Maserati haven't always hit the proverbial ball out of the ground when it comes to styling their four-door cars. Just look at this
front-wheel-drive, Citroen-based offering from the late-seventies
. Unsurprisingly, customers were few and far-between.
It's hard to believe that the basic shape of the current Quattroporte has been around for nearly eight years now, and the general consensus is that it's always been a bit of a looker. Certainly it's the best-selling saloon to carry the famous trident emblem, and has rightfully earned Maserati a seat at the high-performance executive saloon table. Reviewers consistently point out one or two shortcomings, but by and large these things seem to be good news.
A brand new top-spec example will set you back well over £100,000, but if you want a bit of the Maserati magic in your life and you don't happen to be in the position to part with the required wheelbarrow of cash, then something like
this Quattroporte
could be well worth your consideration.
As an ex-demonstrator it's loaded to the nines, and for most of its life it was actually owned by the head of the Warburton family (we're referring to the Lancastrian bakers by the way and not the American media tycoons...thanks Wikipedia). As such, maintenance wasn't an issue and the vendor assures us that the history file (all Maserati main dealers) backs this up. £17,995 seems like decent value for such a machine (not too much bread, you might say - Ed)...
But if you're happy to trade exclusivity and Italian flair for extra performance, then there are alternatives. Similar money would put you in
a BMW M5 of similar vintage
, like this well-serviced example or perhaps you might even consider a
Mercedes CLS55 AMG