We see often how the mighty have fallen when it comes to project-grade luxury and sports cars. What once cost more than a year’s salary to buy is now simply a pile of debris in the driveway. The lineup of Maserati Biturbo models from the 1980s is certainly one of the most frequently seen of formerly prestigious vehicles resigned to simply taking up space, but we rarely see the four-door 425i model come up for sale in any condition. This example, listed here on Facebook Marketplace, also benefits from being the later fuel-injected model and is listed as having a 5-speed manual.
The seller is asking $4,000 for this non-runner. The 425i rounded out the original Biturbo lineup, which grew to include a convertible in addition to the original coupe. The sedan looked quite good, taking the somewhat-stubby profile of the coupe and giving it the needed length to make the muscular design work. The interior benefited as well, giving rear seat passengers ample leg room and luxurious accommodations which included powered rear seats. Two details about the rear of this car: it was sold by a long-time Baltimore area European car dealer, and someone has added an odd “Cruiser” badge to the trunk lid.
When introduced, the 425 was praised for being a sporty, powerful car with generous standard equipment. However, the original engine design featured a carburetor that didn’t play nicely with turbocharging, and the amount of lag was considered unacceptable. This 425i is a later fuel-injected model which helped to address some of these original shortcomings. While every Biturbo had its faults straight from the factory, this configuration was likely one of the better ones with fuel injection, a 5-speed manual, and handsome proportions with the four-door body. It should produce around 185 b.h.p. and 223 lb.-ft. of torque.
It’s a long way from Camelot, however, and no matter how hard this original advertisement tries, there’s no masking that this 425i hasn’t seen a proper maintenance budget in decades. I always feel somewhat bad for cars like this, as its fate was left in the hands of owners who didn’t understand that Italian machinery requires a more-than-normal maintenance allocation. Sadly, I doubt there’s anyone out there who will make this rare sedan body sing again, but it sure would be nice if a Biturbo collector could recreate the original scene in this idyllic photo.
Does all that s@#* on and around the car go with it ? It’s amazing what people don’t do when they are trying to sell a car.
Prizewinning lousy ad. Best wishes.
No such thing as a cheap Maserati. Good luck to whoever gets lured into this “deal.”