Some of us in the collector car hobby are risk-takers. We are willing to buy a car with a somewhat tarnished reputation and see if the stories about that model are true. I fall into that category and have taken risks on a number of cars like that. Some of those include a Jensen Interceptor, TVR 2500M, and 1980s Rolls-Royce. The one thing all these cars had in common was that every one of them cost less than $12,000, which meant that no matter what happened, it would not hurt too much financially. How bad can it be? My Pick of the Day is an ideal candidate for this kind of risky purchase: a 1986 Maserati Biturbo Spyder offered by a dealer in Denver, Colorado.
The Maserati Biturbo was developed due to Maserati owner Alejandro de Tomaso’s desire to bring the prestige of Maserati to a wider audience with a more affordable model. Reviews in the automotive press were very complimentary and at first, the Biturbo was a strong seller with about 40,000 sales, as well as conquest buyers from brands such as BMW, Audi, and Mercedes. While the Biturbo was still new and under warranty, it developed a reputation for extremely poor quality and reliability, with issues including overheating, fueling problems, and poor fit and finish. The Biturbo went from being the best-selling Maserati model in history to the joke of the car industry.
One thing important to note is that despite all of these issues, the Biturbo is a great-looking car (especially in Spyder form) that offered very strong performance for the era, with its twin-turbocharged, 18-valve, 2.5-liter V-6 giving the car a 0-60 time of around seven seconds — almost as quick as the BMW E30 M3.
This specific car looks to be in quite good shape, which itself is amazing as so many of these cars were literally thrown away when they needed expensive service work. The paint appears to be in nice condition, as do the body panels and exterior trim.
The interior is the same, with the dash, leather seats, door panels, and wood trim all looking to be in great shape. This car also still has its factory stereo and Jaeger clock, which are usually missing from these cars.
So what is the worst that can happen if you buy this car? Well, mechanical parts are available, though they are not inexpensive. I do know of some people who have bought these cars and had great luck with them, but you should keep in mind that when owning a Maserati Biturbo, anything can happen — and usually, it is not good.
That all being said, let me close with a story. In 1986, I had the opportunity to drive a Biturbo that a friend of mine in college owned. A few weeks before, I had driven another friend’s BMW 325i convertible, which I loved. I came away after driving the Maserati thinking that the Biturbo Spyder was truly an Italian version of the 3 Series. It was fun to drive, felt very fast, and the interior was amazingly comfortable and looked fabulous. Despite its potential issues, the Maserati Biturbo is a special car.
So if you are tempted to take a risk on a collector car, this Maserati Biturbo Spyder is being offered for the very fair price of $10,900. I would get a pre-purchase inspection done; if this car passes, I might take a chance on it. Not only is this a car that you don’t see every day, but it is one of the only cars I can think of that might win at a RadWood Event and the Concours d’Lemons over the same weekend. How prestigious would that be?
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