When Alejandro de Tomaso acquired Maserati in 1976, he had ambitious plans for the marque: he wanted to combine the prestige of the Maserati brand with a sports car that would be more affordable than the earlier highly-priced models that had traditionally formed the Maserati range. The Maserati Bi-Turbo features, as the name implies, a two-litre V6 engine with two turbochargers and a luxurious interior. The car was designed by Pierangelo Andreani, an engineer from the De Tomaso team, and somewhat influenced by the design of the newer Quattroporte III, as can be observed on the front fascia. The Bi-Turbo was initially a strong seller and brought Italian prestige to a wide audience, and competed (unsuccessfully) in the British Touring Car Championship in the late 1980s, the European Touring Car Championship, and the 1987 World Touring Car Championship. The Spyder version was introduced at the Turin Motor Show in 1984, designed and built by the world-class designer, Zagato. Overall, 3,076 were built over a ten-year period, setting a production record for Maserati Spyders.

The Maserati delivery certificate shows that this lovely example was first registered on 15th March 1991. Presenting beautifully in its red paintwork over Nero leather interior, this car is a rare beast and is believed to be around one of seven in the country, and of only around 90 right hand drive examples built. The car is reported by the vendor to run and drive very well and comes with an impressive service history of 15 services carried out at regular intervals including the major engine-out service performed by renowned specialist Modena McGrath in 2021 at a cost of over £3,000. It is supplied with a V5C registration document and excellent service history file, along with a freshly issued MoT test certificate valid through until March 2027 that shows no advisories. There cannot be a better value route to Italian open- top classic car ownership than these often underappreciated Bi-Turbo Spyders, penned by design legend Zagato. Consigned by Will Penrose

Lot details
Year: 1991
Make: Maserati
Model: Bi-Turbo Spyder SE by Zagato
Registration: H13 JLL
Chassis No: ZAM333B28ALA19026
Odometer: 45,750

* Impressive service history
* Engine-out service by Modena McGrath