Used 1974 Cars For Sale in northgate

Details: Oldtimer Australia is delighted to offer for sale this striking Australian delivered, factory right hand drive Maserati Merak. The documentation on file from Maserati Classiche confirms that this car was completed on the 11th June 1974 and sold to Auto Italia in Melbourne. Its production date makes this quite an early car. The car was originally delivered in orancio (orange) with a dark grey velvet (velour) interior. Apart from being sold new into Adelaide, the early history of this car is not known. The earliest documentation on file is a South Australian registration certificate dated 30th October 1987 and a transfer of ownership to a Mr H Clisby dated 1st May 1988. At that time the car was registered as UMZ 377. There is a detailed write up on file from a previous owner, a Mr Don Venn from Adelaide, in which he mentions he purchased the Merak in 1990. In his ownership the car was stripped back to bare metal including the engine frame and the engine bay. All corrosion was cut out and replaced with new metal. There are photos on file documenting the work done. The car was then painted using Dulux acrylic lacquer in Ferrari Fly Yellow. Mechanically, the car also underwent a full refurbishment. Everything was assessed and what needed to be replaced was replaced. In 1994 the car was sold to its next owner, Mr Tony Chapman from Sydney, NSW. At that time the car had 74,000 miles on the odometer. Chapman used and enjoyed his Merak through his 22 years of ownership clocking up some 24,000 miles. Chapman sold the car through Shannons 2016 Sydney Spring auction. Its new owner was a classic car enthusiast in Perth. Whilst he loved his new yellow Merak he thought it would look even better finished in its original colour of orange! He engaged the services of Italian car specialists, Auto Delta, in Perth Western Australia to generally freshen up the car and have it repainted. One thing led to another and the car essentially underwent a second restoration. In addition to a repaint, the interior was retrimmed and a significant amount of mechanical work was also undertaken. The mechanical work included overhauling the hydraulic system, cooling system, brakes, steering and fitting a new clutch. The engine was rebuilt, which included refurbishing the cylinder heads and replacing the block which was in poor condition. At that time the odometer read 98,437 miles. After the restoration was complete the car was shown at Perths premier classic car event, the Celebration of the Motorcar in November 2020 where it won the Classic Sports Car class. The cars owner then moved to Brisbane and decided to move in a different direction with his collection. This fabulous Maserati Merak was sold through Oldtimer Australia to its current owner in February 2022, at which time the odometer read 98,537 miles. After the current owner acquired the car he ironed out a few post restoration bugs and had the paint work ceramic coated. He has subsequently regularly used and enjoyed the car. It has been taken to various classic car events in and around south east Queensland, where it has been a regular trophy winner. It won the Peoples Choice award at the Lakeside Euro Day in May 2022 and European Sports category at the Noosa Beach Classic Car Show in July 2022 and again in September 2023. The car was also taken to Auto Italia in Canberra in March 2023 where it was awarded the Chief Judges Choice award. Today the odometer reads 01,912 miles, so in two years of ownership the car has travelled almost 3,400 miles or 5,600 km. It is great to see that the car has been driven, but we should point out it presents even better than when we sold it back in 2022! The Maserati Merak is one of Giorgetto Giugiaros finest pieces of work. The trademark flying buttress softens the look of the car and as a result it carries colour exceptionally well. The first thing youll notice when you walk up to this car is the colour. It is ORANGE, very ORANGE, however, it is just so seventies and it really suits the car. It shows off the lines perfectly and contrasts well with the painted Campagnolo wheels. Overall, the first impressions of the car are really good. It presents exceptionally well and the paint has retained a deep gloss and a mirror like smooth finish. Walking around the car we struggled to find any imperfections. There is a small mark in the swage line of the passengers door and a small bubble in the bottom front of the passengers door. You have to kneel