Italian Thoroughbred: 1967 Maserati Mistral 4000 Coupe
While many might consider the Maserati Mistral an Italian sports car, the company produced and marketed it as a two-seat Grand Tourer. Its distinctive styling guarantees the rare exotic can turn as many heads today as it did when new. This 1967 Mistral 4000 Coupe requires total restoration, and while it is unlikely to be cheap, its potential value could make it worthwhile. Its next journey could be to a new home, with the seller listing it here at Gooding and Company. The auctioneers placed an estimate of $65,000 – $85,000 on this project candidate, although it has already hit $42,000 in this timed online auction.
Maserati introduced the Mistral to its model range in 1963. It would be the first car produced by the company to carry the Mistral badge, with this generation remaining in production until 1970. Its lines were penned by renowned designer and coachbuilder Pietro Frua, with the company removing the covers from its new model at the 1963 Turin Auto Show. This Mistral was delivered to its original Italian owner in 1967 and finished in Rosso Campannelle. It later found its way to the United States, receiving a color change to its current Blue in around 1976. The Maserati recently emerged after decades in storage, and its overall condition makes a nut-and-bolt restoration the only option to regain its former glory. The panels sport a selection of bumps and imperfections, although it appears there is no significant rust. There is visible filler in some areas, which will need to be ground away to determine whether there are any hidden surprises. The beautiful wire wheels look salvageable, and most trim pieces could be restored. The glass seems acceptable, but a specialist company might be able to polish it to achieve an as-new look.
Maserati offered three engines during the First Generation Mistral’s production run. The largest was the 4.0-liter straight-six that occupies this car’s engine bay. It produced 255hp and 268 ft/lbs of torque in its prime, which fed to the road via a five-speed ZF manual transmission. The drag strip wasn’t this car’s natural home, although its ability to cover the ¼-mile in 14.7 seconds was pretty respectable. However, with Maserati focusing on this model as a genuine Grand Tourer, its top speed of 158mph was considered more important. The auctioneers confirm this Mistral is numbers-matching, retaining vital original components like the Luas fuel injection. It is unclear when it last saw active service, but budgeting for a complete mechanical refresh as part of this restoration would be wise.
Examining the interior shots brings the word “tired” to mind. The photos suggest there are no missing components and no aftermarket additions. However, a complete retrim is required to return this aspect to a factory-fresh state. This is unlikely to be cheap because the new owner can’t simply walk into a local auto shop to order a trim kit. It requires the attention of a specialist upholsterer to achieve a high-end result, but there are worthy candidates within the American restoration industry who would do the interior justice. Setting aside $10,000 would be a realistic sum, and while it sounds eye-watering, the potential value of this Maserati justifies the cost.
The 1967 Maserati Mistral 4000 Coupe was typical of Italian vehicles of this type from the era, with the company producing cars in limited numbers. Between 1963 and 1970, only 828 Coupes rolled from the factory. The Spyder variant was rarer, with a production total of 120 cars. This one requires significant work to return it to its former glory, and the process will require deep commitment and a healthy wallet. However, a Concours result could yield a value of over $300,000. Even if the bidding hits the upper auction estimate, that leaves plenty of scope to complete the work before the financial viability becomes doubtful. Would that be enough to tempt you to pursue this beauty further?
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Comments
Got to make any Italian sports car person cry. I mean, it’s not a Pinto, who would let a fantastic car like this, turn into that? Two schools of thought there. 1st, some spoiled brat ,,oops, I mean, gifted child of wealth, gets this from dad and trashes it, OR, 2nd, Professor Whosis used it as their regular car through all kinds of weather. Man, I don’t know what fuels some people, but an insult to see a fabulous car like this in such poor condition. What’s the matter with some people? Hang em’ high, I say.
Much more than meets the eye here. Cars of this type and that have been sitting for decades require everything ……been there done it with restoration efforts. From all rubber components, rust issues, prior inferior work, mechanical issues, on and on. Not completed by a DIY approach, getting $250K at completion may not cover all costs and hidden problems. $45K is all the money on this one! I am in at $45 but stopped there. The future value is a guess a so do it as a passion rather than an investment.
I have a 1971, MG. MGB in beautiful condition British Leyland edition for sale
I don’t think there was ever a British Leyland edition. They just started putting that tag on the fenders when British Leyland took over.
It’s all about money.
I have owned a Sebring which is a very similar model in terms of the Chassis, Engine and transmission. These are far easier to restore than you might think as long as all the parts are there. Almost everything is either from the Alfa Romeo or Jaguar parts bin or can be found by various suppliers to those firms.
The real touchy spot is both the Head Gasket and the water pumps which need to be done just exactly right or they do not last for any length of time. AND YES I LEARNED THIS THE HARD WAY THANK YOU VERY MUCH. The head gasket is a separate gasket for each cylinder and the exterior of the head. Contact MIE (Maserati Information Exchange) for any and all help you might need they are an excellent source of information. To my knowledge the water pumps need to be rebuilt and I think MIE has them on an exchange basis.
It must be remembered that many of the exotic makers had limited means to assemble cars so simplicity tends to be the path taken. The exception is the glass. Exotic car glass is about as valuable as gold if it is available at all. I was lucky but to who ever purchases this car treat the glass with kid gloves.
As a driver these are really nice cars to drive even with the solid real axels. They will more than keep up with modern traffic and they are smaller than you might think. More about the size of a Porsche 944. Great touring cars which is the market they were going for when designed. I find this version in coupe form to be a bit heavy looking and a dark color does not help. But they are far better cars than you might think and very reliable is cared for properly.
Excellent input, Bruce. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience.
This is a lovely car in every way and an opportunity for someone who has the means to be driven by quality.
Agreed on the glass comment. Glass for my ’63 IH Travelall (the curved panes in the back) are unobtanium and exceptionally expensive to have remanufactured. I bought my truck with the passenger side cracked, figuring I’d spend years finding a replacement, but was lucky enough to stumble on an inexpensive used pane this summer, and sweated the install (I hired a professional).
“The glass seems acceptable,”
There’s a large hole in the windshield, that isn’t going to polish out.
Go look at the 8th picture in the auction listing.
Wow you can see lots of future designs pulled inspiration from this. 924 immediately came to mind.
I’ll stick with American muscle, less expensive too.
“Ideal Candidate for a Complete Concours-Quality Restoration”
Make it run/drive reliably. Detail the interior what you can. Don’t even buff it out. Just drive it as is and enjoy the crap out of it. No getting sacrilegious and go think’n SBC or SBF. Its gotta stay original drivetrain. When you open the hood, THAT area can look like a million bucks. But drive ’em crazy with the original “patina” the rest of the way…
$49,000 for this Bondo bodied extravagance. Allen L you were right in pointing out the gaping wound in the window (it can be fixed with Saran wrap, I think).
Bondo applied and left to harden that lumpy is not a good sign.
SOLD for $49,000.
I like the Ghibli better