1971 Maserati Bora

The Maserati Bora (Tipo 117) is a sports car produced between 1971 and 1979. Sharing many parts with the Maserati Merak and designed by Giorgio Guigiaro for Ital Design, it has a mid-engine, rear-wheel drive configuration and a 2 door, 2 seat layout. The car was aimed at the high-performance sports car market.

The Bora was unveiled at the 1971 Geneva Salon. A product of Citroen’s ownership of Maserati, it was an idea suggested by Guy Malleret and developed by Giulio Alfieri. Citroen were already using Alfieri’s Maserati 6-cylinder2675cc engine in the Citroen SM, but using an enhanced version in a mid-mounted sports car was intended to rival both the Ferrari 308 and the Lamborghini Urraco.

The Maserati Bora uses a monocoque chassis cloaked in a sweeping wedge-shaped body, with the rear suspension and engine are mounted on a subframe. It has disk brakes and independent suspension all round. The first Boras (from 1971-76) were fitted with a 4719cc engine producing 310hp, fed with four Weber 42 DCNF carburettors mated to a five-speed ZF gearbox. In 1977, and uprated 4930cc model was produced, generating 320hp and with a top speed of 171 mph.

Inside the Bora are two comfortable leather front seats and air conditioning comes as standard. Under the front bonnet is a surprisingly large luggage space, and the entire rear end of the car hinges out to allow very good engine access.

The Bora is now acknowledged as an iconic Maserati classic supercar. With lots of power and very good handling, the Bora competes strongly with its equivalent from other Italian marques. Engines must be maintained regularly, and buyers should look for comprehensive records as rectification can be very expensive. Rust can be a major problem too- check sills, floor pans, and the suspension mounts. Tyres of the correct size can be very hard to find in the correct speed rating, and parts can be expensive. That said, well maintained they are robust and comfortable sports cars which are a delight to own.

Today the 4.9 litre Maserati Bora is the most desirable model, and is priced accordingly. Similar Maseratis include the smaller-engined Merak SS and the Indy. Alternative sports cars from the era include the Ferrari 308 GTB, the Lamborghini Urraco and the Porsche 911.