Photos -- Bora

Text and Photos by Francis G. Mandarano or courtesy of the MIE Collection.

As 1970 approached, the leading designers were turning towards mid-engine placement and Maserati wasn't about to be left in the dust. Giorgetto Giugiaro at his newly formed Ital Design was commissioned to do a study for a mid-engined car. What he came up with turned out to be the sensation of the 1971 Geneva Auto Show where the Bora was first displayed.

In collaboration with his French colleagues at Citroen, Sig. Guilio Alfieri, the masterful engineer who had been with Maserati since the days of the 250F back in 1954, put together a two-place rocketship with brakes that could stop on a dime and give you change! It's as if a giant hand comes out of the sky and grabs the car. Not only does the steering wheel telescope and tilt, but the seat can be raised quietly by hydraulic servos. And, for the first time in any production car, the pedal cluster can be moved fore and aft hydraulically with a touch of a switch. You didn't just get into a Bora and drive away, you were fitted to the Bora and blasted away. The power is sensational, the feeling of safety is remarkable.

The Bora was named after the cold icy wind that blows out of the north. It was the first and only Maserati production GT car to be equipped with a mid-engine V8, and the first car to be produced under the new Citroen management. It was designed to incorporate the Citroen high pressure (2600 psi) braking system which also actuated the pedal clusters, allowing you to adjust the pedal reach, depending upon the length of your legs. The seats remain stationary -- going up and down, not back and forth and, of course, the headlight buckets are raised hydraulically.

The Bora was also the first car produced by Maserati in which there were few changes from the first to the last.

Some say the Bora may have an inherent cooling problem -- I disagree. If the cooling system is properly filled (this is a trick in itself, which entails jacking up the rear of the car and filling it a certain way), you shouldn't have any problems. A 160 degree thermostat will help out here. If the radiator has been boiled and rodded out and the fans function properly, you should not have a cooling problem, even in the hottest regions.

Anyone considering purchasing a Bora should not be concerned or overwhelmed with the Citroen hydraulic circuitry. It is a marvelous system which performs flawlessly. We hear of little trouble with this system. In fact, the biggest problem seems to be with those who mistakenly mix Girling brake fluid into the LHM mineral oil system.

Remember, the Bora braking system takes LHM green mineral base fluid, not brake fluid. If you mix brake fluid into the system, you deteriorate and contaminate the whole system which then must be completely bled and all seals replaced and this can be an expensive proposition. I can't caution you enough on this danger.

There were three series of Boras; the first were Europe-only cars that did not make it to these shores. The second series cars came to us equipped with one stainless steel bumper in front and the same rear treatment as the European cars. The third series of cars came to us equipped with a large rubber bumper in both front and rear, and dual exhausts exiting out of the lower valance. All interiors were the same, except for the European steering wheel verses the USA steering wheel, and all cars ere equipped with the same wheels and hub caps except for the final cars which were sans hub caps.

Approximately 340 Boras were built between 1972 and 1978. That's not very many, therefore, the Bora is very collectible. It's the only Maserati sports car with a mid-engine V-8 (remember its little brother Merak had the V-6 built for Citroen).

Below are photos of Bora AM117.712.