We’ve all come across auction listings for classic cars with rich racing pedigrees, but what about one that was used as an emergency vehicle?
A 1967 Maserati Quattroporte that was modified for use as a fire truck—yes, you read that right—is currently up for auction on Artcurial. The rare vehicle is far from the most refined custom job out there, but it is also undeniably cool.
The Quattroporte has been a fixture of the Maserati line-up since 1963. The four-door wasn’t an immediate hit, but it had a stylish design and a potent V-8 that helped it stand out from the start. The latter feature is likely why the vehicle was chosen for use as a fire truck at the 1967 Italian Grand Prix by fire extinguisher company CEA Estintori.
Image courtesy of Artcurial
Since it’s a sedan and not a pickup, there was plenty of work that needed to be done to the car before race day. Bologna-based coachbuilder Grazia was tasked with turning the Quattroporte into a truck, which it did not by radically altering its structure but by converting the back half of its passenger cabin and trunk into a bed that could accommodate a pump, water reserve, and fire extinguishers. In total, five examples of the modified sedan were completed for the event.
The vehicle up for auction, along with the rest of its peers, served out its duties at various Italian race circuits through the end of the 1970s, according to the sales listing. The car sports a gorgeous white and red livery that identifies it as an emergency vehicle and features the CEA logo along the side. The interior, meanwhile, is done up in black leather and features air-conditioning.
The listing is light on powertrain details—other than that it’s connected to a manual gearbox—but it likely features a 4.1-litre V-8 that generated 260 hp and could push the vehicle to a top speed of 140 mph. It has passed through the hands of several collectors since it was retired. The current owner acquired the pickup-sedan in 2011 and had it restored to period-correct condition, a process that took six years.
The Quattroporte fire truck will go up for bid on Friday, 2 February, in Paris. Artcurial appears to have high hopes for the vehicle, and estimates it will sell for between €150,000 and €250,000 (HK$1.2 million to HK$2.1 million).
