Rare Maserati to be crushed as part of Cash for Clunkers program
Maserati cash for clunker
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from 9news.com In Colorado a man traded in a rare 1985 Maserati, with only 18,000 miles on it, as part of the "Cash for Clunkers" program. But like all "Cash for Clunker" trade-ins, the car will soon be crushed. The man said the engine frequently has problems and he's been trying to sell it for months. By trading it in, he got $3,500 for it, roughly the same as he was trying to sell it for.
"Probably half our deals right now are Cash for Clunkers," Billy Mills, general sales manager for Go Subaru, said.
Most of the clunkers Go Subaru has taken in through the program are predictable. Many are large SUVs and pickup trucks. Some are in pretty bad shape.
"Ninety-nine percent of them are clunkers," Wes Guthrie, a salesperson at Go Subaru, said. "I took somebody's car in the other day that their door wouldn't shut anymore, and they were using a bungee to shut the door."
Then there was the "clunker" a man drove onto the lot that surprised everyone.
"I was like, 'Wow, that's a cool car,'" Guthrie said of the 1985 Maserati BiTurbo.
The Italian sports car is in near-mint condition with its odometer reading a mere 18,480 miles.
"It is kind of one of those cars where you go, 'Wow. Can't believe that one is a clunker,'" Guthrie said.
But it is. It qualified for the program and the owner received $3,500 for it that he used toward a new Subaru Impreza.
The interior of the Maserati is pristine, with all leather, suede and wood trim. The issues with the car were under the hood.
"He said that he could drive it down the road for about 10 minutes, and then he had to call his mechanic," Guthrie said of the owner's experience.
The Maserati owner had been trying for many months to sell the car without success. His asking price for the car was roughly the same as the $3,500 he got from Cash for Clunkers.
"So he got what he was asking for it," Mills said. "He just got it from the government instead of a customer."
While the Maserati stands out in the lot full of clunkers, it will suffer the same fate. The car will have its engine destroyed and the car will be crushed.
"Its one of those cars where you go, 'Wow, I wish it didn't have to be crushed, but unfortunately it does,'" Guthrie said.
Comments:
Monday, September 14, 2009 8:10:51 PM by Anonymous
Well, this owner didn't understand what is involved in any exotic sports car. There are groups of owners where the issues can identified and worked out. Such cars are more intended for mechanically inclined owners. I worked the issues out of mine and got over 300,000 miles on the original engine until it was hit in an accident. Yes, they presented challenges when originally made with some advanced concepts for 1984 USA mechanics weren't ready or trained for it. Not unusual for exotics, the market mistook the car for a daily driver vehicle. This crushed car would have made a great project for someone in the Biturbo community to bring it "up to snuff", but alas the owner apparently didn't know about that.
Saturday, September 05, 2009 1:43:55 PM by Spider
The former owner of the Maserati is a dumbass? Why??
Tuesday, September 01, 2009 7:57:42 PM by Anonymous
Most of the problems with this car could be solved by turning it into a pure electric or a hybrid.
It is the ideal size for either ! Total conversion.......less than $5,000.00
This car deserves better.
Monday, August 17, 2009 5:09:16 PM by Anonymous
I remember when these cars were new. They were terrible right from the showroom. $3500 is all the car is worth and I'm sure you can still find them on autotrader. The metal on the car was so thin you could probably take a can opener to cut open the hood.
Sunday, August 16, 2009 12:19:24 AM by Anonymous
Idiots, you don't have a clue about real cars. Stick to your Camrys you morons. You wouldn't be able to tell a classic car if it fell over your empty heads. While the early Biturbo certainly had serious issues, the pristine condition of the bodyshell and interior of this one would have made it an ideal project car for a late-model fuel injected engine transplant. I had three of those, the last one being a '95 European model with 330 HP out of a little 2-liter V6. Never had a breakdown. The cars ran beautifully and the 330 HP model could out-accelerate most supercars in its day. I agree the engine should have been scrapped, but the car should have been saved. There aren't many low-mileage donor Biturbo chassis around anymore.
Friday, August 14, 2009 7:18:19 PM by Anonymous
Well, whoever contacted whichever press to come out to write the article is ignorant.
The car just sucks. http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1658545_1658533_1658531,00.html Time says it was the worse car of 1984.
Friday, August 14, 2009 5:45:00 PM by Anonymous
I know the owner of this Maserati. He is a kind and generous as well as very intelligent man. He tried diligently to sell the car but got no takers. It has been collecting dust in his garage. He had an opportunity to trade it in on something safe for his college age daughter to drive and an opportunity to help the economy. I am furious at this dealership for publicizing this story.
Friday, August 14, 2009 5:33:52 PM by Anonymous
People forget that brand names all have their winners and losers, and just because the car has a Maserati badge doesn't make this particular car rare classic, or valuable.
It is always interesting how people that don't have any facts jump to conclusions about the intelligence of others based on a news story that didn't include the comments of the owner.
At the core of the story, someone traded in a car that was probably near and dear to their heart, but was able to set aside those emotions in order to participate in a program that directly supports the lives of others that build, service, and sell cars, and will provide a cleaner greener planet for us all to enjoy.
My personal congratulations to the owner for his participation!
Friday, August 14, 2009 1:22:25 PM by Anonymous
$500 for the wheels... holy smokes, we have to find another $2,500 worth of parts.
Friday, August 14, 2009 1:17:59 PM by Anonymous
I'd buy the seats for $500
Friday, August 14, 2009 1:17:41 PM by Anonymous
Not sure why this is a news story? The car is not even worth $3,500 unless you sell it for parts. Rare?... technically certain models of Yugo are "rare"... and just about the same quality.
Friday, August 14, 2009 1:15:44 PM by Anonymous
The former owner is only a dumbass for buying the car in the first place... what a heap.
Friday, August 14, 2009 12:37:05 PM by Anonymous
Yup, the famed Italian car quality in action. I was aghast when I saw a perfectly fine volvo get scrapped on youtube, but this car is is a genuine clunker that belongs in the junkyard!
Friday, August 14, 2009 12:33:45 PM by Anonymous
these early italian cars where clunkers when new. the engines and electricals were notoriuos, and mechanics made their living fixing new cars. junk it
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