down and look closely to see both. The external trim is minimalistic, however, it is all in very good condition. This includes the bright work, lights/lenses and the glass. The car sits on its original and unique Campagnolo wheels. The wheels are in very good condition with no kerb rash. They are shod with period correct Michelin XWX tyres, size 205/70/15 which are still in excellent condition. They are date stamped 3815 (week 38, 2015). Open the door and you are welcomed by a very good looking interior. These early Meraks had the same dashboard as its big bother, the Maserati Bora. The upholstery is relatively fresh and the seats are in very good condition with no sign of any cracks or tears in the leather. They are comfortable and provide plenty of support. The Merak is a token 2+2 and the two rear seats appear to have never been used, other perhaps for an overnight bag. The centre console, door cards and dashboard all presents equally well. The carpets remain plush and are clean. All the instruments are clear and appear to be in good working order. Under the front bonnet youll find a small boot which is clean and the carpet is in good condition. The engine bay also presents very well. Everything looks clean, neat and tidy. The space saver spare wheel, running a Pirelli tyre that appears to have never been used, sits in the rear of the engine compartment. It is quite an incredible design that the engine sits so far forward in this 2+2 mid engine sports car! On closer inspection everything in the engine bay looks to be essentially correct. Our memory from early 2022 was that this car drove really well. After being fettled, then used and enjoyed we were keen to take the car out for a current test drive. The starting procedure is typically Italian car of that era. Turn the ignition on, allow the fuel pump a little bit of time to fill the Weber carburettors, then give the accelerator pedal a few pumps and turn the key to start the car. It fires up easily, even from cold and the fairly quickly settles into a smooth idle. Out on the road this Maserati Merak is fun to drive. By modern standards it is not fast, but it feels light and nimble on the road. The engine responds quickly to the slightest touch of the accelerator pedal and you often feel like you are travelling faster than you actually are. The Citroen controls are quirky, but once you get used to driving the car it is very rewarding. The gearbox, which should be used to maximise the power band from engine feels precise and direct. The gear changes are smooth both up and down the box. The steering is direct and precise, which coupled with the superb handling ensure that the car feels glued to the road at all times. The brakes are very direct and pull the car up easily and in a straight line. All too soon our test drive comes to an end and we return the car to our showroom. Unfortunately, there are quite a few tired Maserati Meraks out there, which can bring no end of problems. Good cars that are sorted, ready to use and enjoy are few and far between. This car is a very well sorted example of an iconic 70s Italian junior super car which is ready for its next owner to use and enjoy. Accompanying the car is a very good history file, various trophies, a car cover, a copy of a parts manual, a copy of a workshop manual and a copy of an owners manual. Highlights: - Australian delivered, factory RHD early Merak. - Beautifully presented example of this iconic Maserati - Recently restored in its original colour - Good history file - Ready to be used and enjoyed. Price $139,950. Background: The Maserati story is a fascinating one. It is the story of a family with daring, courageous and forward-thinking ideas. The story starts with Rodolfo Maserati, a railway engineer who was employed by the Italian monarchy and the father of seven sons who all had a passion for engine design and racing cars. The Maserati brothers all became involved in the automotive industry in some way or another, however, it was on the 1st of December 1914 that Alfieri, Ettore and Ernesto Maserati officially opened Alfieri Maserati Workshop in Bologna, Italy. Maserati chose the trident logo to adorn its cars. Its design was based on the Fountain of Neptune in Bolognas Piazza Maggiore. The colours chosen for the logo were also the colours of Bologna, red and blue. The business was focused on repairing, servicing and preparing cars, however, the World War cut business short and it wasnt until 1926 that Maserati built its first