2003 Maserati 4200 V8

Resh only bought the car in March but as for many, the events of the last few months have resulted in a change of plans. “The previous owner lived in Edinburgh and I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed the trip back to my home in Essex, but unfortunately my circumstances have now changed.”

The main thing that attracted him to the car was its excellent service history; we’ve said it before of the 3200, and it also applies to its big brother, these are complex beasts so a clear and comprehensive history is definitely a must (please see the photographic gallery below, for all relating documentation).

“I put it through a fresh MOT just after getting it,” says Resh. “The tester said that one of the tyres wasn’t in great conditions, so I had him replace all four. New spark plugs were also fitted at the same time.”

The V5 document shows a total of seven owners from new, and the odometer now reads 78,632 miles. Of the MOT discussed above, it runs until March 18, 2021.

Opening the service book shows that Cotswold-based specialist Mortimer Houghton Turner supplied the car when new (on 1-8-03). Since then it’s been looked after by a combination of main dealer and independent specialists. Today, it comes with all its keys – including the all-important ‘red’ key.  

Some cars’ looks go in and out of fashion, sometimes taking a seeming eternity to come back into vogue. That’s not the case here, as its Italdesign-penned lines still remain as glorious as ever.

“It has lovely paintwork, and it contrasts beautifully with that Tan leather interior,” says Resh. “There are a couple of very small bits where it’s bubbling slightly on the boot lid.” These however remain very localised.

From a distance the Verde Good Wood paint looks great, but up closer it’s clear there’s the odd scuff, graze and scratch. There’s also a touched-in chip on the driver’s door mirror.

This is small beer, though. This car has been driven, and again that’s a very good thing. Buying a neglected 4200 (i.e. with little or no service history, and irregular use) can be a minefield, so no such worries here. From a paintwork perspective, a little bit of investment in tidying up the odd blemish here and there and a good quality detail should work wonders.

The 15-spoke alloy wheels are generally very good – again, with just the odd scuff here and there – and wear those fresh Yokohama tyres.

Who doesn’t love a tan leather Italian interior? It. Is. Lovely. Lordy, even the headlining is tan leather – tres Latin. Commensurate with the mileage completed there is the odd dink out of its surface here and there, but it’s generally unworn, supple and blemish free.

That swoopy dashboard/centre-column unit is as evocative and masculine as a Tudor codpiece. Like many Modenese products of this era, Resh confirms that it suffers a little from sticky dials and buttons (where over time the surface material becomes a little tacky to the touch). It’s not a deal breaker though, as they all do it.

Carpets are good, although there are a few black marks in the driver’s footwell. The wine-coloured overmats offer protection, but personally we’d choose a better-suited colour.

The steering wheel bears that evocative trident logo but the lumpy surface does look a bit like Kane’s chest in the film Alien, so we’d perhaps look at replacement. There’s also a bit of duct tape on the centre storage box trim – no doubt hiding a crack; Resh was going to replace this in time, but hasn’t had the opportunity as yet, a bit of eBay parts searching will surely bring up the necessary.

It is a very pleasant environment in which to stretch the V8’s considerable legs.  

“It drives fine,” states Resh, with considerable understatement. However, when tickled with another question he says, “I’ve never owned a Maserati before, and it’s bloody fast. It also sounds absolutely lovely.

He also says the brakes are sharp, suspension remains taut and it drives beautifully. The engine bay is pretty clean and debris free, with no evidence of any leaks.

The intake manifold is a thing of beauty – with a form that intimates of coiled fury waiting to be unleashed. Its gold finish is chipping here and there, but that’s should be an easy superficial fix if you’re of the mind to smarten up under here.

A quick glance underneath shows the undercarriage to be in decent health; the most you’ll see if a touch of surface rust on a bracket here and there, but it all appears to be nice and solid.

Remember that comprehensive service history that we discussed? Well, there are an impressive 13 service stamps in the book and invoices for a large number of those.

There are others for the works that Resh carried out shortly after getting the car home, including £559.67 for new spark plugs and an ignition coil and £672.00 for those new Yokohama V105 boots (235/40 R18 at the front and 265/35 R18 at the rear).

In 2019 the car received a new solenoid, oil pipe and filter as well fresh rocker cover gaskets (all at a total cost of £2,024.06). A quick check of the MOT history shows no concerns, and that the car been used sparingly in the last couple of years (the clock reading 76,072 miles in 2018 and 76,727 miles in 2019).

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been maintained and serviced to the very highest of standards.

This isn’t claiming to be a low-mileage concours 4200, but it looks to be a good, solid and thoroughly useable example of the breed. We said it in ‘The Vehicle’ section, and we’ll state it again: service history is absolutely key with these bad boys. And the next owner can take comfort in the fact that it’s received regular care and attention from new.

The colour combination is discreet verging on the sensual (just look at that cabin colour), and sitting under its bonnet is one stunning Ferrari-derived V8 engine – in fact, the very thought of it has me salivating and running straight to my adjective store.

Scintillating, glorious and mellifluous are my words of choice, and we think that £8,000 to £12,000 will bring it (and them) within reach. As a genuine four-seat GT with classic Coupe styling and a glorious sounding model moniker, it’s surely a tempting proposition for any Italian high performance car fan.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located at the vendor’s SW Essex home; to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.