Oldtimer Australia is delighted to offer for sale a rare Australian delivered factory right hand drive 1971 Maserati Indy.

According to the Maserati Classiche documentation on file, this car was originally finished in oro metallizzato (gold metallic), paint code 106Y54 with a white leather interior.

The car on offer has the 4.2-litre engine mated to the desirable five speed manual gearbox. This car is one of the 13 Australian delivered cars and one of the only eight factory right hand drive cars built with non power assisted steering.

It was collected from the Maserati factory in Italy by its first owner, a Mr Percy Arena, from Sydney in NSW on the 19^th April 1971. The dealer is noted as being Alec Mildren Pty Ltd.

Mr Arena enjoyed his Indy in Europe before importing it into Australia. The car’s subsequent early history is not known, however, its next owner is understood to have been Mr Eddie Battestello from Warrnambool in Victoria.

It was in his ownership that the Recaro seats, which are still in the car today, were fitted.

The Indy was then sold circa 1980 to Mr Andy Fraser from Hamilton, Victoria who is well known in classic car circles in Australia. The next owner was a Mr Max Ormerod from Lismore, NSW, who acquired the car in October 1985. At this time the odometer read 69,478 miles.

It is fair to say that Ormerod was a fastidious owner and he kept a diary of the car detailing its history, including service records and work done. In July 1990 (at 75,200 miles) he had the car was repainted Alfa Red.

In September 2000 the car was purchased by Mrs Diane Orford as a present for her husband Colin, from Mick Arnold Classic Cars in Southport on the Gold Coast. At that time the car needed some work and it was parked up in storage for many years.

In late 2007 work commenced to recommission the car and get it into a road going state. Over the next 9 months the front suspension was completely rebuilt, the steering was rebuilt, the diff pinion seal was replaced, the brakes serviced, the cooling system overhauled and the car was serviced and generally sorted mechanically. The interior was also refreshed at this time. There is a roadworthy certificate on file dated 2^nd September 2008 at which time the odometer was at 87,338 miles. The car was completed just in time for the annual Noosa Beach Classic Car Show which in 2008 was celebrating Maserati as the featured marque. This Maserati Indy was awarded a second place from the 18 Maseratis on display.

Throughout 18 years of ownership this Maserati Indy was treated by the Orfords as ‘part of the family’. Even though the car was sparingly used over the years, travelling a modest 2,000 miles in that time, it was fastidiously maintained regardless of cost. In early 2019, with the odometer showing 89,361miles, Orford decided the time was right for his treasured Maserati to pass on to its next custodian.

Oldtimer Australia sold the car to its current Brisbane based owner in March 2019. At the time the car presented well, though the paint showed some minor blemishes, most noticeable were some small humidity blisters on the nose and bonnet.

After acquiring this Maserati Indy, the current owner used the car for the next two years. The paint imperfections were slowly getting worse and this was the catalyst for him to repaint the car. He debated whether to keep the car red or repaint it in its original colour of ‘oro metallizzato’ (gold metallic). Thankfully, he chose the latter and he engaged the services of highly respected restoration shop GT motors in Brisbane to do the work.

The project commenced in April 2021 and after stripping the body back to bare metal it was immediately apparent that this was not going to be a straight forward repaint. The job quickly turned into a full body restoration. There are about 500 photos on file detailing the work that was undertaken to prepare the body for the repaint. There was significant rust in the nose of the car as well as the floor, sills, doors, boot lid and just about everywhere else! All the corroded metal was removed and replaced with new metal where required.

Once all the body work was completed, the car was then prepared for painting. As they say ‘colour maketh the car’ and this Maserati Indy now presents absolutely superbly in its original and STUNNING colour of ‘oro metallizzato’ (gold metallic).

The front and rear bumpers as well as the wheel nuts and wheel centre caps were rechromed by Pacific Plating in Brisbane. A new windscreen was installed and Maserati’s characteristic diamond stitched under bonnet insulation was replaced.

In October 2022 all the work was completed and the car was back on the road.

The end result is simply spectacular and the car is a credit to its owner as well as Frank Toaldo and his team at GT Motors.

Today the odometer on this car reads 91,142 miles. It has travelled perhaps 1,000 miles since it was repainted three years ago and as a result it still presents superbly.

The paint has retained its high gloss finish and strong depth of colour and one has to look hard to find any imperfections. There is one very small defect just in front of the left rear wheel arch. It is hard to see but it is there. The external trim is all in excellent condition.

The wheels are in excellent condition having all been repainted. They are shod with period correct Michilin XWX tyres, size 205VR14, which are date stamped 2317 (week 23, 2017). They are still in excellent condition.

Inside the cabin everything remains ‘very fresh’. The leather remains in excellent condition on the seats and door cards. We only noticed some marks on the driver’s seat bolster caused by the seat belt. A good leather doctor can easily correct this.

The dashboard, instruments and controls are also in excellent condition. Everything looks to be in working order. The car has a fabulous Blaupunkt radio cassette fitted which is most likely original. The front seats, whilst not original to the car, are period correct and very comfortable. They provide ample support.

The car is ‘very clean’ all around and the engine bay is no exception. The boot is similarly well presented.

The Maserati Indys were highly regarded as very comfortable grand tourers and with a quoted top speed of 250 km/hr, one could only image blasting from Rome to Paris back in the day at high speed and in style and comfort!

Whilst we couldn’t get to the autostrade we could stretch this cars legs on Brisbane’s M1. In summary, this car drives every bit as good as it looks.

As with all Maserati V8’s of this period you need to prime the carburettors once the ignition key has been turned on. The fuel pump eventually slows and after three or four pumps on the throttle the engine bursts into life with a final turn of the key. The 4.2 litre V8 in this Indy sounds fabulous. The exhaust note is ‘spot on’ building anticipation as the engine warms. On a warm Brisbane day it does not take too long for the car to reach operating temperature. You select first gear, release the firm but not heavy clutch and you are away. Within minutes it is obvious this Indy is mechanically sorted. The car pulls strongly and willingly through the rev range and the actual gear change is firm and precise. The ride of the car is exceptional; there are no rattles or squeaks and it handles particularly well. The brakes pull the car up swiftly and in a straight line. We like the fact that this car does not have power steering. It is a little heavy at parking speed but the feedback whilst actually ‘driving’ the car is superb!

The current owner is getting to the pointy end of another classic Maserati project and space does not allow him to keep both cars. As such, he has made the difficult decision to part ways with this car and it is ready for its next owner to use and enjoy.

The big money has been spent on this car and its next owner will be able sleep at night knowing that cosmetically this car is better than new!

We think that Maserati Indys are under rated and they offer great value at approximately half the cost of a Ghibli and significantly less than its cross town rivals from Ferrari and Lamborghini.

Accompanying the car is an excellent history file which includes a plethora of invoices for the work completed over the years, photographs of the car from its cosmetic restoration, an original parts manual, a copy of an owner’s manuals, a jack kit and various new & used parts.

Highlights:

• 1 of only 13 Australian delivered, factory right hand drive Maserati Indys.
• Matching numbers example.
• Recent bare metal repaint in its original and STUNNING colour.
• Good history file.
• An absolute delight to drive.