1965 Maserati Quattroporte I 4.7 Manual
***Vendor supplied images***
Highlights
- One of 8 special order 4.7L Series 1 cars with manual box
- Carefully documented history with Maserati Classiche provenance
- Well known to Maserati collectors and noted by Type 107 Quattroporte Register
- €30,000 restoration to very high standard and factory-correct specification
- Unique factory-fitted features including premium quality Connolly hide
- Thick history file including Classic Data certification
- Technical inspection valid to May 2025
The Appeal
Enrico Wax was a persuasive man. As the official importer of Connolly leather in Italy he also knew the bosses of the high-end car companies.
That explains this car. Maserati agreed to build him a special, one-off Quattroporte I with an array of options befitting such a powerful captain of industry. His car got the 4.7litre V8 - not officially available as an option - plus fuel injection (by Bosch because Wax didn’t trust the Magnetti Marelli system), a 100 litre fuel tank and, naturally, Vaumol quality Connolly leather rather than the plain old CP standard. A host of other options also trimmed out this very special car.
The car’s history is very well known and carefully documented, including Maserati Classiche and Classic Data documentation. It was previously owned by a member of the Technical Committee of the Maserati Club of Holland who oversaw its €30,000 restoration in 2012.
Sparingly used since and clearly cared for, this beautiful Quattroporte retains its early specification and is a matching numbers. That provenance merely adds to the innate appeal of one of the rarest and most desirable of all early Quattroportes - a 4.7litre 5spd manual.
This is a very special Maserati saloon with collector-quality condition and history.
The History and Paperwork
- Built 6th May 1965 and first delivered on 7th June 1965
- Ordered and specified by Enrico Wax, official importer of Connolly leather in Italy
- Unique special order specification which is outlined below
- Some of the original features, such as fuel injection, were quickly altered by Wax as explained below
- The car retains the revised specification applied by Wax in car’s early years
- Car remained in Italy until 1989 when it was for sale at Motomobile Munich for 89,000DM
- In 2011 the car appeared for sale on Ebay with German papers following a repaint
- Restored in 2012 by a member of the Maserati Club Holland technical committee
- This restoration cost €30,000
- Acquired by the current keeper in 2020, relocated to Finland and stored in a warm garage
- Original Maserati Classiche certification regarding the engine
- Classic Data certification
- Vehicle history and records with photographs on Tipo107 website
- Large quantity of invoices visible in photographs and contained in history file
- Vendor advises technical inspection is valid to 12th May 2025
Original bespoke factory specification:
- 4.7litre V8 engine
- Bosch fuel injection (replaced with standard carburettors by factory in May 1966)
- Vaumol quality Connolly leather rather than standard CP grade hide
- 100 litre fuel tank
- Twin 60mm exhaust system
- Nero Perlato Savidini paintwork
- Power steering
- Quartet of Carellox headlamps
- Chrome headlamp bezels
- Special dash top
- Passenger foot rest
- Special Blaupunkt radio with four speakers
- Record changer instead of air conditioning (changed to a/c April 1967 by factory)
- Automatic gearbox (changed to 5spd manual by factory in 1966)
- Wheels with red Maserati central logos indicating fuel injection model
Notable facts:
- Only 259 Series I Quattroportes were built
- Only 148 cars were built in 1965 alongside this one
- Final chassis number was 520 and this car is 504, but chassis not always built in sequence
- Vendor states one of two 4.7L Series 1 Type 1 cars built to this specification
- Registry sources quote a total of 8 4.7Ls built with automatic and manual gearboxes
- The 4.7L was not officially available for the Quattroporte until October 1968
Maserati’s new Frua-penned four door had been on sale for a year by the time Enrico Wax placed his order in early 1965. As the official importer for Connolly leather in Italy, Wax had a direct line to the bosses of Italy’s car makers and had previously had Ferraris and other Maseratis built to his bespoke specifications.
His wish list for his Quattroporte was both extensive and discerning. He wanted the 4.7litre engine rather than the ‘official’ 4.2, mated to then-innovative fuel injection rather than carburettors. He specifically requested this system was supplied by Bosch as he didn’t trust the reliability of the Magnetti Marelli home-grown alternative.
