MASERATI

Merak

The Maserati Merak was introduced at the 1972 Paris Auto Show, just over a year after its bigger brother the Bora, with which it shared much of its structure and front bodywork. Where the Bora used a 4.7-litre V8, the Maserati Merak was powered by a 3.0-litre V6, the Tipo C.114 unit originally designed by Giulio Alfieri for the Citroen SM, giving Maserati a lighter, more affordable mid-engined exotic. This Citroen connection ran deep during the Citroen ownership years: the Merak borrowed the SM's single-spoke steering wheel, instruments and high-pressure hydraulics for its brakes. Styled by Giorgetto Giugiaro at Ital Design, the Merak differed from the Bora most obviously at the rear, where flying buttresses replaced the Bora's full engine cover, freeing space for two small rear seats. The compact V6 sat behind the cabin and produced around 190 hp in original form. In 1975 Citroen sold Maserati to De Tomaso, and in 1976 the sharper Maserati Merak SS arrived with a lighter body, 220 hp and a conventional dashboard, becoming the most sought-after version. A 2.0-litre Merak 2000 GT was also built for the Italian market to dodge punitive taxes on larger engines. Across the full 1972-1983 run about 1,830 Meraks were made, roughly 830 originals, 787 SS models and a small number of 2000s. Elegant, usable and comparatively rare, the Maserati Merak remains one of the most attainable ways into 1970s mid-engined Italian exotica.