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‘For a man who wants the last word in sports cars, a mid-enginedmachine is essential. Racing single-seaters are built to thisconfiguration and so the mid-engined car must be right!‘It is thus of great interest that the famous Maserati firm, whichhas tended to be somewhat conservative in recent years, has nowplaced an advanced mid-engined coupé on the market.’ – JohnBolster, Autosport.The highlight of 1971 Geneva Salon was undoubtedly the sensationalnew Maserati Bora. With the Bora’s introduction, the great Modenesemanufacturer followed other supercar constructors in going midenginedwhile at the same time abandoning its traditional tubularchassis technology in favour of unitary construction. Named afteran Adriatic wind, the Bora was the work of Giorgetto Giugiaro’s ItalDesign, at least as far as its bodyshell was concerned; the midmountedengine was Maserati’s familiar four-cam V8 in 4.7-litreform, the five-speed transaxle came from ZF and the all-independentdouble-wishbone suspension was penned by Giulio Alfieri, codesignerof the legendary 250F Formula 1 Grand Prix car. One ofthe first ‘new generation’ models to appear following Maserati’sacquisition by Citroën, the Bora used the latter’s hydraulic technologyto adjust seats and pedals, raise the headlamps and operate theexcellent power-assisted brakes. A slippery shape plus 310bhp madefor a very fast car - top speed was over 160mph (258km/h) - and theBora had acceleration, handling and braking to match.By January 1976, Maserati’s management apparently had discussedshelving the Bora but later that year decided to continue, thoughwith an enlarged 4.9-litre V8 engine. Only some 25 Boras were madethat year, and the total produced from 1971 to 1978 was only 564.The type was finally phased out in 1979. Motor magazine concludedits March 1973 road test thus: ‘The Bora impressed us as one ofthe best and most civilised mid-engined exotics we’ve tried, betterdeveloped than most of its ilk and immensely rewarding to drive,especially to drive fast on cross-country roads.’ What more could anyenthusiast want?The Bora was a stunning supercar by any standards, both thenand now. Supplied new in the UK, this particular Bora was built inJune 1974 with the 4.7-litre engine and is a rare right-hand driveexample, one of only 42 made. It was originally finished in silver withblue leather interior. The car is offered from the estate of the lateSimon Phillips, prominent BRDC member and well-known collector.In 1988 the Maserati was subject to a total bare-metal restoration byMototechnique and Rardley Motors, since when it has covered onlysome 20,000 miles (the current odometer reading is 44,000 miles).The engine received new cylinder head gaskets this year and is saidto run well, while the rest of the car is described as ‘solid’, albeit inneed of further renovation to bring it back to the highest standard.Accompanying paperwork consists of the 1988 restoration invoices,a current MoT certificate and V5 registration document.£40,000 - 60,000€49,000 - 74,000Motor Cars | 69