Influential 1971 Maserati Boomerang concept to cross the block
Maserati Boomerang concept. Photo courtesy Adolfo Orsi Archive, via Bonhams.
The Maserati Boomerang was not the first sports car concept penned by Giorgetto Giugiaro’s Italdesign, but it may well have been the most audacious and, perhaps, the most influential. Its French-curve-be-damned, laser-straight lines would later appear on Italdesign creations ranging from the Volkswagen Golf to the Lotus Esprit and the DeLorean DMC-12. The futuristic coupe remained relevant enough to star in a 2014 Louis Vuitton ad campaign, and in September, the concept described by Italdesign as “more a sculpture than a car” will cross the auction stage at the Chantilly Arts & Elegance Richard Mille in Chantilly, France.
Photo courtesy Italdesign.
The Boomerang debuted as an Epowood model at the 1971 Turin Auto Show, but just five months later had been transformed into a functional, driving automobile built upon the chassis of a Maserati Bora. Like the Bora, it carried its 4.7-liter, 310-horsepower V-8 amidships, sending power to the rear wheels through a five-speed manual gearbox. Maserati claimed a 300 km/h (186 MPH) top speed, though the Boomerang was said to be just a tick slower than the Bora on which it was based.
Photo courtesy Italdesign.
The Boomerang’s exterior lines were certainly futuristic (at least by the standards of the early 1970s), but the car’s interior took this theme one step farther. Instead of a conventional steering wheel and instrument panel, the Boomerang used a setup that combined both into a single assembly, with the instruments and controls presented in the center of the deeply dished steering wheel. The wheel’s spokes ran inside the instrument surround, largely hidden from sight, and in the interest of occupant safety, the Boomerang used a collapsible chain in its steering column.
Photo courtesy Italdesign.
The Boomerang sported a windshield rake of just 13-degrees, and Giugiaro reportedly received pushback for auto glass manufacturers, who claimed such a steep rake would surely lead to visibility problems for driver and passenger. The Boomerang proved them wrong, and Giugiaro later incorporated a similar windshield rake into the lines of the Lotus Esprit.
Photo courtesy Italdesign.
The Boomerang’s radical styling played well on the show circuit, and Maserati kept the car in circulation into 1974. Following that year’s Barcelona Motor Show, the fully functional (and TÜV certified) concept was placed into storage locally, and eventually sold to a cabaret owner who retained possession until 1980. The car’s second owner funded a complete restoration, competed in 1990, and the Boomerang made its public reappearance at the Bagatelle Concours in Paris, France. In the years since, it’s twice graced the greens at Pebble Beach, participated in the Maserati 100 (the Centenary Gathering of Maserati), appeared at Concorso Italiano and Villa d’Este, and been displayed at significant concours events throughout Europe.
Photo courtesy Italdesign.
Given the car’s ongoing appeal and place in automotive design history, Bonhams is predicting a selling price between €3-4 million ($3.37-4.49 million) when it traverses the stage in France on September 5 as part of the company’s Chantilly sale. For additional details, visit Bonhams.com.