1972 Maserati Indy America 4.2-Litre Coupé

Coachwork by Carrozzeria Vignale Registration no. CTO 559K Chassis no. AM116/1.1646

Footnotes

Maserati followed up its stunning, Ghia-styled Ghibli two-seater with the equally elegant Indy 2+2, though the latter, announced in 1968, was the work of Carrozzeria Vignale. The Indy first appeared publicly on Vignale's stand at the 1968 Turin Motor Show and was officially launched at the Geneva Salon in 1969. Running gear was conventional, with independent front suspension, a live rear axle, and four-wheel disc brakes, while the power unit was - initially - the Modena firm's well-tried, 4.2-litre, four-cam V8. With 260bhp on tap, Maserati's luxury four-seater had a top speed in the region of 150mph, a figure subsequent larger-engined versions improved upon. Indeed, the sleek Vignale coachwork was such that the Maserati Indy was able to carry four people in relative comfort without impairing its performance as a sports car.

A rare right-hand drive model with the desirable five-speed manual transmission and power assisted steering, this Indy America was ordered new by the current owner and has covered a believed genuine 18,500-or-so miles since it left the factory, with the earliest MOT certificate from 1976 showing 14,142 miles.

Back in the early 1970s, the owner was a Citroën dealer, and when the French firm bought Maserati, the latter's cars became available through the Citroën dealership network. The owner bought this Indy as a 40th birthday present to himself. Now in his late eighties, he has stopped driving and this is the first time the car has been offered for sale on the open market.

Renowned marque specialists McGrath Maserati first saw this car in 2004 when it had only 16,342 miles recorded. After a c. £10,000 overhaul in 2004, McGraths Maserati again took on CTO 559K between 2013 - 2014 with a total of some £24,000 spent, mainly on bodywork, exterior trim, and paintwork, as well as renewing the leaf springs, rear shock absorbers, axle straps, and rear brakes (bills on file). For the last few years this Indy has remained unused in garage storage as the vendor is in poor health. With a believed 2,000 miles covered between 1976 and 2005 and having been laid up since 2016, we are advised that CTO 559K has good oil pressure and runs and drives well but will require re-commissioning for every-day usability (e.g. a new water pump and new tyres are needed). Offered with a V5C, MOT certificates, insurance documentation, and sundry invoices, CTO 559K presents a wonderful opportunity to acquire a rare, right-hand drive, low-mileage, and single-owner example of this classic Maserati Gran Turismo.