From Z to M . . . for Maserati

SeanDezart

SeanDezart

Well-Known Forum User
Very happy for you and one of the last 'real' Mazzas. The front and front half in profile is sublime and whereas the rear half is original in looks, for me, it's a little too square at the rear for souch a curved front.

To have had the symbolic rear seats (I really wouldn't have bothered and that goes for all of these 'false' 2+2s including moderns like the Jags etc), was it a direct competitor to the 308GT4s ?

Did your car have electric mirrors from the factory ?

Lastly, whilst I love your steering wheel, didn't the SS have a rather ugly 4x spoke as stock ?

Drive and enjoy, I share your feeling about getting some miles on our cars. :)
 
R

RIDDLER

Well-Known Forum User
SeanDezart said:
Very happy for you and one of the last 'real' Mazzas. The front and front half in profile is sublime and whereas the rear half is original in looks, for me, it's a little too square at the rear for souch a curved front.

To have had the symbolic rear seats (I really wouldn't have bothered and that goes for all of these 'false' 2+2s including moderns like the Jags etc), was it a direct competitor to the 308GT4s ?

Did your car have electric mirrors from the factory ?

Lastly, whilst I love your steering wheel, didn't the SS have a rather ugly 4x spoke as stock ?

Drive and enjoy, I share your feeling about getting some miles on our cars. :)
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Thanks Sean. The car, as I am sure you know, was very closely based on the Bora - in fact from the nose to the back of the doors it is virtually identical.
In order to save weight they did away with the Bora’s glazed ‘clam shell’ rear which used to lift to reveal the engine.
This would have left it very flat at the back (a bit like the Lotus Europa) but Guigiaro cunningly introduced the two non-structural flying buttresses to restore the fastback shape again to the eye.
One or two people I have spoken to who have driven both say that whilst the Bora has the bigger V8 engine, the Merak is more fun to drive and generally easier to live with - certainly more civilised in traffic.
To answer your questions, it does have two rear seats which only small children would fit into, but they provide useful extra luggage space (although the front ‘boot’ is surprisingly spacious).
The car has electric mirrors from the factory (and air con) and the steering wheel you see in mine is original.
The first Meraks had the Citroen SM oval-clocks dashboard and single-spoke steering wheel but the later models had the identical dashboard and wheel to that in the Bora.
In 70s’ Italian fashion, the dash is a riot of clocks and switches - mostly unlabelled - and it took me a fair while to work out what most of them actually did!
For instance you would think the twin slide controls directly in front of the gearstick (see pic) would both be something to do with heating and ventilation.
Indeed the one on the right DOES alter the air flow from hot to cold etc, but the identical one to the left of it is . . . the choke!
All Italian madness but great fun.
 

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SeanDezart

SeanDezart

Well-Known Forum User
I love it, much more nimble on 'our' roads than the V8 Bora and the ilk.
Good call not to have the same rear - less expensive to produce and gives it that 'original' look kinda copied by Lancia for their Beta Monte Carlo.

I don't believe the Italians had the first say in dash buttons - look at the Jags and the E-Type in particular - a nightmare ! :)

So which version had the 4x spoke wheel - surely not the limited number 200GT ?
 
Alphabettispaghetti

Alphabettispaghetti

Club Member
RIDDLER said:
Thanks Sean. The car, as I am sure you know, was very closely based on the Bora - in fact from the nose to the back of the doors it is virtually identical.
In order to save weight they did away with the Bora’s glazed ‘clam shell’ rear which used to lift to reveal the engine.
This would have left it very flat at the back (a bit like the Lotus Europa) but Guigiaro cunningly introduced the two non-structural flying buttresses to restore the fastback shape again to the eye.
One or two people I have spoken to who have driven both say that whilst the Bora has the bigger V8 engine, the Merak is more fun to drive and generally easier to live with - certainly more civilised in traffic.
To answer your questions, it does have two rear seats which only small children would fit into, but they provide useful extra luggage space (although the front ‘boot’ is surprisingly spacious).
The car has electric mirrors from the factory (and air con) and the steering wheel you see in mine is original.
The first Meraks had the Citroen SM oval-clocks dashboard and single-spoke steering wheel but the later models had the identical dashboard and wheel to that in the Bora.
In 70s’ Italian fashion, the dash is a riot of clocks and switches - mostly unlabelled - and it took me a fair while to work out what most of them actually did!
For instance you would think the twin slide controls directly in front of the gearstick (see pic) would both be something to do with heating and ventilation.
Indeed the one on the right DOES alter the air flow from hot to cold etc, but the identical one to the left of it is . . . the choke!
All Italian madness but great fun.
Click to expand...

As before, great cars. I did go and see a couple in the UK, SS types, one must be one of the best in the country. the other...... wasn't!
 
R

RIDDLER

Well-Known Forum User
SeanDezart said:
I love it, much more nimble on 'our' roads than the V8 Bora and the ilk.
Good call not to have the same rear - less expensive to produce and gives it that 'original' look kinda copied by Lancia for their Beta Monte Carlo.

