Crazy price for a ghibli cup in a very sorry state

gemini

Member
Messages
143
Yesterday, a ghibli cup was offered at the "Driving into summer" auction, an online only option held by RM Sobethys.
It was a "no reserve" sale, with an estimate of 5-10k$.

This ghibli was in very bad shape, with a front and rear accident, rust starting with a couple of bubbles here and there, no history, and almost 100k miles.

The offer was around 7000usd for the last few days and then things went crazy.
https://rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/0120/driving-into-summer/lots/r0001-1996-maserati-ghibli-cup/

Sold for 23650 usd !

I suppose it's good news for ghibli owner. Next year, the ghibli cup will be 25 by the way.
 

dt95aac

Member
Messages
116
I saw the auction as well and the car does need a lot of work.

However, compared to 911s of the same era which are comparable in size and power, Ghiblis are criminally under-priced.

Although the Ghibli is a biturbo era car, and shares the ugly reputation, it is in fact a very different car to early biturbos.

The engine if maintained properly is bulletproof, the electrics are reliable (albeit with minor gremlins), the handling is good and the performance on offer is fantastic.
 

gemini

Member
Messages
143
I know quite well how good they are, I had two some years ago, a GT and a cup (from Japan) and I still have the red cup.
cup510.jpg


But I still can't understand the price.
 

lozcb

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12,301
The clock is worth a couple of bob also in them if it still has the original
 

Nayf

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2,734
I do understand the price premium for RHD Cups. There are relatively few, hardly any RHD 2.0 normal Ghiblis around, so the Cup is pretty much the only way to get that engine in RHD; add in the special suspension, interior and exterior trim, special roller bearing turbos and rarity (22 UK RHD left, or thereabouts) and it starts to add up.
The 2.8-litre in normal Export Ghiblis is very different in character to the 2.0-litre; the latter is all at the top end whereas the 2.8 is mid-range at the expense of ultimate horsepower (some Cups, of course, were built as 2.8s).

However I do understand comparing LHD 2.0s with LHD Cups might, for some, not seem like value as the differences between them might not be so distinct. For what it’s worth the Cup is a very special car, and I personally feel it deserves its value. It’s the normal car that’s underpriced; compare it to a 993 Carrera 2... and the Cup, for that matter, to a Carrera RS Touring...
 

gemini

Member
Messages
143
It's not about the value of the cup in general. I'm not shocked with a 50k valuation for a nice cup, not at all. For me, all the ghibli II are undervalued at the moment.
But I'm surprised by a ghibli cup damaged everywhere with an unknown history, bought unseen, with 100k miles @ almost 25k$.
 

Nayf

Member
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2,734
It's not about the value of the cup in general. I'm not shocked with a 50k valuation for a nice cup, not at all. For me, all the ghibli II are undervalued at the moment.
But I'm surprised by a ghibli cup damaged everywhere with an unknown history, bought unseen, with 100k miles @ almost 25k$.
That’s around the same price as the CCA Cup with the wrong engine and the non functioning suspension (so the two bits that make it a Cup) that sold last year. Add in a resto and you’re somewhere near the €55,000 Ghibli Cup on AutoScout...
 

Nayf

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2,734
So this happened yesterday (obviously not the same car) Thankyou to the owner and the Maserati Owners Club for helping to make it happen. Feature will be in the August issue, which will be out in early July.
It was even better than I thought it was going to be. I always thought I’d love it, but then I’m a Maserati fan. But objectively, it stands up too, which came as a little bit of a surprise. The only minus point was a lack of somewhere to rest my left foot when it wasn’t depressing the clutch, but then they are size 13s. Surprisingly I fitted quite well - I am the long armed, proportionally shorter legged person Italian ergonomics were looking for...
More well thought out words (hopefully) in Modern Classics in a month’s time...
 

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Nayf

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2,734
Great spot & I look forward to seeing the end result
We’ve got Dean Smith on snapping duties too - he does the Audi/Aston Martin press photography. It was a great day - bittersweet, for certain reasons - but a great day, with one of the finest snappers, in a great location, with a great car.
Hope my words do it justice.
 

joker222sr

New Member
Messages
26
That’s around the same price as the CCA Cup with the wrong engine and the non functioning suspension (so the two bits that make it a Cup) that sold last year. Add in a resto and you’re somewhere near the €55,000 Ghibli Cup on AutoScout...
Didn't that CCA car have an Open Cup engine or did I imagine that? I'm no expert but as the Cup road cars were based on the Open Cup cars surely it's a bit disingenuous to say it had the wrong engine. Or are the engines very different?

Regarding this Cup sold at RM Sotheby's, considering how rare they must be in the US and how hard it is to import one I don't think it was expensive.

John
 

Nayf

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2,734
Didn't that CCA car have an Open Cup engine or did I imagine that? I'm no expert but as the Cup road cars were based on the Open Cup cars surely it's a bit disingenuous to say it had the wrong engine. Or are the engines very different?

Regarding this Cup sold at RM Sotheby's, considering how rare they must be in the US and how hard it is to import one I don't think it was expensive.

John
The Open Cups were actually less powerful than the roadgoing Cups; that was what I meant by ‘the wrong engine’.
 

joker222sr

New Member
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The Open Cups were actually less powerful than the roadgoing Cups; that was what I meant by ‘the wrong engine’.
Well I've never heard that before but I bow to your superior knowledge!

Thinking about the US Cup again, when you consider that a manual Ghibli starts at about 20k euros these days I don't think that was an expensive car even taking in to account the cost of recommissioning it

John