Italian Barn Find: 1985 Maserati Biturbo 5-Speed
If you’re in the market for an Italian luxury coupe that won’t break the bank, then take a look at this 1985 Maserati Biturbo. This affordable exotic is located in Peoria, Illinois, and listed here on Facebook Marketplace for $2,200.
The Maserati Biturbo was a creature born of necessity. Acquired by Citroën in 1968, the Maserati brand was spun off again in 1975 when the oil crisis hit. Taken in hand by Alejandro De Tomaso, it was decided that the company needed to capitalize on its brand recognition. And that a mass-produced coupe was just the thing. They might have been right; by some accounts, this was the car that saved the company. Yet it can’t be argued that the Biturbo is a far cry from the carefully crafted grand tourers that Maserati produced just a few years prior.
To say that the car was met with mixed reviews when it debuted would be a bit too generous. Time Magazine called it the worst car of 1984, and history has not been any kinder to this entry-level Maserati. This is not without cause– setting aside the (many) issues with build quality, reliability, and poor engineering, even an example that has been properly sorted is notoriously expensive to maintain. By the numbers, the performance of the 2.5 L V6 was good for its day at 185 hp, with torque in the low 200s, all which allowed a 0 to 60 time of 7.5 seconds. Unfortunately, the whole package was held back by Maserati’s decision to use Webers when most manufacturers were making the switch to fuel injection. That didn’t seem to affect their popularity, though: this car is one of 1,190 to be sold in the US in 1985.
Bad reputation aside, it’s still a Maserati. The interior is all leather and wood veneer and wool carpets. The wood steering wheel is matched with a 5-speed manual gearbox and the power goes to the rear wheels, where it belongs. The paint may be a little rough, but those Maserati tridents will proclaim the car’s lineage to the whole world– even if the model is the black sheep of the family.
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Comments
It may not break the bank for you now,
but you can bet it will if you try to restore it.
Parts car!
Word for word what I planned to post.
Run away…run away….
The only Maserati Biturbo, also with a manual transmission, that sold on eBay over the last 90 days was a dry California car in much nicer condition and went for less than this ones asking price.
Steve R
“If you’re in the market for an Italian luxury coupe that won’t break the bank, then take a look at this 1985 Maserati Biturbo.”
Wait…. what? You can’t be serious. This is a terrible choice for an enthusiast on a budget. Even in pristine condition, they are temperamental and troublesome.
Run as far and fast as possible. This car is worth about -$2,200. Finished it’s only worth about $7k, and it will cost over $9k to bring it back from the dead. Even if it is brought back, it’s not desirable compared to a couple year newer injected version, maybe a convertible – none of which would make it desirable.
Reminds me of the (old) series “Top Gear” … when ever they drove/tested/compared a BiTurbo … they always ended up dropping a piano on it … not too subtle of a review
As it sits, this car’s book value is a negative, not a positive, dollar figure.
Even as a decent driver, it’s value is…meh.
If you got the car for free, had 2/3 parts cars to pull from, and then created a decent driver, you’d still be so upside down it would make your head spin. This one’s only for those who have drunk deeply from the Italian Kool-Aid
I believe that BiTurbo is Italian for leaks oil.
Wheeler-Dealers bought an already electrified one then re-electrified it. Is this not what the LS swap was designed for?
this is a lill like what I got as a kid (could afford) to rehab and “drive free” selling when the nxt caught my eye &/or was affordable. 40, 50 yrs it’s junior but mostly Italian, small, appealing they were all over eastern MA. Goldie’s was a local junk yard I saved several from, supplying motors and other parts the OP had blown (or crashed due to lack of familiarity w/over steer) to discard some tantalizing 3/4 vehicle. Car auctions and the net have pretty much boxed me out. I see
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZfnqsehjBc
and larger commercials but not many “car guys” even going to the ‘coffees’ (most round here have been in the afternoon/eve for 70 yrs. Sat am is ‘the dump run’).
As the old saying goes, you can’t give these away!!
Wow. Kinda sad.
I can’t image being able to find parts for this, let alone afford to buy them as I image you’d have to source them from Europe and the shipping charges will eat away at the restoration costs. Too bad I had to see any car end up in a crusher.
I owned one. Most miserable car experience of my life.
It was a *great* looking car, and I particularly remember the seats being very comfortable.
It was just plagued with problems… and if you got that car wet, it wouldn’t start for a couple of days… never did figure out where the water was going to cause that problem. Parts were absurdly expensive, the car was complicated, and I learned a lot about wrenching while I owned it– mostly because none of my local shops would touch it.
Entry level ? There is no entry level Maserati. C’mon man.