1971 Maserati Quattroporte prototype by Frua

1971 Maserati Quattroporte prototype by Frua - Prototype commissioned by Maserati from Frua as a replacement for the Quattroporte - Displayed at the time at the Paris, Geneva and Barcelona Motor Shows - Supplied with its Maserati Classiche certification - Excellent original cosmetic and mechanical condition - Extensive historical documentation When it unveiled its Quattroporte in 1963, Maserati created a new type of car: a luxurious saloon with an engine derived from competition. Its assertive, sporty design was the work of Pietro Frua and, quite naturally, Maserati turned to Frua again to design its successor. In 1971, the coachbuilder presented a car with extremely pure, elegant styling with partially retractable headlamps, powered by the noble 4.7-litre V8. Introduced at the 1971 Paris Motor Show in the presence of Juan Manuel Fangio, the car proved such a success with the public and professionals alike that it was displayed again at other events such as the 1972 Geneva Motor Show, the ‘Trophée des Journalistes’ in Monaco in 1972, the 1973 Paris Motor Show, the 1973 Barcelona Motor Show and the same event in 1974. In Barcelona, it attracted the attention of the Aga Khan, to the extent that he ordered an identical example, which was delivered in 1974 (chassis no. 004). The project came to nothing, however, as Citroën, the owner of Maserati at the time, wanted a Quattroporte based on the SM: this would become the Quattroporte II, of which Thierry Dehaeck’s collection includes the historically most important example. After its Motor Show career, this magnificent Quattroporte Frua was sold to a customer in Barcelona and registered as ‘B 6997 AZ’ on 17 May 1975. It stayed in Barcelona until 1988, when it was bought by Kurt Kunti from Alicante, who had it restored in its dark blue colour, keeping the original beige leather upholstery. In 2000, the car crossed the Atlantic to join the exceptional collection of Maseratis owned by Alfredo Brener, who sold it in 2003 to Bruce Milner, where it was reunited with its sister car ordered by the Aga Khan. It was subsequently bought by Doug Magnon, who displayed the car in his museum at Riverside, where it was one of the most admired cars on show, and who entered it in various events such as the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este in 2015. After the museum cars were sold off in 2016, it entered the major collection in Marseille. It was then up for sale in November 2021, which enabled Thierry Dehaeck to acquire it and display it alongside his other Maseratis. “When I saw this car for sale, I thought it would be an exceptional opportunity to acquire it, as it is highly significant in the company’s history”, he explained. “To do so, I sold a Merak SS, in order to free up a space and provide the best possible conditions for it.” Since then, the car has received a high-quality restoration and is now in faultless condition and running order. It has since been crowned with success when it has appeared with Thierry Dehaeck, at the Concours d'Elegance at the Villa d'Este in 2023 and at the Concours d'Elegance Suisse at the Château Coppet, where it won 1st prize in its class. In September 2024, it took 1st prize in the ‘Maserati haute couture’ class at the Chantilly Concours d'Elegance, and in 2025, 1st prize in in its class at the MIR (Maserati International Rallye) at Durbuy in Belgium, where it was joined by its sister car, chassis no. 004, that had been owned by the Aga Khan. Sold with a very substantial history file, including an extensive series of original photographs taken when it left the factory, the car comes with its FIVA card and has been certified by Maserati Classiche. A masterpiece of 1970s design, this unique model enjoys unanimous approval for the purity of its design and symbolises the swansong of the Maserati Quattroportes from the Orsi era, the models which introduced the genre. It will take pride of place in any collection, as well as at concours events, where it will continue to delight and captivate visitors.

Estimation:€150,000

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