Handsome looking Masserati from Silverstone Auctions. Estimate (£): 26,000–30,000
By the beginning of the Seventies any supercar manufacturer needed a mid-engine design, Maserati was no exception so they employed the services of Giorgetto Giugiaro. The result was the Bora and the Merak which virtually shared the same underpinnings and body design. By 1975 Maserati had shrugged off the restraints of ownership by Citroen and were revitalised with De Tomaso as a partner. Fortunately for the Merak this would see an increase in power from the three litre Maserati unit and further weight saving – the Merak SS was the ultimate evolution. The Merak was now fulfilling its design brief to provide an alternative to the Lamborghini Urraco and the Ferrari 308/GT4. Like the Bora, the Merak was comfortable and refined and really only differed by engine size and the treatment to the engine cover. The 2+2 design did offer occasional seating in the rear. When production ceased nearly a thousand Merak SS had been delivered.