car, the Tipo 26. It was all about motorsport back then and in 1937 the Orsi family acquired ownership of Maserati which was in desperate need of financial backing to be able to survive. During the Orsi years Maserati grew from a boutique but very successful race car builder to one of the worlds leading manufacturers of hand-built sports and GT cars. Maserati built its first road car in 1946 even though times were tough in post War northern Italy. The car was the Maserati A6 where A was for Alfieri and 6 for the number of cylinders. The initial reception of the car was positive and a production Maserati A6/1500 was then shown at the 1947 Geneva Motor Show. This was a significant milestone in the Maserati legend and subsequent models included the A6G/2000, 3500 series cars, 5000GT, Mistral. Quattroporte, Mexico, Sebring and Ghibli. Maserati also continued to build very successful race cars that dominated tracks around the world including the 250F, 300S, 150S, 450S and the Birdcage. Orsi sold to Citroen in 1968. Soon after, the idea of a two seat mid-engined super car was conceived. It was then in the summer of 1969 the first prototype of Maseratis new car was built. This car was known as Tipo 117 and was ultimately named Bora after a wind from the Northern Adriatic Sea. The car became a reality in relatively short time and it was officially launched at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1971. Like the Ghibli before it Maseratis new flagship was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, this time for Ital Design. In many ways the Bora was a unique design and its trademark was that its roof and A pillar were finished in brushed stainless steel in contrast the rest of the painted body. The early seventies were tough time for supercar manufacturers as the oil crisis hit hard, effecting the sales of cars with large displacement engines. Maseratis answer was the V6 engined Merak. The Maserati Merak (Tipo 122) was introduced at the 1972 Paris Motor Show and it followed in the footsteps of its big brother the Bora. The models name, chosen by Maseratis commercial director Dominique Drieux, was not a name of a wind and is not to be confused with the Eponymous Indonesian city in Java. It receives its name after a star in the Ursa Major constellation. Like the Bora, the Maserati Merak was designed by Ital Designs Giorgetto Giugiaro and its ancestry is obvious though there are many subtle but significant differences in the cars design. The Merak is one of Giugiaros finest pieces of work. Whilst based on its big brother the Bora, the Merak doesnt have a full glass fastback, but rather a cabin ending abruptly with a vertical rear window and a flat, horizontal engine cover pierced by four series of ventilation slats. Giugiaro completed the vehicles silhouette by adding open flying buttresses, visually extending the roofline to the tail. The Merak is a 2+2 though its rear seats are best described as occasional or for an overnight bag or golf clubs only! Its Italian competitors all ran V8 engines, however, Maserati opted to use a longitudinally mounted 2,965cc V6 engine that had its roots in the Citroen SM. Given the company was owned by Citroen at the time it is not surprising that a number of Citroen components were used, including the engine as well as Citroens hydraulic systems and much of the interior. Maserati built some fabulous cars during Citroens ownership (including the Indy, Bora, Merak and Khamsin), however, times were tough and the company struggled financially. Citroen placed Maserati into liquidation in May 1975 and it was ultimately saved by the Italian government and Alejandro de Tomaso took control shortly thereafter. Interestingly when Alejandro de Tomaso acquired Maserati the Merak underwent a make over of its interior which was well received at the time. In addition to the standard Merak, Maserati brought out the Merak SS in 1976 which was lighter and had a more powerful engine and also the Merak 2000 in 1977 specifically for the Italian market which imposed a heavy tax on cars with engines greater than 2,000cc capacity. The Merak was one of the seventies junior supercars, much like Lamborghinis Urraco and Ferraris 308 GT/4, that was going to tackle Porsche head one and be sold in significant quantities to underpin the cash flow of the company during the oil crisis. The formula made good sense and Maserati enjoyed much success with its Merak and 1,820 examples were built in a twelve year period from 1972 to 1983.

