Are there Maserati's that are good investments, and which appreciate in value?

JonW

Member
Messages
3,259
All,

Before I get accused of having no soul, I'm not suggesting the reason to buy a Maserati is to make money

However, I'm meeting up with a friend of mine this evening, who owns a nice 911 (if you like that sort of thing!), and his car is probably worth more now than when he bought it (5 years ago). He also, quite rightly, knows that if he keeps it clean and tidy, looks after it well, and doesn't do excessive mileage in it, that it will continue to appreciate in value.

Are there older Maserati's that do the same thing?
 

conaero

Forum Owner
Messages
34,593
3200's & Gransports are heading up steadily and 90's Ghiblis too.

I would tend to agree with that and as in the other thread the Strads when they hit their floor in 1-3 years.

We all know the standard 4200 is not much different to the GS but its the old adage of rarity again.
 

JonW

Member
Messages
3,259
Thanks both - have just read the other thread and seems like a nice lowish miles Gransport is the future classic...
 

midlifecrisis

Member
Messages
16,102
The vast majority of owners here enjoy their Maseratis for what they are. Garage Queens will rise but there's better ways of investing money. I'll probably get my money back but I've probably spent the same over the five years of ownership.
 

JonW

Member
Messages
3,259
The vast majority of owners here enjoy their Maseratis for what they are. Garage Queens will rise but there's better ways of investing money. I'll probably get my money back but I've probably spent the same over the five years of ownership.

Thanks - I'm not thinking of investing, but was curious how a Maser compares to a Porsche in this regard...
 

TridentTested

Member
Messages
1,819
and doesn't do excessive mileage in it,

And that way lies madness.

The only car I've ever bought new was my Alfa Romeo 156. I bought it when Belgian prices were significantly lower than UK prices. I also bought it through a friend who got 20% discount on Fiat Alfa prices. When it was all added up I paid roughly 50% of the typical UK on the road new price. My intention was to drive it for 12 months, off load it for slightly more than I had paid and repeat. The result was every time I took the car out of the garage I knew I was devaluing it. Eventually it became a garage queen and I didn't enjoy owning it.
 

JonW

Member
Messages
3,259
And that way lies madness.

The only car I've ever bought new was my Alfa Romeo 156. I bought it when Belgian prices were significantly lower than UK prices. I also bought it through a friend who got 20% discount on Fiat Alfa prices. When it was all added up I paid roughly 50% of the typical UK on the road new price. My intention was to drive it for 12 months, off load it for slightly more than I had paid and repeat. The result was every time I took the car out of the garage I knew I was devaluing it. Eventually it became a garage queen and I didn't enjoy owning it.

Completely agree with this...

At some point in my life I would love to have the lifestyle and the funds to own multiple cars (as quite a few forum members seem to), and I can see then that there might be an added enjoyment from picking those cars wisely in terms of cars that will either hold or appreciate in value. However, I don't currently have the money, garage space, or (most importantly) a wife who would put up with such behaviour!
 
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1,117
Well I'm a Porsche enthusiast and can offer some thoughts. Firstly, the model range across Porsche is much broader than across the Maserati range. If your friend has a 996 (the first of the water-cooled cars), the ones that are really appreciating are the Mezger engined normally aspirated cars (NA) and the turbo cars. These are the Gt2/Turbo (both are turbo cars) and the GT3 (non turbo car). Outside of these, the C4S perhaps has seen steady climb in values. But sadly all the cars outside of these Mezger cars in the 996 range have risks with the engine that can be either catastrohic failure of IMS bearing or (more likely) gradual failure elsewhere if they have not been looked after by prior owners. Both situations require a strip and rebuild at a budget of £8k - £12k! The Turbo cars are high maintenance so although the engine is different, they need money spending on them each year to keep them tip-top. There are many poor examples out there of Turbo cars, but still fetching good money compared to 5 years ago.

The later 997 Gen 2 cars (2009 onwards) had a completely new DFI engine and do not have these potential risks and problems. But across the range of 997 cars, many are climbing year-on-year. The biggest gains have been the Turbo, the GT3 and the GT2 (but the GT2 known as 'the widow-maker' is as scarce as hens's teeth).