I don't believe the Italians had the first say in dash buttons - look at the Jags and the E-Type in particular - a nightmare ! :)

So which version had the 4x spoke wheel - surely not the limited number 200GT ?
Click to expand...
Ok. Done a bit of research. As I said, the first Meraks had the SM dashboard and single spoke wheel.
When De Tomaso took over control from Citroen he introduced a very boxy dashboard . . . and the four-spoke wheel to which you refer.
Later they switched to the Bora dash and three-spoke wheel like mine. ALL the RHD cars had this dash and wheel.
If you are interested, Harry’s Garage did a road test of the car and he specifically talks about the dashboards/wheel at 6:35!
 
SeanDezart

SeanDezart

Well-Known Forum User
Great video :

Civilised, great sound, good visibility, poorly placed drivers' mirror, large front boot...but those vertical rear seats.....:)

9.35 not powered steering ?

Yours has definitely the best wheel and dash.
 
R

RIDDLER

Well-Known Forum User
SeanDezart said:
Great video :

Civilised, great sound, good visibility, poorly placed drivers' mirror, large front boot...but those vertical rear seats.....:)

9.35 not powered steering ?

Yours has definitely the best wheel and dash.
Click to expand...
I think the driver’s door mirror issue is all down to how tall you are. Harry much taller than me. I can see in it without any obstruction at all as I don’t sit as far back - but also I think my mirror is positioned further forward than on that test car.
As I said in an earlier reply to someone, the hydraulics power the clutch, the brakes and the pop-up headlights - not the steering.
But there is no weight at the front being mid-engined so the steering feels light.
 
uk66fastback

uk66fastback

Club Member
You’re a braver man than I!

And a richer one!

Great car - love it. Shame the Volvo had to go to make way as I remember that one being gorgeous, but needs (and finances) must. I know you’ll enjoy owning it.
 
S

status

Well-Known Forum User
Good that you had your dream car,mines been and gone,my Jenson interceptor was mine but sold it back in 2006 when I moved house as didn’t know if I was going to get a double garage when I got another house,now I’ve a treble,Sod’s law really but got the 260 tucked up and two imprezas as they are going up and fetching strong money and always put a smile on yer face,not many cars can do that,still hankering after a 911 though but I’ll have to sell one of my imprezas
 
R

RIDDLER

Well-Known Forum User
status said:
Good that you had your dream car,mines been and gone,my Jenson interceptor was mine but sold it back in 2006 when I moved house as didn’t know if I was going to get a double garage when I got another house,now I’ve a treble,Sod’s law really but got the 260 tucked up and two imprezas as they are going up and fetching strong money and always put a smile on yer face,not many cars can do that,still hankering after a 911 though but I’ll have to sell one of my imprezas
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A treble garage. I dream of that! Only got a single and the Merak only just about fits in it!
Not surprised you miss your Jenson. Always admired those. Stunning gentleman’s cruiser.
 

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R

RIDDLER

Well-Known Forum User
Mr.G said:
Life's too short and so is the Internal combustion engine. If you can convince yourself or your better half then it's worth doing in my book. :)

Thats why I'm still hangering after an SM!
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Go for it! You are only here once and we are a long time dead!
The SM is a beautiful machine. A bit like the DS, it looked like something from out of space when it first arrived.
 
R

RIDDLER

Well-Known Forum User
uk66fastback said:
You’re a braver man than I!

And a richer one!

Great car - love it. Shame the Volvo had to go to make way as I remember that one being gorgeous, but needs (and finances) must. I know you’ll enjoy owning it.
Click to expand...
The Volvo was a lovely car, and extremely reliable. Had five good years with it but missed the six cylinders of the Z.
Advertised it at 8pm on the Sunday night and had sold it at by 9am on the Monday morning! Bought by a Volvo dealership in Northampton to display in their showroom and take to events. Full asking price of £30,000 paid - no quibbles.
This was it being trailered away on the Wednesday. Fastest sale I have ever made!
PS. Now totally spent up! But at the end of the day, when you buy a classic you are not really spending your money. You are just converting a digital number on a computer screen into a beautiful metal object on your drive. I know which will give me most fun - and if you need to, you can always convert the metal object back to the digital number, as I did with the Volvo.
 

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R

RIDDLER

Well-Known Forum User
Had forgotten how lively this forum is! Expected little response but have been overwhelmed by the number of comments on here - and all of them supportive and positive.
I promise that the next time the Z Club has a gathering somewhere within reach of me I will bring the Maserati along (as I once did with the Volvo at Oulton Park) and will show you it in the flesh . . . as long as you are prepared to allow an Italian invader amongst your display of lovely Zs.
 
uk66fastback

uk66fastback

Club Member
The SM from that angle looks incredible. There’s a mustardy yellow one I’ve seen a couple of times in Desborough, near Kettering. I saw Marjorie Proops (for the older members) in the back seat of a black one on the King’s Road many years ago.

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