Maserati Biturbo Spyder

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Launched in 1981, the Maserati Biturbo was the first series production road car to use a twin turbocharged engine. Initially available with a 2-litre V6 unit featuring three valves per cylinder and quadruple camshafts, the range soon expanded to include 2.5 and 2.8-litre engines.

Performance from all units was suitably impressive, with a seamless wall of torque that pushed the larger engined cars to highly illegal speeds with almost alarming rapidity. Keeping the whole thing on the road was a straightforward suspension configuration of MacPherson struts and independent trailing arms, with one of the earliest uses of the 'TORSEN' (torque sensing) limited slip differential.

On the outside at least, the styling was pleasingly understated with a stubby silhouette and purposeful stance that oozed discreet aggression, especially from the rear with its menacing quad exhausts. Inside was rather more flamboyant with acres of hand-stitched leather, walnut and suede inlays and the famous oval gold clock.

In 1984 a convertible Spyder version was launched, shorter and lighter than the coupe and styled with customary verve by Zagato of Milan. Not available in RHD form until 1987, it was an expensive car at £28,795 (£9,000 more than a BMW 325i Cabriolet) and was always a rare sight on Britain's roads.

This 1989 Spyder 2.8 was bought by Andrew Bremner in 2016 from the lady who had driven it from new, when it was her company car (although the V5C records six former keepers, we are assured that they are all effectively the same person). It’s an original UK import Biturbo (one of only 150 UK cars) with right-hand drive and ZF five-speed gearbox.

It comes with an excellent service history from new from Bill McGrath Ltd, the country’s leading Maserati specialists. There are bills on file in excess of £45,000 showing that the car has always been kept in the best of condition. It was last serviced in May 2017 by McGrath at a cost of £950 and has only covered around 2,000 miles since then.

Still with only 42,400 miles under its wheels, it has an MOT to May 2019 with no advisories recorded and is ready for its new owner to drive away into the sunset – top down of course.