The Maserati Merak (Tipo 122) was an Italian sports car introduced in 1972, essentially a junior version of the Maserati Bora. It substituted an all new Maserati designed quad-cam V-6 motor (also shared with the Citroen SM) for the Bora’s larger V-8, resulting not only in a lower cost, but room for a small backseat and better handling due to lower weight and a better front/rear weight distribution.
Aesthetically, the Merak differed from the otherwise very similar Bora mainly in sporting open flying buttresses instead of the Bora’s fully glassed rear, and the use of the Citroen SM dashboard on models produced before 1976. The Merak went out of production in 1983, with 1830 cars made in total.
