2005 Maserati Quattroporte

“Dear Mr John”, says the letter introducing this car’s first owner to his new ‘Maserati Lifestyle’ concierge service card. The letter goes on to say that the concierge service affords the owner privileged access to the kind of fine wines, art works, rental apartments and exclusive events normally only available to the rich and famous.

Which must have been a huge relief to Sir Elton John.

We imagine that up until then he’d struggled to get a table in a restaurant, was rarely invited to anything, and was wearily accustomed to being turned away from clubs and bars with the bouncer’s refrain of “Your name’s not down, you’re not coming in” ringing in his ears.

Yes, this splendid and very well preserved Maserati Quattroporte joined Elton John’s extensive and exalted stable of thoroughbred cars in 2005.

The Italian language can always be relied upon to produce automotive vocabulary that sounds truly exotic even when, in reality, what it’s describing is rather more prosaic. Welcome to the Maserati Quattroporte or - if you prefer - the ‘four door’.

It’s a little ironic, we think, that the man who gave the world ‘Candle in the Wind’ chose one of the few Maseratis not named after a wind.

Outside, inside, underneath and anywhere within earshot, this car appears to be a very well presented, maintained and cared for example of the breed.

A thing of beauty from every angle, we can attest that it starts and stops with all the competence and gusto you would want from a pedigree GT car of this quality.

The Ferrari-built V8 is a fine engine and this underused example pulls strongly right around the rev counter.

The whole driving experience is reassuringly free from any squeaks, rattles, sighs, groans, rumbles, whistles or creaks. This is a solid, sorted, properly screwed together car.

And, of course, it goes like a rocket, man.

Sorry.

(Oh…apparently that’s not the hardest word).

The current vendor has owned the car since 2016, since when the car has only just covered 1000 miles and has been SORN’d and dry stored for some of that time.

If you’d like a bit more provenance, albeit a little more tangential this time, the vendor’s brother just happens to run the Ferrari museum at Maranello.

So there you go.

Broadly speaking, the exterior is in excellent condition, and there’s an impressive shine and lustre to the ‘Verdi’ Deep Emerald Green metallic flake finish.

It’s a very handsome car in a classily understated way. We think it’s going to be a long, long time before you touchdown on a better looking Quattroporte than this example.

There are no dinks, dents, creases, ripples or cracks of any note anywhere. Neither is there evidence of any rust save for a superficial spot that’s bloomed inside a paint chip on the sill beneath the os/ rear door.

There are fewer stone chips that one might reasonably expect of a 16 year-old car, and this can be at least partly explained by the protective vinyl wrap to the nose of the car and the front of the bonnet.

We found a light scratch on the n/s front valance, some light scuffs on the n/s front wheel arch, and a couple of tiny scuffs on the rear bumper (of the type that might even yield to a damp cloth and a bit of effort).

All chrome work and badging is shiny and bright.

The body panels are crisp and even, and the shut lines and door gaps are tight and consistent. The sunroof, too, fits snugly and forms a perfect seal. It also functions as intended.

The original alloys are broadly OK, but there’s some bubbling here and there and a few scuffs and evidence of kerbing elsewhere.

The tyres, according to the MOT advisory, are wearing low on the inside edges.

Many would argue that Maserati are rather better at interiors than their somewhat flashier Ferrari or Lamborghini counterparts. They’ve got the veneer and hide thing pretty much sorted, and this car is a good example of just how well the saddlers and French polishers of Grugliasco apply their skills.

Suffice to say that the rosewood veneers and Biscuit (‘cuoio’) leather in this example are in fine order. The leather upholstery shows only wear that’s entirely commensurate with age. It has a little light creasing around the bolsters but, frankly, who doesn’t in this day and age?

This car has the Executive GT trim, which means it comes with an Alcantara-suede interior roof lining; ventilated, adaptive, massaging rear seats; rear air conditioning controls; veneered retractable rear tables; and curtain shades on the rear windows. It also comes with SatNav, of course, should you inadvertently stray from the yellow brick road, and it has a Bose surround sound Hi-Fi system. It even has a front armrest fridge.

The centre console is in good nick, as is the diminutive gear selector which, at first glance, looks for all the world like a tiny dancer.

In fact, it’s all in very good condition, from the upholstery to the headlining, carpets, mats, door cards and dashboard.

