2017 Maserati Ghibli DV6 Auto

Finished in Grigio Maratea metallic with the extended tan leather interior, ‘KR55 SHR’, was imported and first sold by HR Owen in February 2017.

It passed into the seller’s hands in August 2023, and while he’s thoroughly enjoyed his time with the car, he finds he simply isn’t using it as much as he thought he would and can’t stand the thought of it lying idle even though he knows he’ll miss it.

That’s real love, eh?

So, if you’re looking for a much more interesting alternative to the oil-fired Audi or BMW you think you *ought* to buy, prepare to be amazed when you discover how little money would be needed to buy an executive car you could actually fall in love with rather than merely admire.

The specification sheet defines Grigio Maratea as being a ‘metallescent’, which is important because it changes what might have been a dull grey car into something very special – and one that is much more interesting than the more usual silver.

For a start, it makes it look like the factory took a hunk of metal and painstakingly removed everything that didn’t look like a Ghibli before drawing in shutlines with a Sharpie.

Yes, that really is how good the panel alignment is – and as for rust, while that would have been a consideration a couple of decades ago, Italian cars have come a long way since then and this simply isn’t a problem anymore; please see the Ghibli’s MoT record for confirmation.

The quality of the paintwork is every bit as good as it looks in the photos. With a healthy shine to the finish, even areas like the sills, door shuts, and the bottoms of the four doors are nicely presented.

This high-quality curation extends to the lamp lenses, badges, and window glass, which are all, just like the incoming US president, unimpeachable.

The open design of the factory fitted 19-inch Poseidone alloy wheels only partially hides the gorgeous red front brake calipers and ventilated discs, a design flourish that hints at the performance potential of this otherwise understated saloon.

They’re in great shape too with no scratches, scuffs, or scrapes from careless parking. They’re also fitted with Yokohama tyres on all four corners, with 275/40ZR19 Advan Sport tyres (date-stamped 2021) on the rear axle, and 245/45R19 Blue Earths (date-stamped 2023) on the front. All have good tread.

As for the stuff you might like to look at, there is a scuff to the offside corner of the front bumper and a small carpark dink near the fuel filler flap.

If the coachwork is discrete enough to let you fly under the radar, the interior lets loose, just a little – and let’s face it, after the performance, you buy a modern Maserati as much for the interior as anything else, right?

Finished in some of the nicest tan leather we’ve seen in a while, the blend of a natural brown and black works brilliantly; dial in black velour carpets, a leather-trimmed steering wheel, and a fetching black and tan dashboard and door cards and you can see why we think this is the nicest interior of 2025 so far.

Even the ‘Open Pore Radica Wood Trim’, which might lack appeal when written down is stunning in both execution and condition.

And the details are every bit as alluring as big players like the seats: the dashboard features white lettering on a shimmering blue background; the headrests are embossed with the Maserati trident; an analogue clocks peers proudly from the top of the dashboard; and the HUGE touchscreen infotainment screen is a doddle to use.

As for the condition, if we tell you that the only sign of wear are gentle creases to the outer edge of the driver’s seat along with one small mark then you can gauge for yourselves just how good everything else is.

The seller also tells us that everything works as it should, which isn’t a surprise given its service record – and the presence of the Sport driving mode and excellent soundproofing means the only sign that you’re sitting inside an oil-burner is the rev counter’s 4,500rpm redline.

The good-sized boot is very nicely presented too, and contains the factory tool kit and tyre inflation compressor.

The Ghibli’s service record is recorded as follows:

• 08.02.2024 and 58,030 miles – service by DC Autos
• 30.02.2023 and 54,216 miles – service by JMH Automotive including fresh brake fluid
• 30.07.2020 and 26,637 miles – service by HR Owen Maserati
• 28.05.2019 and 13,799 miles – service by Auto 100 Maserati
• 16.03.2018 and 6,408 miles – service by HR Owen Maserati

If it were ours, we’d be tempted to get it serviced again when it’s MoT’d, but given it has covered fewer than a thousand miles in the past twelve months you could probably safely stretch the service interval for a while yet.

As you can see, it starts very well, and the rev counter and speedometer do a merry little dance to celebrate your presence.

It revs nicely too, and while there is a bit of a diesel clatter at idle with the bonnet open, it’s barely audible inside – and anyway, it pretty much goes away as soon as you prod the throttle. In fact, it’s so civilized we bet your passengers won’t even notice it’s not a petrol engine when it’s underway.

We’re told it drives exactly as it should and is especially rewarding on long motorway journeys where the comfort and fuel economy come into their own.

It’s also cheap to tax, making this an Italian exotic you can run with your head and your heart.

As for the cosmetics, the engine bay is clean and tidy, which is all you can ask for really, isn’t it?

The underside looks great too, with only some very light scuffs to the plastics. As for its integrity, as you’d expect of such a new and well-maintained car the MoT history doesn’t mention rust in any form, an assessment the photos support.

The Ghibli’s MoT certificate, which is valid until February 2025, was issued with no advisories. Throw in the good service history and we can’t imagine putting a fresh on will be too onerous, especially as the seller told us that he hadn’t realised it expired so soon and would have been happy to pop a new one on if he’d realised.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear, and the car comes with a good history file including a stamped service history booklet, some recent invoices for servicing, and the V5.

With an original showroom price well north of £50,000, our estimate of between £14,000 and £17,000 offers remarkable value – but not as much value as the fact it’s being offered with no reserve, so will sell from the very first bid no matter how derisory that is.

And it’s not as if it’s an undesirable car: it’s as fast as any sane driver needs and offers the winning bidder access to a top-flight chassis, unbridled luxury, a fantastic colour scheme, and a huge range courtesy of parsimonious fuel consumption; if you are intent on embarking on a love affair with a red-blooded Italian then you could do far, far worse than start here.

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