I don't see Massers climbing at anything like my 996 Turbo - YET! But GranSports have a rarity in numbers and appear to be highly desirable as Richard Grace has stated.
I bought my GS from him in the belief (hope?) that it will steadily climb in value over time. But I don't see the brand going the way Ferrari has over time - look at prices of 360 Modena Coupe (especially with Manual box). Keep in mind that against Maserati, Porsche are volume cars and the numbers of many models are very high - so scarcity as a factor is not so strong.

I am getting used to my GranSport and the CambioCorsa box but when asked "which is the better car?" I always make it clear the Porsche Turbo and the Gransport are two completely different driving experiences. The Porsche is an absolute ballistic missile that gets up to 3 figure speeds when overtaking in the blink of an eye. I think its 50-70mph time is 2 seconds and it can make overtaking manouevres in the Cheshire lanes taking out 3/4/5 cars in a single overtake! The Maser is no slouch and has plenty enough power and torque with a lovely sound - especially in Sport Mode but it cannot match the grunt of a forced induction 450bhp with 620Nm (457 ftlb) of torque and around 140kg lighter than a GranSport.
The flat 6 boxer engine in the Porsche combined with the turbine vanes absorbing sound means the Turbo sounds more like a hoover with a "whooosh" as it accelerates.

The earlier air-cooled Porsches (993/964) still go for silly money, such is the following for such old cars. But prices have 'softened' of late (meaning they dont fetch what a dealer thought they would fetch) and buying one today means buying at the top of the valuation point making returns less than when the prices were so low 10 years back.
Corrosion affected a lot of the earlier air cooled stuff and I've known people to spend £50k on one and then spend £30k sorting out the rot!

Anyway, to come to the point, Porsche 996 cars (Turbo/GT3/GT2) are probably going up faster than Massers. The others in the 996 range less so but probably comparable to GranSport prices. Different discussion on 997 Porsche cars - but we wont go there as this is a Maserati forum.

I was in two minds about a 4200 facelift v GranSport and of course for the 4200 the manual v cambiocorsa box. I chose the GS and I am glad I did so because I know I would have kicked myself each time in a 4200 and said "I should have got the GS". Both the GS and the Turbo are low miles (26k and 35k miles respectively). The Turbo has been hibernating since early September on a CTEK charger. After Spring I'll be able to put around 2k - 3k miles between both cars and keep them both as low mileage examples.

I like the GranTurismo but I sense that there is a fair bit of depreciation to come off on that model - so not for me right now. The GS in contrast has hit the bottom of the curve and what I can make out prices are steadily climbing making a cost-to-change for a GT potentially attractive down the line.
 

Andyk

Member
Messages
61,038
3200's & Gransports are heading up steadily and 90's Ghiblis too.

Great to see the 3200's are rising....This car is underrated and will be remembered for starting the rise of Maserati again. Really they should be commanding a far higher price than they do.....Pretty hard to get a good one as well these days.
 

bigbob

Member
Messages
8,952
Great to see the 3200's are rising....This car is underrated and will be remembered for starting the rise of Maserati again. Really they should be commanding a far higher price than they do.....Pretty hard to get a good one as well these days.

The 3200 needs to go up a lot so that the future costs of getting bespoke parts made up is acceptable as a percentage of the car's value.
 

Gp79

Member
Messages
1,393
Unless values go up near to or above 3k a year any value will just about cover running costs: insurance, tax, servicing, tyres, repairs etc etc if you're lucky.

I have a GS but know that I'm not going to really make any 'profit' but at least know I can get the money back and have actually owned and enjoyed a maserati - thats the whole point for me.
 

JonW

Member
Messages
3,259
Well I'm a Porsche enthusiast and can offer some thoughts. Firstly, the model range across Porsche is much broader than across the Maserati range. If your friend has a 996 (the first of the water-cooled cars), the ones that are really appreciating are the Mezger engined normally aspirated cars (NA) and the turbo cars. These are the Gt2/Turbo (both are turbo cars) and the GT3 (non turbo car). Outside of these, the C4S perhaps has seen steady climb in values. But sadly all the cars outside of these Mezger cars in the 996 range have risks with the engine that can be either catastrohic failure of IMS bearing or (more likely) gradual failure elsewhere if they have not been looked after by prior owners. Both situations require a strip and rebuild at a budget of £8k - £12k! The Turbo cars are high maintenance so although the engine is different, they need money spending on them each year to keep them tip-top. There are many poor examples out there of Turbo cars, but still fetching good money compared to 5 years ago.

