2010 Maserati Grancabrio

This is a seriously sexy-looking car in what we think is probably the classiest and most alluring colour combination of Blue Oceano paintwork and Sabbia (a sort of beige/light tan colour) leather upholstery.

This is a car you’ll want to park outside the pub or restaurant window, just so that you can carry on admiring it - and congratulating yourself on your good taste for buying it in the first place.

If you’re feeling really showy, you can even press the button on the remote to summon a command performance from the trick roof.

It’s a proper head-turner.

We can report that it starts, goes, steers, rides, handles and stops as well as it looks. Despite being a big and relatively heavy four-seater convertible it’s not hobbled by scuttle shake and presses on with a degree of enthusiasm that puts it somewhere between a GT and a sports car.

There were no moans, sighs, creaks, whistles, clunks or groans audible to us, other than those emanating from the driver.

Mercifully free from the “wait for it…wait for it…thump!!” unpleasantness of the flappy-paddle gearboxes on some earlier Maseratis, this GranCabrio makes the most of its marvellous Ferrari-derived 4.7 litre V8 to deliver plenty and power and grunt as and when it’s needed.

The steering is positive, direct and weighty. The ride is sporty but not harsh – it’s all good, really.

The exhaust, particularly in Sport mode, delivers a fabulously sonorous cacophony of rips, pops, gurgles, snorts and barks.

The vendor thinks it sounds very “grown up”, in a way that screaming Lamborghinis and Ferraris just don’t.

We think it sounds very much like half a dozen well-fed Italian opera singers fighting in a galvanized shed.

Either way, it sounds very fine indeed.

All in all, this is an undeniably beautiful, extremely capable, well-maintained thoroughbred and one that’s in excellent all-round condition even for its low mileage, let alone its age.

The vendor has owned the car for around 8 years, during which time he’s dutifully spent whatever money Meridien or his Maserati specialist in Switzerland have told him to spend.

He bought the car because, by his own admission, he needed to scratch a minor mid-life crisis itch.

Most of the car’s miles have been notched up driving between the vendor’s London home and another near Lake Como.

We’re struggling to think of a car that’s more deliciously suited to clipping an apex or two along the twisty lakeside and mountain roads of northern Italy than a Maserati GranCabrio.

He’s selling it because the itch has been well and truly scratched. He’s now moved on to something only slightly more sensible: a Maserati Levante.

He has evidently taken very good care of this car, as has its previous owner.

It’s a very fine vehicle indeed.

We think you’ll like it.

The dark blue paintwork is in broadly fine order, with a deep, metallic shine and lustre to it.

The panels are pretty much free of any dents, dinks, creases, scuffs, warps, buckles, ripples, nicks, chips or other unsightly marks. The shut lines and door gaps are crisp, even and consistent. We can see a very small dent on the right side of the car, but it is generally in very fine shape. 

Even the usual stone chips and road rash found beneath sills and on valances are barely in evidence.

All exterior trim appears to be equally untroubled by the ravages of time or use, as are the light clusters, glass, bumpers, badges, trim and grilles.

The blue hood is unmarked and in fine fettle. It goes up and down as directed, forms a perfect seal and does what it’s paid to do by keeping wind, rain, sun and noise on the outside.

There are a few swirls and flat spots on the paintwork and there are one or two very fine scratches in evidence on the bonnet and the front wings.

The alloys are in decent condition overall but there is some kerb rash and there are a few nicks here and there.

We think that having the car machine polished and expertly detailed would make a world of difference and lift it from ‘very good’ to ‘excellent’.

And if you want to push it beyond ‘excellent’, get the alloys refurbished.

The matching Pirelli P-Zero tyres have plenty of life left in them as far as we can see.

We haven’t seen even the merest threat of rust anywhere on the bodywork.

Many would argue that Maserati are rather better at a classily understated interior than their Italian supercar counterparts.

