Merak SS values

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Belfry

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My 1977 Merak SS was restored at a cost of £130,000 a year or so before I bought it for £85,000 5 years ago.
What might have happened to values for the best Merak SS models in this period?
I am so time poor that i rarely get the chance to use this beautiful car and it lives in a pressurised Carcoon, which seems a shame. So it's going to be sold and I'd love some views on the market from my fellow forum members please.
 
Ewan

Ewan

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6,812
There was a time, maybe 4 or so years ago, when a few Merak SS cars were advertised at around £100k and a few Khamsins at around £160k. Now those prices seem very top heavy. Meraks are back to maybe £70k for the very best, and Khamsins to around £110k (tops), as can be seen at McGraths.

Well known examples in the U.K. were a Rame coloured Merak and a mid-grey coloured Merak. Both restored at costs well beyond their values (which is easily done). Both very pretty cars.

I would imagine McGrath would be the best place to go to sell such a car. Or, possibly faster, a reputable specialist auction house, come the summer classic car auction season.
 
general_piffle

general_piffle

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Messages
401
Belfry said:
My 1977 Merak SS was restored at a cost of £130,000 a year or so before I bought it for £85,000 5 years ago.
What might have happened to values for the best Merak SS models in this period?
I am so time poor that i rarely get the chance to use this beautiful car and it lives in a pressurised Carcoon, which seems a shame. So it's going to be sold and I'd love some views on the market from my fellow forum members please.
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If you love it, don't need the money, and can see a way then maybe try to hold onto it?

So many of us are time poor. It's part of the reason we can afford such expensive (for mere mortals) toys.

I have toys, cars and motorbikes, that I rarely get the chance to enjoy but I've decided to hold onto them until I retire in maybe 10 to 15 years. The idea being that if I retire and I suddenly have time on my hands but no Ghibli, no Laverda, no Alfa, etc. etc. then I'll probably just go out looking to buy again but who knows how much they'll cost in 10 to 15 years, or how long it would take me to find examples in as great condition as mine are currently...
 
zagatoes30

zagatoes30

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Time is the thief of life we all have too many commitments but as most of us get older retirement looms and as long as we remain healthy time comes back to us. If you don't need the money I would hang on to what you have, you may find the odd occasion to use it and those occasions may increase over the next few years. Prices aren't going to suddenly dive bomb due to rarity so you are not going to be any worse off in 5, 10 or 15 years you might even be lucky and they increase again.

As always its down to individual circumstances but if you do sell a specialist or a decent auction house are like the best avenues to follow, good luck in whatever you do
 
B

Belfry

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193
Ewan said:
Well known examples in the U.K. were a Rame coloured Merak and a mid-grey coloured Merak. Both restored at costs well beyond their values (which is easily done). Both very pretty cars.
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Mine is the dark grey car! Known to some as the "Aston Workshop" car.

When I walk into the garage I can see the Merak inside it's Carcoon and I am genuinely feel guilty that it is not getting used. I did take the car to a Maserati event in the Swiss Alps some years ago, and this was epic fun, and much admired.

I wonder what the bronze coloured example on Harry's Garage sold for through Hairpin Company?

I guess that I'm going to struggle to get my money back, which is strange when I think about values of similar 70's italian sportscars.
 
Ewan

Ewan

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6,812
Worth a call to Hairpin to find out. That was the Rame car (with Rame being the name of that rose-gold colour).
I well remember Aston Workshops selling your car. What a lovely example. And all the better for not being red!

The difficulty at the top end of Merak money is that it is potentially not too far off Khamsin and Bora money - both of which are generally viewed by Maseratisti as more desirable.

Anyway, whether to keep or sell such a pretty car is a nice problem to have!
 
allandwf

allandwf

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10,995
I've looked at prices over the years. I think you will struggle to get in the 60k's , probably somewhere in the £50k's would be realistic. But at the end of the day it's worth what someone is willing to pay.
 
Ewan

Ewan

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6,812
While you can get a good Merak in the £50k’s, and a very very good one in the £60k’s, I think that this grey one and the rame one are worth a little more, both having been subject to six-figure restorations. Not within the trade though, as far too risky, hence auction being the usual route to market.
 
B

Belfry

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193
One of these regularly drives past me in Belgravia. It is driven by a youngish man driving his sons to school with a dog in the back seat. It does look super cool. Maybe i should try to daily my Merak for a few months?
1970-Ferrari-365-GT-Queen-Mary-MAIN-11.jpg
 
zagatoes30

zagatoes30

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20,945
Belfry said:
One of these regularly drives past me in Belgravia. It is driven by a youngish man driving his sons to school with a dog in the back seat. It does look super cool. Maybe i should try to daily my Merak for a few months?
1970-Ferrari-365-GT-Queen-Mary-MAIN-11.jpg
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That is super cool
 
B

Belfry

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Messages
193
Daily use of the Merak has started (although I have an FF arriving next weekend so it might be hard to compete with that). Amazing response from some people. Others look at it like it’s an alien spacecraft.
 

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CatmanV2

CatmanV2

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Belfry said:
Daily use of the Merak has started (although I have an FF arriving next weekend so it might be hard to compete with that). Amazing response from some people. Others look at it like it’s an alien spacecraft.
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Ummm, where are you based?

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