Guide: Maserati Bora
Background
A few months after Citroen took control of Maserati in January 1968, the Italian firm began work on a two-seat mid-engined flagship; it would be the first road-going Maserati to adopt this exciting competition-inspired layout.
Nearby, the upstarts over at Lamborghini and De Tomaso were ready with their stunning but under-developed Miura and Mangusta models. Across the English channel, Ford’s Advanced Vehicle operation had been offering street versions of the Le Mans-winning GT40 since the middle of 1965.
Over in Maranello, Ferrari were also developing a top flight mid-engined contender, but their Flat 12-powered Berlinetta Boxer would not enter production until late 1973.
Having established a loyal customer base, an international dealer network and a hard earned reputation for quality, Ferrari and Maserati had much to lose from producing a car that wasn’t quite ready for their demanding clientele. The combination of a mid-engined layout and large displacement eight or twelve cylinder motor brought all kinds of technical challenges (not least handling and cooling): a rushed introduction could be fatal for a model’s success.
Internally known as Tipo 117, Maserati’s Bora project officially began in October 1968. The firm had a prototype on the road by the summer of 1969.
18 months of intense development followed before the new car was publicly unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1971.
Cloaked in a stunning body by Ital Design and bristling with advanced features, the first customer deliveries took place later that year.
The Bora slotted into a Maserati line-up that comprised the soon-to-be-replaced Ghibli SS and Mexico plus the four-seat Indy, all of which were conventional front-engined Grand Tourers.
The Bora also spawned a look-a-like V6-engined model known as the Merak. The Merak went into production shortly after the Bora and was built until 1983.
Chassis
Considerably more refined than any of its mid-engined competitors, the Bora was built on a pressed steel monocoque. It featured a 2600mm wheelbase which was 50mm longer than the front-engined Ghibli. At the rear, a tubular steel subframe carried the drivetrain.
Suspension was fully independent via double wishbones all round (a first for a Maserati road car). Coil springs and telescopic shocks were fitted to each corner along with anti-roll bars at either end.
Citroen’s advanced high pressure hydraulics were used to control the ventilated four wheel disc brakes, the power-assisted steering, the retractable headlights, the clutch command and to adjust the steering column and foot pedals.
Wheels were cast 7.5 x 15-inch Campagnolo alloys with removable brushed alloy hub caps and Pirelli Cinturato tyres.
Twin fuel tanks with an overall capacity of 90 litres were mounted either side of the engine.
Engine / Gearbox
In the engine bay, the latest version of Maserati’s familiar 90° all-alloy V8 was installed.
Equipped with dual overhead camshafts and two valves per cylinder, it displaced 4719cc thanks to a bore and stroke of 93.9mm and 85mm respectively.
The longitudinally-mounted power unit came with Bosch electronic ignition, an 8.5:1 compression ratio and four downdraught Weber 42 DCNF carburettors.
Peak output was 310bhp at 6000rpm and 340lb-ft at 4200rpm.
Transmission was via a five-speed manual gearbox, single dry-plate clutch and limited-slip differential.
Great attention was paid to reducing noise and vibration. To this end, the engine and five-speed ZF gearbox were located on a subframe that was attached to the monocoque via four flexible mounts. Additionally, the aluminium engine cover was trimmed with deep-pile carpet and the rear window was double-glazed.
Bodywork
The body was created by Ital Design, a styling house established in 1968 by Giorgetto Giugiaro. With stints at Fiat, Bertone and Ghia, plus creations like the Iso A3L Grifo, De Tomaso Mangusta and Maserati Ghibli, Giugiaro was arguably the best automotive designer of his generation.
Standing 1138mm high, the Bora featured several distinctive exterior details. Perhaps most notable was the use of brushed stainless steel for the roof and windscreen pillars which matched the hub caps.
Giugiaro’s uncluttered lines meant the handsome Bora was a less outrageous proposition than the Lamborghini Countach or Ferrari BB. There were no aggressive intake scoops or spoilers and the wedge design was softened with an array of gentle curves.
