The Maserati Bora turns 50

16/03/2021

The Geneva International Motor Show hosted, 50 years ago in this month of March, the presentation of the Maserati Bora, the brand’s first street vehicle with an engine mounted in a central rear position. This was produced until 1978, with a total of 564 vehicles.

Maserati, always aware of the trends and more specifically of the one that had revolutionized Formula 1 in previous years, asked Giorgetto Giugiaro, from Italdesign, to create a sports vehicle with the engine mounted in the rear lateral position and with notable improvements in performance, comfort, safety and design.

This is how Maserati Bora was born. The engine was the tried-and-tested 4,700cc V8 delivering 310hp at 6,000rpm (joined by the 4,900cc unit that would arrive two years later), mounted longitudinally on a monocoque-mounted subframe. But it was not his only singular characteristic. The Maserati Bora was distinguished by its retractable headlights to avoid aerodynamic resistance, a protruding differential at the rear axle, independent suspensions on all wheels -for the first time in a vehicle of the brand- disc brakes, dry clutch of single disc, 5-speed gearbox and telescopic shock absorbers.

The Bora, with a top speed of 280 km per hour, combined comfort and performance, thus ensuring fascinating driving pleasure thanks to the agile response of its engine and its quiet interior.

The vehicle’s engineering was certainly designed by Giulio Alfieri, while the styling and aerodynamics were born at the hands of Giorgetto Giugiaro, who created a two-seater coupe with simple and elegant lines that gave the Bora a balanced appearance. The design was futuristic, with a low and slim nose, and the front grille was characterized by its two rectangular air vents. Both sides were smooth, and were divided in the center by a fine black rubber molding, while the rear ended in a truncated tail.

The end result was a trendsetting vehicle, with fluid and delicate shapes, with the classic rocker character of the 70s, and that continues to be acclaimed among enthusiasts today.