They’ve got the leather and carpets thing pretty much sorted, and this is a fine example of just how expertly the saddlers, fitters and trimmers of Modena express their respective crafts.

The acres of leather upholstery show only wear that’s entirely commensurate with age, with just the lightest creasing to the bolster on the driver’s side. The front seats are comfortable, supportive and are fully functional. The rear seats look as good as new.

All the headrests proudly wear their embossed Maserati tridents with pride.

Overall, it’s all in very good condition, from the upholstery to the carpets, door cards, centre console and dashboard.

Everything electrical works and the AC is cold. The car’s sound system and Bose speakers are there for those times when you grow bored of listening to the extraordinary engine note of this car.

So, never then.

The boot, which is barely big enough for a box of golf balls, let alone a golf bag, is in good condition.

Lifting the carpets anywhere in the interior reveals – solid metal and no signs of corrosion.

Even the kick plates have clearly never been kicked in anger.

The dials and instruments are in good order both aesthetically and functionally, and all knobs, switches, dials, toggles and levers have avoided the dreaded ‘sticky button’ feel sometimes encountered in Maseratis and Ferraris of a certain age.

Faults? Well, the leather epaulettes on the front seats (designed to hold the seat belt in place so it’s easier for you to get at) have pulled their press studs through the leather and are no longer functional.

In the rear, the leather has worn away in a couple of places on the centre console/cup holder unit.

You’ll notice that the headlining has a rip on both sides near the bottom of the ‘c’ pillar section of the hood. Apparently, this is a known design fault caused by something snagging somewhere (just shout if we’re being too technical for you).

The vendor is fairly confident that it can be fixed relatively simply (and inexpensively) by your friendly local Maserati whisperer.

Yes, it has an underneath. No doubt about it. Not much to say really, as most of it is covered by trays, heat shields and protectors - which seem to have done a sterling job of, er, protecting it.

There is no rust visible anywhere, save for the standard superficial bloom of rust dust on the odd pipe here and there. Everything is in its right and proper place and appears unchallenged by time, mileage or mishap.

It’s a similar story in the very clean and tidy engine bay.

There are some things you just shouldn’t buy without knowing the item’s history and having some confidence in its provenance and integrity. A secondhand parachute springs to mind. Also a homemade submarine.

A Maserati is another.

This car, you’ll be glad to read, has all the right history and bills and invoices and stamps and MoT certificates.

And it’s had all the right money spent on it as and when necessary. Including nearly £10,000 (ouch) on replacing pretty much the entire rear braking system at H.R. Owen Maserati.

The car has an MoT certificate, with no advisories, valid until 7.4.21. It comes with handbooks, manuals, a Maserati toolkit, a complete set of service stamps and various bills and receipts.

Meridien - 2,280 miles – 25.6.2012

Racing Car S.A. (Switzerland) – 13,265 miles – 23.7.2014

Racing Car S.A. (Switzerland) – (wrong mileage in service book. MoT history suggests about 25,000 miles) – 7.7.2016

Racing Car S.A. (Switzerland) – 34,247 – 30.7.2018

Racing Car S.A. (Switzerland) – 43,809 – 26.8.20

In case you’re wondering, Racing Car S.A. is a Maserati and Ferrari specialist workshop near the vendor’s Lake Como home.

This is a stunning car that drives every bit as well as it looks.

It’s been serviced and maintained properly throughout its life and it’s had the right money spent on the right things at the right time.

The vendor tells us that it’s been utterly reliable and is very solid mechanically. We have no reason whatsoever to doubt that judgement.

The next owner will get a real sense of occasion every time they get in this car. Actually, they’ll get a real sense of occasion from just looking at it. It’s gorgeous.

And with a couple of cosmetic touches here and there, you could make it even more gorgeous.

It’s a thing of beauty, a joy to behold and a thrill to drive.

What’s not to like?

We are happy to offer this car for auction with an estimate in the £26,000 - £31,000 range.

Viewing is always encouraged, within Govt. guidelines of course, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; 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’.