The third-generation Quattroportes are beautiful, in a de Tomaso / Giorgetto Giugiaro sort of way. They are decidedly 1980s in their sleek, chic boxiness and this 1980 Maserati Quattroporte III has a mere 35,582 miles on it. The seller has this beautiful two-owner Texas car listed here on eBay in one of the great cities of America: Dallas, Texas. They’re asking $6,500 for it.
We have seen many Maserati Quattroportes here on Barn Finds, and even quite a few 1980 models. It’s always interesting to go back four+ decades to see how the other half lived and what they drove and how inexpensive it is to purchase what was an expensive vehicle back then. Most of the time we hear “Yeah… but it didn’t cost that much new!!!!” when we show an old car that’s risen in value over its original cost. In this case, the asking price is a fraction of what this car cost in 1980.
But, as someone who owns a vehicle more high-maintenance than the entire Kardashian Bunch, it’s often not about the purchase price of these temperamental, complicated vehicles, it’s the ongoing maintenance and repairs that get to you after a few years or even months. Days? Hours? It often starts right away and you fix that issue thinking that’s it, and then something else comes up and before you know it, you could have gotten that island in Tahiti rather than kept alive your old exotic vehicle that you absolutely love. It makes absolutely no financial sense whatsoever to keep it, but you do.
The third-gen Quattroportes were produced from 1979 to 1990 and the first two generations of this car were beautifully-sculpted and sexy. I’m not sure if as many buyers thought the boxy, angular IIIs were sexy but they were popular with the Italian elite and other high-rollers around the globe. This particular car has been in Texas its whole life and has been off the road since 2006 which could explain why it looks so well-preserved.
Overall, the interior looks fantastic’o, but there are a few areas that need help. I’m assuming that decades of hot Texas sun wreaked havoc on the formerly soft and pliable leather in a few areas. The back seat looks great, as far as we can see, and although the underside shows heavy surface rust, I’m hoping that it’s solid under there. The seller does mention a few problem areas, such as neither rear door opens, the front seats aren’t bolted in completely, and the clear coat appears to be in trouble on the top of the car.
The engine is Maserati’s 4.9L V8 with 280 horsepower and it was last started a solid decade ago but it turns over so that’s good, right? Hagerty is at $7,600 for a #4 fair condition Quattroporte III and given this car’s issues, I can’t imagine it being worth that much, but one of you may know something that the rest of us don’t. With a #3 good condition value of $12,000, what is this car worth as it sits now?
I’m crazy enough to want to bite on this overinflated VW Quantum with a jewel of a engine. It would be cool to remove that old GM THM400 transmission and install a 5-speed. Hopefully the Michelin man inspired interior could be reconditioned to be soft and supple again. I suspect it would probably put me in the poorhouse though. Even my evil twin is saying “how hard can it be”.
Scratch the GM THM400. It’s really a Chrysler 727 torqueflight. A 5-speed would really wake this car up.
That’s what everybody’s evil twin says. Ultimately, your financial condition in life is partially (or completely) determined by how often you listen to him.
almost worth it just for the antique phone
No longer available.
There’s a reason these things have so few miles on them…
Great front end styling from Maserati
Styling by Giorgetto Giugiaro, who originally intended that front end to be lower and sleeker, but deTomaso wanted a taller, wider prow with room for a more prestigious-looking large grille, so Giugiaro obliged his client and massaged a few details to make it so — IMO making the proportions slightly awkward in that area.
The nose of the original design proposal was probably closer to Guigiaro’s Medici II concept and the later Biturbo, which stylist Pierangelo Andreani adapted from the Quattroporte III design to maintain a family resemblance.
Those frontal details aside, it’s a testament to the otherwise impeccable proportions here that it’s hard to tell from photos just how huge yet sleek these seem in person, coming across like a burly but impeccably-groomed mob enforcer wearing the most rakish Italian designer suit you’ve ever seen — impressive, imposing, and not to be f**ked with.
run away!
These had horrendous reliability issues back in the day.
Just like Jaguar in the ’80s: beautiful, expensive junk.
As a past owner of 5 Jaguars, I must interject.
Jaguar has never built junk, (until the last I heard, they were bought by a company in India – Tata Motors), and with those I have no experience).
Properly maintained, the entire Jaguar driveline is the soul of reliability, function, performance.
The former inboard rear end graces many a hot rod, for the brakes’ functionality, and beauty of the assembly.
The bodies and interiors were masterpieces. Rust was an issue for the poorly maintained (examples of which there were many).
The ONLY failing of earlier Jaguars were the electrics, and these were exclusively provided by Satan Co., Inc., or as the world knows it, Lucas, courtesy of the quasi-socialist laws then existing in England, which prevented Jaguar from ‘shopping around’ those needs.
The electrical failures engendered fairly quick turnover and a sharp depreciation curve from those who were able to purchase a luxury automobile. The ‘used’ Jags’ low prices temped those financially unable to maintain such a car, to hazard a foray into upper echelon motoring.
Lack of proper maintenance brought mechanical failures, whereupon the resale value downward spiral accelerated, and soon the marvelous cars competed with tired Pintos and Vegas in their price point.
The moment those legal impediments were eliminated, Jaguar hiked its skirts and RAN to Bosch, whereafter the electrical failings became a distant memory.
Sadly the damage to the reputation of the entire British automobile industry proved irreversible, and most of the magnificent marques were sold off to foreign makers.
The End.
Sadly the British and electrons were like oil and water. I sat in some Land Rover technical classes and the biggest issue that plagued that model was electrical and water ingress issues causing more electrical problems. I thought for Pete’s sake these cars were designed to be driven into water! And this is when BMW had ownership. That was yet another fail.
… No truer words, my friend… no truer words.