2003 Maserati 4200 Spyder Cambiocorsa

Finished in Grigio Touring (silver) with a Bordeaux leather interior, R1 MHJ also sports a black mohair hood. Factor in the Ferrari V8 engine and you might just have the recipe for the perfect sportscar.

Skyhook suspension helps it grip like the proverbial, while a very good service history and under 60,000 miles on the clock means it should keep going this well for a long time yet.

The vendor is a modern classic enthusiast and says he’s only selling it because he’s been lucky enough to be able to tick this off his list. So, if a Maserati 4200 Spyder is a Bucket List car for you too, read on…

You can see why silver convertibles with red interiors are so popular, can’t you? It’s a striking combination that we think gives the car a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde character; subdued and understated with the black roof up and yet wild and carefree with it down.

It’s all in great shape, too. The Italians might have gained a reputation for a happy-go-lucky attitude to build quality in times gone past, but this one has been nailed together very well.

Admire the neat panel alignment for example, and the unswerving shutlines and shiny Grigio Touring paintwork and it’s hard to come to any other conclusion than this is a car that’s been very well looked after throughout its life.

The black mohair hood is in a good condition, sealing tightly, but it should be noted that the roof begins to operate and opens most of the way, but we cannot get it to open fully – an issue that will require further investigation by the buyer. A small repair has been made to the mohair itself, but it’s been pretty neatly done and doesn’t stand out too much. The rubbing point you can see in the gallery is a bit more obvious, but we are told neither of them leak.

Three of the 18-inch alloy wheels are free of kerbing and other damage. The exception is only lightly scuffed, although there is a small area of peeling lacquer and slight bubbling on one other. All of this can be seen in the gallery below.

The Continental ContiSportContact tyres, which are a matching set, were fitted new in September 2022.

We will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but it does perhaps give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

Flaws? Well, apart from the usual stonechips and minor marks ever car collects over the years, the front numberplate is wonky. That’s not a bad To Do list, is it?

The heated front seats work in conjunction with the powerful heater to extend the Maserati’s top-down seasons to include winter. They’re supportive too, which is handy given the Maserati’s predilection for high-G cornering.

The red leather extends to the centre console, door cards, and dashboard and it, like that on the seats, is good with surprisingly little in the way of a patina.

The carpets are also in a good condition and the car comes with two sets of overmats; the originals and a newer, brighter set.

The GPS works as it should. The vendor points out that it’s still surprisingly effective - and is much better than that of his Porsche 911 or Aston Martin V8 Vantage - even if a smattering of Italian is sometimes needed.

The boot, which contains the space saver spare wheel, tool kit, tyre repair fluid, and tyre inflator, is very clean and well presented. It’s a very good size too, which helps further strengthen the Maserati’s grand touring credentials.

Faults? Well, like almost every one you’ll see, the sticky/melted button problem is alive and well. Google is full of advice – and some of it is good. If you’re an enthusiast then you’re probably aware of the solution but if not, the Maserati crowd are friendlier than most and full of helpful suggestions.

The other problems are minor. The outer edge of the driver’s seat shows some loss of colour and the area around the ignition key is heavily scratched.

As you can see from the video, it starts well and idles properly. But a car like this is all about the engine at full chat, and this one roars. It’s a fantastic machine and one whose pedigree is clear.

The vendor told us that while the automatic gearbox works as it should, he tends to use the flappy paddles to get the best out of it, at which point it is “eye-wateringly fast!”

The 4.2-litre Ferrari engine is finished in crackle red and black, which is a classic finish and looks stunning. There are some very small areas where this finish has started to lift but overall it still looks gorgeous – and thank God there are no plastic engine covers hiding its beauty.

The underside has been treated only recently and so is in good shape. The exhaust looks good too, and the aluminium heat shielding panels are still present and firmly attached.

The only fault we are aware of is that the warning light for the washer fluid reservoir is illuminated. We are told that topping the bottle up puts it out but there must be a small crack somewhere about halfway up because the light soon comes on, even though there’s still plenty of water there to wash the windscreen.

Very well serviced over the years, the 4200 Spyder also benefits a replacement clutch in 2016 and a new gearbox in 2009.

Mole Valley undertook a health check in August 2022 and rated the car as ‘green’ in all areas except the tyres, which the seller had them replace with a complete set of new rubber.

The vendor is a meticulous man and none of the four cars we’re selling for him have had any advisories on their most recent MoTs: “I always deal with small problems to stop them becoming big problems” he told us. Amen to that.

The rest of the Maserati’s service history can be summarised as follows:

• 09.09.2021 and 58,038 miles – service and underbody corrosion treatment by Sports Italia Ltd
• 17.01.2020 and 57,900 miles – new brake pipes by Sax Vehicle Services Ltd
• 16.10.2018 and 57,857 miles – service and miscellaneous fettling by Sax Vehicle Services Ltd
• 03.11.2016 and 56,914 miles – service and replacement suspension arms, clutch, anti-roll bar bushes, soil pipe, fuel pipe, gearbox oil seal and oil, and handbrake shoes by Ftech Engineering at a cost of £4,578
• 16.04.2105 and 54,830 miles – fault-finding and new spark plugs and inlet manifold gaskets by Autofficina 03.10.2014 and 54,193 miles – service by Autofficina
• 13.06.2013 and 52,830 miles – comprehensive service plus recharging the air-conditioning and four new tyres by G. Cavallari, Monaco Motors
• 23.04.2010 and 40,282 miles – service by Maranello Egham
• 20.07.2009 and 34,551 miles – complete new gearbox fitted by Maranello Egham at a cost of £5,865
• 06.04.2009 and 33,782 miles – service by Maranello Egham
• 19.03.2007 and 31,107 miles – service by Maranello Egham
• 30.01.2006 and 27,073 miles – service by Maranello Egham
• 14.01.2005 and 22,370 miles – service by Maranello Egham
• 10.03.2004 and 6,493 miles – service by Maranello Egham

There are also some invoices from 2013 when the car seems to have spent time in Monaco, as well as some from Maranello Egham for miscellaneous bits and bobs.

The car also comes with the book pack and two keys plus a host of expired MoT certificates. These, when taken in conjunction with the car’s service history, suggest the mileage shown is accurate.

The Maserati’s MoT certificate is valid until September 2023. That this was gained, like so many before, with no advisories doesn’t need saying, does it?

The recent Vehicle History Check is clean.

Look, we know that buying a Maserati 4200 Spyder is going to be a bit of a gamble but you, like us, probably have this very conversation at least once a month and if you’re going to bite the bullet then this would be a good one to buy: The vendor tells us that he’s “thoroughly enjoyed” his time with it.

With a comprehensive service and maintenance record, it’s been well looked after – and it shows. The bodywork is lovely, it’s got four recent matching tyres and it drives beautifully.

Yes, the roof issue should be addressed and there are a few cosmetic bits and bobs that would repay your attention, but they can be undertaken at your leisure in the knowledge that you’re adding value with every job you tick off the list.

And it’s not like you’ll be risking the house, either. At a time when a contemporary Ferrari is fetching silly money, you could find yourself the owner of this one for only £15,000 - £20,000, which is staggeringly good value.

Plus, it’s being offered with no reserve so will sell from the very first bid, no matter how derisory that might be.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays 9am-5pm, to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.