Maserati Indy

In between

Perhaps Maserati was also a little to blame for the misery that was to come. When the Italians presented the Indy at the 1969 Geneva Motor Show, they had already been taken over by Citroën, but Giulio Alfieri had brought the new model to production maturity without any French influence. But the Indy was somehow a bit in no man’s land. It was based on the Ghibli, with a wheelbase extended by five centimetres, offering four people reasonably good space. But Maserati already had the Mexico for that. And then there was also the Mistral, also with a fastback; the production times of all these models overlapped. The fact that the Indy became one of the most successful Maseratis of those years, with 1104 (according to other sources: 1102) units built, was also due to the fact that it was produced for a proud seven years, until 1975.

The design came from Vignale. And it was definitely a success; the self-supporting structure not only offered good space, but was also very aerodynamic. This prompted Alfieri to equip the first series of the Indy with the smaller, 260-hp 4.2-litre eight-cylinder engine; it was not intended to steal the thunder from the much more expensive Ghibli. It was only when the Ghibli was phased out that the Indy was first given the 4.7-litre (290 hp) engine, and finally, from 1973, the 4.9-litre (320 hp) engine. If the Indy had a weakness, it was the Maserati-style rear live axle. A 5-speed transmission from ZF was usually used, with the 3-speed automatic from Borg-Warner rarely requested.

It’s amazing how cheap these Indys are. But you can follow the price development in our small collection.

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VIN: AM116 504 (4,2 Litre)

Auction: RM Sotheby’s, Amelia 2023, sold for 61’600 Dollar, with these informations: «The example offered here completed production on 25 June 1970 and was delivered new to Milan, Italy. It left the factory finished in Oro Metallizzato—Metallic Gold—with a black interior, according to build info from Maserati. Notably, it was also fitted with the desirable ZF five-speed manual transaxle. It reportedly spent much of its life in France and still wears French license plates. Said to have been professionally refurbished to a high standard under previous ownership, it is now finished in light blue metallic, a lovely hue that perfectly complements the car’s distinctive wedge shape featuring pop-up headlights. The luxurious black leather interior is desirably equipped with air-conditioning, power windows, and Veglia gauges. Meanwhile, optional power steering augments the driving experience, while four Weber carburetors funnel air to the sonorous V-8 engine.»

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VIN: AM116/47 1474 (4,7 Litre)

Auction: RM Sotheby’s, Paris 2025, estimate 50’000 to 80’000 Euro, with these informations: «Delivered new to France via famed Maserati importer Thepenier on 18 July 1972, this Indy was first owned by a Parisian stockbroker. According to noted historian Marc Rabineau, the car was finished in Marrone Colorado over Senape hide and equipped with optional power steering plus a radio. Come 1984, this 4.7-litre example was acquired by a doctor named Yves Duclos Grenet, who would later preside over the Aston Martin Owners Club of France. Four years later, he commissioned a colour change to the official Maserati shade of Verde Pino before enjoying the 286 horsepower V-8 engine on a variety of tours and rallies. After 13 years of ownership, Dr Grenet sold the Indy to a Renault Agent in Tulle before, in 2000, the car was purchased by the Meaux-based former Vice President of Club Maserati France. After a 2012 repaint in Verde Pino by Carrosserie Delpippo of Montreuil, the car was acquired at auction by The Curated Collection of Belgium in October of the following year. Upon inspection, the Indy was found to retain its matching-numbers engine. Believed to be one of only 364 examples of the Indy equipped with the 4,719-cc engine, and with five owners from new.»