Details: Oldtimer Australia is delighted to offer for sale this 1974 Lamborghini Uracco P250. According to the Lamborghini factory records, this car was completed on the 2nd May 1974. This factory right hand drive example was fitted with factory air conditioning and delivered new to the UK. The car was originally giallo (yellow paint code 2469019) with a nero (black) interior. The early history of this car is not known, though it is understood to have come to Australia early in its life. A long term Sydney owner, who originally found the car advertised in Unique Cars magazine, commissioned Lamborghini specialist Henry Nehrybecki to give the car a more aggressive look, similar to a Lamborghini Silhouette. The template for the wheel arches was taken from a Lamborghini Silhouette and made from sheet metal. This work was completed by Graham Watson from Ralt Australia. Nehrybecki fabricated the front spoiler, custom alloy grill, front and rear bumpers, the three piece wheels and modified the front suspension. The car was painted by Con Papoulis from Hi Tech Paintshop. A that time the colour was changed to dark metallic blue. It is understood that this work was completed in c1997. The project took approximately 9 months from start to finish. The car was featured in Issue 17, the April June 1998 Lamborghini Club of Australia magazine The Bulls Roar. The car changed hands and remained with its then owner from Glenmore Park in Sydney, NSW through until November 2008. At that time the car was registered with the personalised plates CRETE1. The cars new owner was from Hornsby in Sydney, NSW and at the time he acquired the car the odometer read 75,703 miles. It was then registered in NSW as AW99RR. In his ownership the car was serviced and maintained by Eagle and Raymond Automotive in Asquith, NSW. There are several invoices on file documenting the service history of the car. The car then found its way to the Gosford Classic Car Museum where it was displayed before being acquired by the current owner in July 2017. At that time the odometer read 81,982 miles. Since then it has had a mechanical refresh which included a new clutch, suspension rebuild, gearbox rebuild, replacing the head gasket and other miscellaneous works by classic Lamborghini specialist Sports and Classic Car Services in Braeside, Victoria. The car has only travelled c2,000 miles since the majority of that work was completed. The most recent annual service was executed on 1st July 2022 and at that time the odometer read 83,833 and in April 2024 the carburettors were cleaned and rebuild by Classic Fix in Brisbane. Today the odometer reads 83,987 miles. This Lamborghini Urraco certainly has a presence about it. The flared wheel arches, front spoiler and aftermarket wheels give the car a very aggressive stance. The dark metallic blue colour really suits the car. Overall, the paint is still in a good condition having retained a strong depth of colour and a high gloss finish. Up close you will see a few imperfections, consistent with an older repaint and with a car that has been used occasionally. The most noticeable defects are a chip on the B pillar on the drivers side about half way up and a few scratches on the front of the car, most likely caused by the bonnet stand. There is also some gravel rash evident on the front of the rear flared wheel arches and some small stone chips on the front spoiler. The louvered engine cover and the louvers on the side of the car have been finished in black and are in good condition. Besides the window frames and badges there really isnt much bright work on a Lamborghini Urraco. The frames and badges, along with the lights, lenses and the glass are well presented and in good condition. The Silhouette style wheels are in very good condition with no evidence of any curb rash. The centre caps are faded and replacing these would lift the presentation of the car. The wheels are shod with Toyo Proxes T1R tyres, 205/45 ZR16 at the front and 245/45 ZR16 at the rear. The front tyres are date stamped 0910 (week 9, 2010) and the rear tyres are date stamped 3718 (week 37, 2018). The front tyres, whilst they still appear to be in good condition, should be replaced based on age. Open the door and you are welcomed by a sharp looking interior. First impressions are good. The grey upholstery provides a perfect colour contrast with the blue exterior. The seats are in a good condition and provide ample support. The centre section of the front and rear seats have been upholstered with a velour style fabric. On the front seats the fabric has started to slightly stretch, though there are no rips or tears. The rear seats have probably never been used since the car was retrimmed. The car is fitted with an aftermarket steering wheel in a matching colour. All the instruments present well. They are clear and appear to be in good working order. The dashboard itself also presents well with no marks or discoloration evident. We did notice that the headlining has a few marks and could use a little bit of attention. One of the previous owners must have been short as the front seats have been raised to provide a more comfortable driving position (for a smaller person). To suit a driver of average size or above, both seats would need to be lowered. These baby bulls are underrated and great fun to drive. It was a wet week in Brisbane