Presented by RM Sotheby’s – Destined to remain in its native Italy when new, the Ghibli 4.7 Spyder presented here was shipped to Rome following its completion at Maserati’s facilities in Modena in February of 1970. Finished in Giallo over a black leather interior, it is one of only 83 production 4.7-liter Ghibli Spyders—and one of a mere 25 examples built to left-hand drive specifications, fitted with a manual gearbox, and delivered new to Europe.
Originally delivered to an airline pilot based in Rome, this Ghibli Spyder was sold to an American around 1975 and was subsequently shipped to his home in Texas, where the car remained for the following 10 years. The car was then exported to Ontario, Canada, where it was enjoyed for several years prior to being restored to its present black-on-black color scheme. The restoration itself cost more than $85,000 and took more than two years to complete. At this time, the standard Ghibli wheels were replaced with a set of original Borrani wire wheels. These wheels were sourced through Carlo Borrani himself, who agreed to sell the then-owner four of the last 12 handmade wheels at a cost of approximately $12,000.
Later returned to its native Italy, the Ghibli Spyder was bought there in 2017 by Mr. Guikas through RM Sotheby’s. It has travelled minimal milage since the completion of its restoration, and the approximately 50,000 km on its odometer at the time of cataloguing are believed to be original. Among the finest open-top Maserati models ever produced, these cars are rarer than a Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Spider and arguably more attractive. It goes without saying that they have always been desirable, and attractive examples such as this could form the cornerstone of any significant Maserati collection.
RM Sotheby’s will present this vehicle as part of a single-owner collection comprised of 75 of the finest racing and road cars in the world, offered entirely without reserve. The Guikas Collection, to be sold at Paul Ricard Circuit in France in November 2021, presents pedigrees spanning from the endurance racing of the 24 Hours of the Le Mans to the world stage of Formula One and nearly everything in between. The collection of race cars will provide modern racing enthusiasts an introduction into virtually all vintage racing series worldwide, including GT and road cars that are equally impressive which offer a wide selection of Pre- and Post-War sports cars.