The later 997 Gen 2 cars (2009 onwards) had a completely new DFI engine and do not have these potential risks and problems. But across the range of 997 cars, many are climbing year-on-year. The biggest gains have been the Turbo, the GT3 and the GT2 (but the GT2 known as 'the widow-maker' is as scarce as hens's teeth).

I don't see Massers climbing at anything like my 996 Turbo - YET! But GranSports have a rarity in numbers and appear to be highly desirable as Richard Grace has stated.
I bought my GS from him in the belief (hope?) that it will steadily climb in value over time. But I don't see the brand going the way Ferrari has over time - look at prices of 360 Modena Coupe (especially with Manual box). Keep in mind that against Maserati, Porsche are volume cars and the numbers of many models are very high - so scarcity as a factor is not so strong.

I am getting used to my GranSport and the CambioCorsa box but when asked "which is the better car?" I always make it clear the Porsche Turbo and the Gransport are two completely different driving experiences. The Porsche is an absolute ballistic missile that gets up to 3 figure speeds when overtaking in the blink of an eye. I think its 50-70mph time is 2 seconds and it can make overtaking manouevres in the Cheshire lanes taking out 3/4/5 cars in a single overtake! The Maser is no slouch and has plenty enough power and torque with a lovely sound - especially in Sport Mode but it cannot match the grunt of a forced induction 450bhp with 620Nm (457 ftlb) of torque and around 140kg lighter than a GranSport.
The flat 6 boxer engine in the Porsche combined with the turbine vanes absorbing sound means the Turbo sounds more like a hoover with a "whooosh" as it accelerates.

The earlier air-cooled Porsches (993/964) still go for silly money, such is the following for such old cars. But prices have 'softened' of late (meaning they dont fetch what a dealer thought they would fetch) and buying one today means buying at the top of the valuation point making returns less than when the prices were so low 10 years back.
Corrosion affected a lot of the earlier air cooled stuff and I've known people to spend £50k on one and then spend £30k sorting out the rot!

Anyway, to come to the point, Porsche 996 cars (Turbo/GT3/GT2) are probably going up faster than Massers. The others in the 996 range less so but probably comparable to GranSport prices. Different discussion on 997 Porsche cars - but we wont go there as this is a Maserati forum.

I was in two minds about a 4200 facelift v GranSport and of course for the 4200 the manual v cambiocorsa box. I chose the GS and I am glad I did so because I know I would have kicked myself each time in a 4200 and said "I should have got the GS". Both the GS and the Turbo are low miles (26k and 35k miles respectively). The Turbo has been hibernating since early September on a CTEK charger. After Spring I'll be able to put around 2k - 3k miles between both cars and keep them both as low mileage examples.

I like the GranTurismo but I sense that there is a fair bit of depreciation to come off on that model - so not for me right now. The GS in contrast has hit the bottom of the curve and what I can make out prices are steadily climbing making a cost-to-change for a GT potentially attractive down the line.

Great answer. And a fabulous example of what I really like about this forum. Thanks for taking the time to write this out...
 

outrun

Member
Messages
5,017
It would have been even better had he even acknowledged 3200's in there :D

The what?

Calm down, just kidding.

Good answer however a couple of things missing...the 996 GT2 is "the widowmaker" the 997 GT2 is "the last widowmaker". Nice brush past the Gen 1 and 1.5 997 car which have some mega engine issues and many have been rebuilt. The failure rate makes the Maserati wishbone issue numbers seen tiny. I'd suggest that the GTS and rare Speedster models are safe bets in the 997 range as well as the Sport Classic although that ship may have sailed as the 991R has dragged those prices upwards.

The most affordable range is still the 996s and the answer on Mezger engines is spot on. However along with the c4s, I'd add the 40th Anniversary car to that, similar to this one that Dicky has in stock. With the X51 engine upgrade and lost of other goodies as well as limited numbers, it should be a safe bet.

http://www.richardgracecars.co.uk/listing/porsche-911-996-40th-anniversary-edition/

Outside of 911s, there are still some other choices in the Porsche world. The original Cayman R is a total peach and holding value super well. As does the original Boxster Spyder, particularly with carbon seats. Perhaps the Porsche Design Edition Cayman S might be one to watch too.

The 928 is one of the best cars ever made and the s4 and GTS editions are heading upwards quickly. I still think a manual GTS has room to move further upwards and can be had around £40k today. Much like the original Ghibli and Ferrari Daytona, it has the GT appeal, style and speed to make it very desirable in 20 years or so.

