1980 Maserati Merak SS

This 1980 Maserati Merak SS is one of 787 examples produced between 1976 and 1983. Chassis 2808 is believed to have been sold new in Denver, Colorado, and later spent time in the UK and Canada before being returned to the US in 2015, when it was acquired by the seller. The car is finished in red over black Connolly leather upholstery and powered by a mid-mounted 3.0L quad-cam V6 mated to a five-speed manual transaxle. It rides on 15″ Campagnolo light alloy wheels coupled with disc brakes at all four corners and has pop-up headlamps, rear flying buttresses, and a louvered engine cover. Inside, 2+2 seating is accompanied by a Blaupunkt stereo and Veglia Borletti instrumentation. This Merak SS is now offered in Vermont with a clean Michigan title in the name of the owner’s foundation. Styled by Giorgetto Giugiaro at Italdesign, the Merak was first revealed at the 1972 Paris Motor Show as a lower-cost alternative to the contemporary Bora, with which it shared its styling from the doors forward but featured a vertical rear window and a louvered horizontal engine cover flanked by flying buttresses. An updated Merak SS model followed in 1975, which featured a revised front hood with a black grille.