora, Ghibli, and other models going further back all the way to the 450S racer of the mid-’50s.
Ah, nicest one left…
80’s Maserati malaise-
I gather a key caution with these is to avoid ever parking it nose-downhill, as the fuel tank is mounted fairly high above the rear axle, so when parked on a decline it can gravity-feed fuel to the front where it can flood the engine or any pinhole leak can present a fire risk.
A good precaution may be to fit a petcock you can use to cut off fuel supply if you ever need to park on a decline, or a default-closed solenoid valve with relays to only allow fuel flow when running or starting.
nice
Ended:Aug 11, 2021 , 6:40AM
Winning bid:US $15,100.00[ 38 bids ]