MASERATI QUATTROPORTE FRUA

Country of Manufacture: Italy     Vin #: 121.002
Model Type: 4 Door Sedan
Body Designer: Frua
Engine: Maserati 4.7 Liter V8 (4719cc)
Horsepower: 330 bhp at 5000rpm
Torque: 325 1b at 4000 rpm
Transmission: ZF 5-Speed gearbox
Suspension:
Front-Independent, double wishbones, coil springs, telescopic shock absorbers, transverse stabilizer bar. Rear-Semi elliptic leaf springs, telescopic shock absorbers, transverse stabilizer bar.
Brakes:
Front-Dual circuit Citroen disc brakes
Rear-Dual circuit Citroen disc brakes
Top Speed: 150 mph

Price: $80,000

History: Three series of Quattroporte we built between 1963 and 1990. A fourth series will be launched in 2004 and this series will be the first 4 door car produced since Ferrari took control of Maserati in 1997. The first series covered the period 1963-1969. This Frua designed car was powered by a Maserati V8 and 776 examples were built. Maserati and Citroen merged in 1967 and consequently the second series car was front wheel drive, used the Citroen hydro-pneumatic suspension and was powered by a Maserati developed V6. This Bertone designed car was singularly unsuccessful and only 12 examples were produced over the 2 year, 1976-1978 period. The third series car was Giugiaro designed and built in relatively large numbers. Since the Citroen partnership had ended in bankruptcy in 1975, Citroen parts were discarded in favor of the “old” rear wheel drive, V8 powered platform. Between 1979 and 1990 a total of 2155 examples were built.

In addition to the 3 different series production cars detailed above, Frua built 2 unique custom bodied cars. These are described below:

Production: Between ending production of the first series Quattroporte in 1969 and several years before production began of the ill-fated Quattroporte 11 in 1976, Frua built 2 special bodied cars on a lengthened and widened Maserati Indy platform that was in production at the time. The first of these cars, chassis # 121.002 (the car featured here) was displayed at the Paris Show in October 1971 and again at the Geneva Show in March 1972. This car was commissioned by Juan Carlo de Borbon, the King of Spain. The second car, chassis # 121.004 was built 2 years later and was purchased by the Aga Khan. The two cars are almost identical and up until recently it was believed that the Aga Khan car was the first built and the later chassis number was simply an aberration. However, close examination of photographs of the car featured at the Paris and Geneva shows in Automobile Year issues #19 (1971/1972) and #20 (1972/1973) reveal that the unique dash layout, the Indy wheels (versus later model Ghibli wheels on chassis #121.004) and the positioning of the Frua emblems confirms that 121.002 was the first car built.

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