Any manual 993 except the convertible is worth having. I've owned 2 993 turbos and I regret selling !! I've also has 2 996 turbos and don't miss them at all. I nearly bought a 997 turbo S when I went for the Stradale but I'm not sure that the build numbers are not too high to make them still a heavy depreciation risk.
 

Ewan

Member
Messages
6,757
Sticking with the 996 model for a moment, the basic cars are not investments. The reputed engine problems have killed them, even though my personnel experience of running a C4 for a few years was very pleasurable. The turbo is quick, and has gone up in value by maybe 50% in the last three years. But all it has is speed - I've never found it a "fun" car to drive, and the interior is still a major let down. The GT2 and 3 are different again - more fun, more interesting, more rare, better investments. If I were going back to another 996, it would only be a GT3. Doubtless others will think differently.

With Maserati's, rarity is as important (possibly more so) than ability. Looking at the last 30 years of production, in the UK it's the low volume cars that have gone up the most (so in date order) Shamal, Ghibli Cup, 3200 AC, GranSport MC-V and next (possibly) the GT Stradale. Of these, the most affordable is the 3200 AC, so a manual version at sub £20k must be a good bet for the future. A decent Ghbili Cup is already around £50k and not as good as a GS, so I'm unsure about that as a good buy now. A normal GS at around £30k has to be a good bet, with an MC-V version already being north of £50k. The Strad may yet dip a little more, but I can't see them starting with a 5. Buying a Strad for hopefully around £60k next year would be good, though it'll take a while from there to climb. But any one of these would make a sensible buy, as all could be run for a few years and then sold free of depreciation.

But the biggest Maser riser is the MC-12. Up until last week you could pick one up for just £1m. But with the RM Sotheby's auction car going for over £3m last weekend, the game has moved on somewhat. Who saw that coming!?
 

mjheathcote

Centenary Club
Messages
9,033
If I were going back to another 996, it would only be a GT3. Doubtless others will think differently.

Close friend had a 996 GT3 but could not live with it.
Was set at the highest road height but was always grounding its bottom.
Fixed backrest bucket seats so could not even clean the inside of the rear windows without removing a seat, or pass his crash helmet through for storage going on a track day.
On the track day it would just 'go' on the limit without any warning, unless you were a professional racing driver, which most of us aren't.
He ended up selling it and buying the 'softer' 997 Turbo instead!
 
Messages
1,117
The valuation on 996 Turbo is very adrift. Prices have more than doubled since 2012!
Entry to a 996 Turbo in 2012 was low £20k. Today it is mid/high £40k for slush box auto cars whilst clean low mileage examples with good history and manual gearbox are mid £50k's.

GT3 prices have softened. GT2 are stratospheric prices (£150k?).

997 gen 1 & 1.5 are rising slowly but still have concerns over the chocolate engines.
997 Gen 2 cars are firm (non Turbo cars are around £55k) and of course 997 Turbo cars are holding up well with a gen 1 turbo (last of the Mezger) around mid £50k with auto slush box but gen 2 (DFI engine) turbo with PDK box around mid £70k.

These are impressive gains for a car that us high volume production versus Maserati.

The GT3 appeals to track guys and is hardly a daily driver. The Turbo is ballistic fast and a daily driver. I have some friends with GT3's and in normal roads, my Turbo leaves them standing. The 996 GT3 is only 380bhp and much less torque than a Turbo. It lacks the Porsche Stability Management system, is 2 wheel drive where the Turbo is 4 wheel drive. The GT3 sits 20mm lower than the Turbo which sits 10mm lower than the NA car, and makes the GT3 constantly grounding on roads and speed humps. But the engine revs to 8k, its only manual gearbox with a Limited Slip Diff and has to be revved to keep it in the power band. The Turbo doesn't need a gearbox. It has torque whichever gear one us in. A friend list his GT3 on track, spun it into the armco barrier.
£12k fix for relatively minor damage (it was still driveable).

As for GT3 RS, don't get me started. Now they are small numbers and anything with the coveted RS badge is sound investment (RS is Renn Sport by the way).

The mention of the 997 Sport Classic is good. Price of one of those rare cars has gone through the roof. And the 50th Anniversary car also.

Owners outside of Mezgers and GT3 models take the view that prices are climbing - but a lit slower rate.
I'm not sure. Too many worries with the engine and large production runs don't correlate with these owners dreams in my view.