1971 Maserati Bora 4.7L V8 5MT (310 HP)

Vehicle Overview

In the late ’60s, Citroen made an offer to the family that owned the Maserati brand and bought the Italian car manufacturer, invested some money in it, and the Bora was one of their first results.

While Citroen didn’t want to get involved in supercars, its management liked the idea of having such a brand under its umbrella. In addition, Maserati came with its highly-acclaimed engines, and the French automaker didn’t have those. Both companies’ engineers worked together and shared their experience, and the Bora that came in 1971 was one of the cars that benefited from the best of them.

The car’s exterior was a masterpiece signed by Giorgetto Giugiaro. The Bora received pop-up headlights and a slim grille at the front, split in the middle to make room for the “Tridente,” Maserati’s badge. From its profile, the extremely well-balanced look of the vehicle had the cabin in the middle and a sloped line behind it. Strangely, though, even if the car was mid-engined, it didn’t feature wide air intakes on the sides or on the roof. At the back, Giugiaro penned the rear fascia with upper-mounted taillights, a chromed bumper, and four exhausts.

Inside, the luxurious coupe featured greeted its driver with a big dashboard that featured two large dials for the speedometer and tachometer and six other gauges for various car functions. In addition, the automaker placed the stereo next to the driver, inaccessible for the side passenger. Moreover, the tall center tunnel that hosted the gear stick divided the cabin into two distinct areas.

The 4.7-liter engine placed longitudinally in the middle of the car sent its power to the rear wheels via a five-speed manual. Citroen came up with a few solutions to improve the clutch system assembly and also helped the Italian automaker create a better suspension for the Bora.