and when we finally got a break in the weather, it was with great anticipation that we got to take this Urraco out for our test drive and photo shoot. The Weber carburettors on these early Lamborghinis are thirsty and require plenty of fuel to start the car. The correct starting procedure is to turn the ignition on, let the fuel pump do its work for at least twenty seconds, then give the accelerator pedal a few pumps, then turn the key further to start the car. If you follow these steps the engine will burst to life with relative ease. The sound is fantastic and these little V8s make a growl like no other! These cars always feel a little stiff to start. But as everything warms up properly the car becomes better and easier to drive. This is most noticeable with the gear changes which become an absolute delight once the gearbox is warm. The engine revs freely through the rev range and the car has plenty of power on tap. The car handles well and feels incredibly stable on the road. There is an occasional knock from the front suspension which we are currently investigating. The brakes work well and they pull the car up quickly and in a straight line when needed. This Lamborghini Urraco P250 is a delightful junior super car. It is a real joy to drive and we think a great alternative to the more ubiquitous Ferrari 308 GT/4, Maserati Merak or Porsche 911. You wont win the concours with this car and it may not appeal to the purist, but we think it is rather cool. It will most certainly turn heads and make an impression wherever it goes. Accompanying the car is a good history file with a copy of an owners manual, the original and often missing Lamborghini libretto di assistenza e garanzia (service and warranty booklet) and some historical documentation and service records. The spare wheel is missing. Highlights: - Factory RHD example. - Good history file with original service book. - Not your average Urraco P250! - Recent mechanical work. - Ready to use and enjoy. Price $129,950. Background: The Lamborghini story is fascinating in itself, but for the company to have survived all these years and indeed celebrate its 50th Anniversary in 2013 is quite amazing. Ferruccio Lamborghini was an entrepreneur, a very successful businessman and a lover of the finer things in life, including sports cars. He was fortunate enough to own some wonderful cars including Ferraris however, he found fault with them all. According to the legend following a meeting with Enzo Ferrari to discuss some of the short comings of his cars Enzo dismissed Ferruccio and he subsequently decided that he could build a better car. Not long after, in May 1963, Automobili Ferruccio Lamborghini SPA was established and the small town of SantAgata Bolognese, located between Modena and Bologna, was chosen as the location to build the factory. Born under the Zodiac sign Taurus Lamborghini chose the raging bull as the emblem for his sports cars. Lamborghini knew what he wanted and he put together a highly skilled team. His first car the 350 GTV was shown at the Turin Motor Show in October 1963. This car received mixed reviews; however, Lamborghini was not deterred and made a number of improvements and design changes to the original concept. The first Lamborghini production car the 350 GT left the factory in mid-1964. The 350 GT evolved into the 400 GT 2+2 and later the Islero. In parallel to building these classic front engine V12 GT cars Lamborghini wanted to build a super car, enter the Miura first shown as a rolling chassis in 1965, and also a GT car that could comfortably seat four people, enter the Espada in 1968. The mid to late sixties were good times for Lamborghini and his cars were revered the world over. In 1970 the Islero was replaced by the Jarama. Lamborghini also wanted to enter the junior supercar market and introduced the Urraco or little bull, named for the fighting bull which killed the toreador Manoleten, at the 1970 Turin Motor Show. The Urraco attracted huge interest from the motoring world and Bertones classic wedge shape received critical acclaim at the time. It wasnt until some two years later, in 1972, that the first production cars rolled off the Sant Agata production line. Lamborghini hoped to build the Urraco in big numbers, however, this never eventuated and only 520 of the P250s were built up until 1975 when the P300 was released. The world economy changed quickly and the early 1970s were a tough time for Lamborghini. Additionally, the Urraco had some teething problems early on and the car unfortunately developed a reputation as unreliable. This was perhaps unfair as once Lamborghini ironed out the bugs the car was in fact a little gem and properly sorted was a genuine threat to Ferraris 308, Maseratis Merak and the Porsche 911 of the day. The Urraco P300 was indeed a fabulous little car and in Sports Car World magazine July September 1976 Mel Nichols wrote: . . . I was not hard pressed to conclude that the Urraco 3-litre is the most enjoyable car I have ever driven. In the October 1978 issue of Car Magazine Nichols pits the Lamborghini Urracoagainst a Ferrari 308 GTB and a Maserati Merak SS. The article is compelling reading and Nichols picks the Urraco as his favourite. Only 205 Urraco P300s were built. Lamborghini also built 66 Urraco P200s (with a 2 litre V8 engine) specifically for the Italian market.