Fabrication of the car’s steel body panels was contracted to Officine Padane in Modena.
Interior
Inside, the seats, dash, door trim, centre console and rear bulkhead were trimmed in leather.
The steering column could be hydraulically tailored for rake and reach, but the driver’s seat was height-adjustable only. However, the pedal box could be moved for and aft to suit.
The instrument binnacle featured an centre section that was angled towards the driver. Directly behind the three-spoke leather-rimmed steering were large read outs for road and engine speed with a smaller oil pressure gauge in between.
Five additional read outs (water temperature, oil temperature, fuel, battery condition and a clock) were located centrally along with the electric window switches and ventilation controls.
If specified, a radio was dash-mounted on the outer side of the steering wheel below a bank of rocker switches.
Electric windows were standard.
Options
Air-conditioning was extra and there was a choice of audio systems.
Unlike the other V8-powered models in the Maserati range, there was no automatic gearbox option.
Weight / Performance
Each Bora weighed in at 1610kg.
Top speed was 168mph and 0-62mph took 6.2 seconds.
Production Begins
The first Boras were delivered to customers in late 1971.
Production Changes
Only minor changes were phased in during the car’s production life.
Alterations included front lids hinged at the trailing instead of leading edge, pop-up headlights with rounded inside corners, a rectangular grille on the front lid and matt black louvres on the cockpit sail panels.
USA Version
As the 4.7-litre engine hadn’t been homologated in North America, from 1973, Boras destined for the US were fitted with emissions-equipped 4.9-litre units similar to those found in late US-bound Ghiblis.
Stroked from 85mm to 89mm, displacement was 4930cc.
Output was 300bhp at 6000rpm, only 10bhp less than the European derivative.
Many American spec. cars also came with heavy, ugly Federal-bumpers in order to meet stringent US safety legislation.
A chunky padded steering wheel boss was also routinely fitted which later found its way on to Boras destined for other markets.
Oil Crisis
Not long after Bora production began, the world was hit by an energy crisis.
In late 1973, Arab OPEC members announced an embargo on oil sales to the USA, UK, Canada, Japan and the Netherlands. The embargo was a response to the USA's support for Israel in the Yom Kippur War when Egypt and Syria (with the support of other Arab nations) had begun a military campaign to regain territory lost during the 1967 Six Day War (when Egypt, Syria and Jordan had been the aggressors).
Oil prices rose exponentially and remained at elevated levels for the next two years. Demand for gas-guzzlers evaporated practically overnight.
Maserati’s ambitious expansion plans were put on hold as sales plummeted. The situation worsened in 1974 when Citroen was declared bankrupt.
In May 1975, Citroen management announced that Maserati had been placed into liquidation.
Maserati’s New Owners
August 1975 saw Maserati ownership pass jointly to an Italian state-owned holding company and Alessandro de Tomaso. De Tomaso was still flush with cash after the Ford buyout (and subsequent return) of his auto maker in 1974.
New models followed in 1976 (the Kyalami) and 1979 (the Quattroporte Series 3), both of which were rebodied De Tomasos with Maserati engines.
Production of the Bora, Merak and Khamsin (which had replaced the Ghibli) continued unaffected.
4.9-litre Engine
By 1976, the 4.9-litre engine was standard on all Boras.
In European trim, output rose by 10bhp to 320bhp at 5500rpm. There was also a proportionate increase in torque giving the 4.9-litre version even greater flexibility.
End of Production
Bora production ran from 1971 to 1978, during which time 524 examples were manufactured.
289 of these were 4.7s to include a believed 39 in right-hand drive.
The remaining 235 Boras were 4.9-litre versions of which only a handful were right-hand drive.
The smaller-engined Merak continued in production until 1983.
Unfortunately, neither model was replaced. Instead, in late 1981, Maserati’s Biturbo era began in an attempt to seek mainstream success for the company.
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Maserati - https://maserati.com
