Giorgetto Giugiaro’s work walks tall in the annals of Maserati folklore, this iconic designer’s pen having been responsible for such classics as the Ghibli and the Bora, as well as the 3200 GT of 1998. That car was a four-seater grand-tourer, taking the place of the Shamal as the company’s flagship GT – it had a twin-turbo 3.2-litre V8 and an impeccable sense of style.
The car you see here, the 4200 GT, is the model which took that aspirational platform and made it even better. Interestingly, ‘4200 GT’ isn’t its real name – technically what you’re looking at is a Maserati Coupe, although the fact that this generic name could refer to any number of models means that most people call it the 4200 GT. And this makes perfect sense, because this model – launched in 2001 – features a 4200cc engine. Well, 4244cc to be precise, and the Hollywood twist here is that the car is naturally-aspirated, rather than running the turbos of its predecessor. Why? Quite simply, because this is a Ferrari engine, and in models such as the F430, California and 458 this motor runs nat-asp. It’s a slightly different animal, as the more powerful Ferrari variants use a flat-plane crank and a few other tweaks, while the Maserati applications have a cross-plane crank for torquey smoothness, but the essence is clear: this is a sumptuously appointed grand tourer with a Ferrari V8 in the nose. A cosseting and well-equipped machine, clothed impeccably stylishly, with truly addictive performance.
This 4200 is a 2004 car, one of the last of the pre-facelift models built and finished in supremely beguiling Nero Carbonio paint. It’s evident that this car has truly lived a life too – while a lot of specialist performance GTs sit cocooned away from the world and get used only sporadically, this Maserati has been properly fulfilling its potential over the last decade-and-a-half; the current mileage of 121k proves that it has been driven and enjoyed regularly.
And with a solid spec, excellent overall condition, and an impressively large history file, this is a Maser which undoubtedly has many more fun-filled miles left to travel with its new keeper.
The Maserati comes with a full service history and a pleasingly thick sheaf of receipts detailing all of the work that’s been carried out over the years. The service book is fully stamped by specialists including Graypaul, Meridien Modena and Autofficina, and all of the original manuals and handbooks are present in their wallet. A type approval certificate from April 2004 confirms the car’s identity, and there are many, many receipts and invoices in the file.
Among them we find a recent bill for over £2,000 for timing adjustments and associated work, one for over £1,000 for new oxygen sensors and welding repairs to exhaust manifolds, another for a replacement catalytic converter, one showing a full wheel refurbishment… the file is richly studded with such information, and it’s evident that the car has always been kept in regular use and brought to specialists for maintenance. As such, everything is provable throughout the car’s history and the paperwork will make for reassuring reading for the next keeper.
The seller has advised us the vehicle will come with a fresh MOT for the lucky winner!
As befits the nature of a grand tourer, it’s no surprise to find that the interior of the 4200 GT is the sort of sublimely trimmed place you can easily relax into. The seats are extremely comfortable and generously padded, with beautifully stitched cream leather. The front seats are showing some gentle signs of wear, as you’d expect of a car with light-coloured trim that’s covered 121k miles, but there’s no damage, rips or tears – it’d be easy to feed and rejuvenate these seats to get them tip-top.
The gauges and dials are all working correctly, including the distinctive and all-important Maserati clock in the centre of the dash, and the leather trim on the dash, glovebox and centre console is all in good condition. The original multimedia/phone/nav unit is in situ, and all of the buttons appear to be functioning correctly with just a little wear to the keypad buttons and electric window switches. A recent invoice from a specialist does highlight that a new air-con compressor is needed, but we can vouch for the fact that the heater works well. The steering wheel isn’t excessively worn and the shifter paddles for the transmission work as they should. Inside the boot it’s all dry, with the original carpet in good condition.
The Nero Carbonio paint suits this car extremely well, and it’s tastefully offset by the delicate chrome trim details, and the gleaming wheels which have recently been refurbished. The paint is largely in very good condition, with just some minor scuffing to the front bumper (on the driver’s side, beside the number plate) which would be an easy topical repair. A recent invoice details a minor dent repair on the nearside door and front wing, and this has been completed to a very high standard as it’s now impossible to see where that work was done. The headlights have gone a little milky with age, as is so common of cars of this period, but it would be a very easy and low-cost task to restore them. The enamel Maserati badge on the nose has faded a little, and the mesh grille in the bumper is a little corroded, but these are just pedantic details. Overall, this is a beautifully presented Maserati whose condition belies its miles by virtue of having evidently always been properly looked after.
(n.b. The car is wearing a private registration in the photographs, which has now been removed)
The drivetrain of this car was engineered to be tractable and everyday-usable as well as entertaining, and the paddle-shift Cambiocorsa automated-manual transmission is a perfect complement to the cross-plane-crank Ferrari V8. With 385bhp and 333lb.ft to play with it’s always an effervescent ride, and this drivetrain has always been correctly maintained and serviced – as such it runs very sweetly today. With a full service history and all those receipts to back it up, this is a Maserati that comes with true peace of mind. The seller reports no issues with the suspension, brakes or steering systems, and from our test drive everything does seem to be in excellent order – the car rides well, the engine pulls strongly and the transmission shifts smoothly. With its light alloy double-wishbone suspension, anti-dive setup and in-built toe-in regulator it’s a car that’s cosseting when you’re cruising and agile in the corners, which is exactly what a Maserati grand tourer should be.
Cars love to be used. That’s the whole point of them, isn’t it? They’re machines to be enjoyed, rather than sat static as ornaments. It also keeps them alive – fluids need to circulate, moving parts need to keep themselves lubricated, it’s all part of the lifeblood of the machine. So it’s very reassuring to note that this 4200 GT has been regularly used and enjoyed throughout its life: the 121k on the clock keenly demonstrates that this hasn’t just been a toy, but a companion – something that’s been trusted to ferry its occupants all over, just as a grand tourer should, providing plenty of thrills along the way.
This Maserati has a very fine spec – arguably the best exterior/interior colour combo, we’d say – along with a comprehensive and reassuring history file. But most of all, it’s got adventure baked right into the formula: it’s racked up a bunch of very entertaining miles, and it’s very eager for more. So the big question is, where would you take it in 2021?
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2004 Maserati 4200 GT
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