CarBrandLogos archive · Maserati · 1971

MaseratiMaserati Bora

The marque's first mid-engined road car, funded by Citroën and drawn by Giugiaro.

Photo: Alexander Migl · CC BY-SA 4.0

The story

A defining chapter in Maserati history.

Explore the ideas, engineering and context that shaped the Maserati Bora, then continue into its specifications and place in the marque's lineage.

Origins

Maserati came late to the mid-engine layout. Lamborghini had shown what it could do in 1966 and Ferrari was moving that way, but Maserati's road cars in the late 1960s were still front-engined grand tourers. What changed the situation was Citroën, which took control of the company in 1968 and brought both money and its own engineering obsessions.

Maserati Bora · No machine-readable author provided. PLawrence99cx assumed (based on copyright claims). · Public domain

Design and engineering

The Bora, shown in 1971, put the 4.7-litre four-cam V8 behind the cabin driving the rear wheels through a five-speed ZF gearbox, with a 4.9-litre version added for 1973. Giorgetto Giugiaro at Italdesign gave it a low, hard-edged shape with a brushed stainless steel roof and screen pillars, and the whole engine and rear suspension assembly was mounted on a subframe isolated by rubber — a decision that made it far more civilised than its rivals.

1974 Maserati Bora 4.9 US · Mr.choppers · CC BY-SA 3.0

In production

Citroën's contribution was hydraulic. A high-pressure system taken from the SM operated the brakes, the pop-up headlights, and the adjustable pedal box and driver's seat, which moved rather than the steering wheel. It gave the Bora a lighter touch and a longer list of things to go wrong.

Italian Concours Maserati Bora Engine · James Bond · CC BY 2.0

Legacy

Critics rated it above the Lamborghini Countach for usability: it had luggage space, a quiet cabin, air conditioning and visibility. It did not sell in Countach numbers, with 564 built across both engine sizes before the fuel crisis and Citroën's withdrawal ended production in 1978. It is remembered as the most comfortable supercar of its generation.

At a glance

The facts that define it.

Produced

1971–1978

Units built

289

Engine

4719&nbsp

Body

2-door coupé

Technical specification

The Maserati Bora, in detail.

Production: 1971–1978 (Bora 4.7 L); (289 produced)r; maserati47 ; 1973–1978 (Bora 4.9 L); (275 produced)r; maserati49 ; 564 produced (total)
Class: Sports car
Body style: 2-door coupé
Layout: Longitudinal Rear mid-engine, rear-wheel drive
Engine: 4719 cc Tipo AM 107.07 V8 engine; V8 ; 4930 cc Tipo AM 107.16 V8
Transmission: 5-speed ZF manual
Designer: Giorgetto Giugiaro at Italdesign
Assembly: Italy: Modena
Manufacturer: Maserati