It’s got four seats to go with the four doors and offers loads of space. You could easily fit Captain Fantastic, Bennie, The Brown Dirt Cowboy and the girl with electric boots and a mohair suit into this sumptuous interior…..with room to spare. Doesn’t have to be them. Could be anyone. Up to you really.

The rear seats are in excellent condition and seem to have retained their functionality. There is a crack in the top rail of the o/s privacy curtain.

The entertainment console in the rear is clearly a significantly upgraded piece of kit and, in addition to climate control, includes a monitor screen and a DVD, CD and MP3 head unit that comes with two pairs of Blaupunkt headphones.

We think this is probably a custom spec addition.

Either way, we ain’t seen nothin' like it in any amusement hall.

As far as we can tell, the electrics work and the AC is blowing cold. The dashboard, though, informs us that a right hand indicator bulb isn’t working.

Is it a little bit funny, this feeling inside? In one sense, yes: the sense of touch. A lot of the buttons and switches have fallen prey to the malaise that affects many Maseratis and Ferraris of this vintage: namely, the Dreaded Sticky Button Syndrome.

Now, this tactile aberration can be corrected by painstakingly removing all switches and buttons and sending them off to some plastics-whisperer in the USA. He will sort the problem out and send them back to you. You’ll then have to sell the car, and your house, to pay for it.

Alternatively, and we have this on good, first-hand authority, you can place your faith in Cillit Bang and the judicious application of some elbow grease.

As Mr Barry Scott himself might well have shouted, “Bang! And the sticky button feel is gone!”

The boot is in very good condition. Variously concealed in various compartments or in plain sight you will find an unused toolkit, a Maserati tyre inflator, a battery conditioner and a soft custom car cover.

Lifting the carpets in the boot or anywhere else reveals – solid metal and no signs of corrosion.

The undersides of the car are honest and free of anything other than superficial rust and general road grime. The sills look good, as do the jacking points and sub-frame mounting points.

The engine bay is clean and tidy, with everything in its right and proper place. There are no obvious leaks, and all pipes, cables and hoses appear to be present and correct.

The service book shows the following main dealer/specialist history:

Maranello Sales – 2,753 – 25.2.07

Maranello Sales – 2,818 – 17.1.08

Maranello Sales – 3,321 – 12.1.09

Meridien – 3,654 – 12.01.10

Emblem Sportscars – 7,161 – 25.1.11

Warton Hall Garage – 10,817 – 7.2.12

Graypaul – 20,333 – 6.1.15

Middleton Motor Services – 27,725 – 9.2.16

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 has plenty of history and a few bills and invoices to fill in the gaps. Clearly, it’s barely been used in recent years and we think it would thank its next owner for a service sooner rather than later.

As far as we can tell it’s had the right money spent on it as and when necessary. We think the car’s condition is an eloquent testament to the good stewardship of its previous owners – illustrious or otherwise.

The car has an MOT (with some advisories) until 10.1.22 and comes with handbooks, manuals, a tracker system and a leather key tray made from the same hide as the upholstery.

Under the general heading of ‘Elton John memorabilia’, you’ll find a pair of driving gloves, some press cuttings, a letter addressed to ‘Mr John’, a concierge service card in his name, a V5 bearing the legend ‘Sir Elton John’ and, somewhat bizarrely, an Elton John ‘Greatest Hits’ CD. We’d like to think that the last item didn’t belong to the man himself.

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 to a very good standard.

We include an online HPI report run at the auction start which shows no finance outstanding and no insurance markers for theft or damage.

We think this is a very good example of both the model and the marque. It has the look and feel of a well cared for vehicle.

It’s in good nick even for its very low mileage, let alone its age, and it has all sorts of stamps and bills to attest to its careful curation, plus a fistful of Elton John-related bits and pieces.

Yes, there are jobs to do, things to sort out, stuff to tweak and buff but, all in all, it’s looking like a true survivor.

We think it’s a great car and has years of motoring pleasure to offer to its next lucky owner.

Just think. You could be driving this car next Saturday night.

Unless, of course, you’re too busy fighting.

We’re confident to offer this vehicle for auction with an estimate in the range of £15,000 – £40,000.

Inspection is encouraged, within Govt. guidelines of course. 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’.