Other features included Vaumol quality Connolly leather - rather than standard CP grade - and an automatic gearbox. A host of personalised features were specified inside and out and are detailed above.
After a year or so Wax took the car back to the factory to make some changes. The fuel injection system was replaced with the standard - and presumably more reliable - carburettor set up and the automatic box was replaced with a 5spd manual. He also replaced a bespoke record changer system with standard air conditioning.
The car remained in Italy until 1989 before transferring to Munich. By 2012 it was in the hands of a member of the Maserati Club of Holland’s technical committee. He arranged the careful restoration of the car, a process that cost €30,000 and prioritised retaining and renovating the original and bespoke Wax factory-fitted features.
It was very sparingly used between completion and 2020 when the vendor acquired the car. He has carefully stored it in a warm garage and curated the condition with similarly limited and careful use.
Various invoices and certification - from Classic Data and Maserati Classiche - verify the provenance. This can also be checked on the central Tipo107 website resource.
The Condition
- Special order Nero Perlato Savidini paintwork restored in 2012 and factory correct
- Good panel fit across car with straight lines and complete set of trim and fittings
- High quality Vaumol standard Connolly leather in Rossa finish with matching carpets and trim
- Bespoke interior specification outlined above and including special dash top
- Steel wheels with chrome hub caps and ‘fuel injection’ red centre caps
- Three spoke steering wheel and classic-style radio fitted
Enrico Wax was clearly a man of taste. His Nero over Rosso specification delivers a car that continues to look both handsome and sober but with a touch of pizzazz nearly 60 years after it left the works.
The condition reflects the high end restoration overseen by its Maserati-enthusiast owner in Holland in 2012. But it is perhaps the special features of this car, such as the red hub cap centres and high quality Vaumol hides that really set it apart. This Quattroporte really is a treat for the buyer and one that remains as special now as it did when Wax first carefully bespoked it.
The Mechanics
- Very rare 4.7litre Series 1 car running on carburettors rated at 286bhp
- Desirable factory-fitted ZF 5spd manual gearbox
- New clutch fitted in 2023
- Large bore 60mm factory-fitted exhausts
- 100litre fuel tank fitted by factory
- Thick history file confirming provenance and maintenance
‘Ordinary’ Quattroporte buyers could buy the car with the firm’s hand-built 4.1litre 260bhp V8. But those in the known - this car’s first buyer included - could request the 286bhp 4.7litre engine that was ‘unofficially’ available. Sources indicate just eight of the 259 Series 1 Quattroportes were so equipped. Even fewer of them - just two according to the seller - were sold with the manual specification that this car sports.
It didn’t start life with the ZF unit. Its first owner, Enrico Wax, originally added an automatic gearbox and Bosch fuel injection to his special-order car. Within a year he had rowed back on these choices, returning the car to the factory to fit the ZF 5spd manual and the standard carburettor set up.
The car was extensively restored in 2012 and has been very sparingly used since. Well known to Maserati experts, this car arrives on the market with no reported running or driving issues.
BEFORE YOU BUY
This sale is subject to the Car & Classic Terms and Conditions. By bidding and/or making an offer, you also agree to the following:
✓ If the seller is registered as a private seller, consumer rights stemming from EU consumer protection law do not apply. Car & Classic’s return policy applies.
✓ A non-refundable deposit will be payable if you are the winning bidder at auction or if your offer is accepted, refer to FAQs and T&Cs for details.
✓ This vehicle is “Sold As Seen”, on an “As Is, Where Is’ basis and without warranty. A full inspection of the vehicle prior to purchase and bidding is highly recommended. Photos and descriptions are for guidance purposes only.
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Vehicle specification
- Year 1965
- Make Maserati
- Model Quattroporte
- Colour Black
- Odometer 10,552 Kilometres
- Engine size 4700
Listing Details
- Seller Type Private
- Town Alastaro
- Location International
- Country Finland
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