1972 Maserati Ghibli SS 4.9 Spyder
- Engine
- 4.9L engine (SS specification)
- Colour
- Polo Bianco (white) over blue leather
Chassis 1251 is a 1972 Maserati Ghibli SS 4.9 Spyder, one of only four right-hand-drive examples among the 45 SS 4.9 Spyders produced. Built in February 1972 and originally finished in Bianco Polo over blue Connolly leather, it was first delivered to a member of the Qatari ruling family. Its history includes a factory-standard restoration in Modena around 1979, multiple periods of care by Maserati specialist Bill McGrath, and a concours-level bare-metal restoration completed circa 2012 returning the car to its original colour scheme.
Ownership
- —Auction saleEstimate £850,000 – £1,150,000
- 1972 → 1979Factory deliverySheik Hamad bin Ahmad bin Ali Al-Thanifull documentation
Member of Qatar's ruling family; vehicle delivered via Citroen UK London and registered in Doha in mid-1972. Car was subsequently sent to Modena for restoration circa late 1979.
- 1984 → 1986-03-01Private saleJean-Claude Cavengpartial documentation
Swiss resident who acquired the car after its Modena restoration; brought the vehicle to the UK in early 1986.
- 1986 → 1987Private saleIntermediary dealershippartial documentation
Unnamed dealer through whom the car passed in 1986; during this period mechanical and ancillary work was carried out by specialist Bill McGrath, and Borrani wire wheels were fitted.
- 1987-09-01 → 2004-02-01Private saleVincent Isaacsfull documentation
Middlesex-based owner who maintained the car through McGrath and later commissioned a full cosmetic overhaul in 1993, including metalwork corrections, a dark blue repaint, and an ivory leather interior retrim by Moto Technique of Surrey.
- 2004-02-01 →Private saleAustralian marque collector, Brisbanefull documentation
Queensland-based collector who purchased via Terry Healy of Oldtimer Australia and later commissioned a concours-grade bare-metal restoration at McGrath Maserati, dispatched in April 2012, returning the car to its original colour scheme.
Competition
No competition history extracted from the catalogue.
Maintenance & restoration
- 1979Restoration
Comprehensive refurbishment carried out in Modena to return the car to factory-original condition and standards.
Work was initiated while the car was still under Qatari ownership; completed by 1984.
- 1986MechanicalMcGrath Maserati
Full mechanical and ancillary systems attention by Maserati specialist Bill McGrath, who also fitted bolt-on Borrani wire wheels in place of the original Campagnolo items.
Work carried out during the car's time with the intermediary dealership.
- 1993BodyworkMoto Technique
Cosmetic restoration addressing coachwork defects including metalwork repairs to the front and rear wings; the car was refinished in dark blue and the interior retrimmed in ivory leather.
Commissioned by Vincent Isaacs; workshop located in Surrey.
- 2012RestorationMcGrath Maserati
No-expense-spared concours-level bare-metal restoration returning the car to its original specification of Polo Bianco paintwork over blue leather interior.
Car was shipped from Australia to the UK for the work; restoration was completed in time for the auction offering.
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