Boomerang, Bora and Giorgetto Giugiaro

In 1971, Maserati revealed two mid engine cars. The Bora, Maserati's first mid engine road car and the Boomerang Concept. Both these cars showed the way forward in design, showcasing the new wedged shaped trend. The designs of the Bora and Boomerang were by Giorgetto Giugiaro. Giugiaro, who had earlier designed the Ghibli, when he worked at Ghia. Innovative and striking the designs of Giugiaro were to become iconic in Maserati history.

It all started with the Bora... Bora was to be the first, the starting point, the root of it all! Maserati's first ever mid engine car for the road. The task of designing the car was giving to a rather new design company. A company called Italdesign. Founded only a few years earlier in 1968 by Giorgetto Giugiaro and Aldo Mantovani, Italdesign, already had designed a few mid engine cars. For example, in 1969 Italdesign designed the Alfa Romeo Iguana and a year early the Bizzarrini Manta. Prior, to this when working at Ghia, Giugiaro had designed the De Tomaso Mangusta. The Maserati Bora's design was a step forward. Design of the car was truly distinctive from the cars stainless steel roof, to its wheels by Campagnolo with stainless steel hubcaps. Besides, being a stunning design, the Bora was also an automobile with many new technological advancements. Citroen at the time owning Maserati, used many of its hydraulic technology on the Bora. For example, the hydraulics controlled the retractable headlights and hydraulically powered pedal box. Way before modern super cars of today, Bora already had a movable pedal box. This was because the Bora had a fixed seat that only raised and lowered. Only, decades later we see movable pedal boxes in cars again, like the LaFerrari hypercar. The Bora is a triumph of Maserati's forward thinking technology and Giugiaro's design. That very same year Maserati revealed yet another car. It was a concept car a car called Boomerang.

Maserati Boomerang | Automobile Procurement

One, of the most radical and stunning Maserati concept cars ever, the Boomerang was to show the future of design and technology. First, shown 50 years ago in 1971 as a non functioning concept. Later, in 1972 becoming a full functioning car, using the components of the Bora. The Boomerang was a masterpiece of design by Giugiaro and a true automotive sculpture. Sharp angled wedge design of the Boomerang is the first thing that catches the eye, when you see the car's exterior. As you look closer you can really start to see the details of the stunning concept car. From the thin taillights that look modern even today, to the glass doors and futuristic wheels. Then, there is the interior which has one of the car's most radical features. In the interior instead of finding a dashboard, the gauges were placed in the center of the steering wheel. The gauges would remain stationary and the wheel would rotate around the gauges. This was a totally innovative idea. Not only making the interior more spacious with its lack of a normal dashboard, but also more driver focused keeping the gauges at just an eyes glance. Exterior to interior, the Maserati Boomerang is spectacular. An excellent example of the imaginative and ingenious designs of Giorgetto Giugiaro.

Over the years, Giorgetto Giugiaro has made astonishing designs for Maserati. Starting all the way back, when he designed the Bertone bodied Maserati 5000 GT. To the legendary Ghibli and the more recent 3200 GT. Designing the first mid engine Maserati road car Giugiaro, not only showed the way forward for Maserati but also for his own company Italdesign. He went on to design other great cars though out the decades. Cars like the legendary BMW M1 to the all stainless steel bodied DeLorean DMC-12. From his most well known Maserati design Ghibli to the radically futuristic Boomerang concept. Giorgetto Giugiaro has become one of the most important automotive designers in Maserati's history.

Boomerang, Bora & Giorgetto Giugiaro