man turns in rare Maserati BiTurbo in cash for clunkers

danger boy

A Subaru dealership in Golden, Colorado has been doing brisk business with the Cash for Clunkers program, taking nearly 50 clunkers as trade-ins since they began participating. But the one that surprised them the most is when a man drove a 1985 Maserati BiTurbo onto their lot and turned it in as a clunker.

Go Subaru in Golden Colorado has seen some clunkers come in that are in relatively great condition, including big SUVs, older luxury cars, etc. but most are obvious clunkers. A salesperson on the lot says he’s even had cars brought in that barely ran well enough to get into the parking lot. One car even had it’s door held shut with rope because it wouldn’t close any more.

Then there was this one car that drove up - the kind of car that turns heads and gets the adrenyline flowing - a Maserati BiTurbo. Everyone on the lot was like “Wow, what a cool car!” But the owner was having problems with it. Even though the car was in mint condition inside and out and had a little over 18,000 miles on the odometer, he says he could only drive it short distances before it was breaking down. Apparently, it went more miles on the back of a tow-truck than it did under it’s own power.

The owner had spent many months trying to sell it but given it’s service records, nobody wanted it, so he brought it in as a clunker and got rid of it for $3,500.

The cash for clunkers program hopes to eliminate up to 800,000 old gas guzzling vehicles from America’s roadways. The cars are traded in on newer, more fuel efficient vehicles and the old ones have the engines destroyed and the remains crushed for recycling.

While the Maserati stands out in the lot full of clunkers, it will suffer the same fate. The car will have its engine destroyed and the car will be crushed.

"Its one of those cars where you go, 'Wow, I wish it didn't have to be crushed, but unfortunately it does,'" Guthrie said.

Knucklehead

Amazing! I also heard of a story locally that someone turned in a 78' Corvette on a new Ford Fusion for his wife, it really is a shame that cars like these would be destroyed.

heiney9

That Maserati while rare, is not very desireable. They are pieces of junk actually. A great idea........very poor execution. He DID get the better end of the deal.

H9

Matt34

heiney9 wrote: »

That Maserati while rare, is not very desireable. They are pieces of junk actually. A great idea........very poor execution. He DID get the better end of the deal.

H9

X2

They are the worst car they ever made and aren't worth jack today.

shack

Knucklehead wrote:

Amazing! I also heard of a story locally that someone turned in a 78' Corvette on a new Ford Fusion for his wife, it really is a shame that cars like these would be destroyed.

Then that would be myth. The Cash For Clunkers limits the age of the vehicle to 25 years or newer. That means the oldest vehicles eligible for the program would be mfgd in 1984.

shack

On another note. If it is truly a rare vehicle, a savvy dealer would simply give the customer the clunker trade-in value then sell the vehicle for true market value or keep it themselves rather than destroy it. While they may not be thought of too highly or believed to be the most ethical...most dealerships owners are pretty astute business people.

Airplay355

Certainly doesn't look like anything nice and if the break down record is true than who cares? Recycle that ugly mo fo.

concealer404

I would have easily paid $3500 for that car. Cash. "Junk" or not, they're still insanely cool.

nadams

This story has been circling the web causing all sorts of "outrage". I love how nobody said a peep when Jeremy Clarkson dropped a container on one to demonstrate how crappy it really was. I wish I could find the actual video clip on youtube, but I forget what episode it was in.

nadams

Here you go - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NB2B8F7_6hU

obieone

It really doesn't matter. Seeing as how the dealers are NOT getting paid!:mad:

Some of these poor bastahds are on the hook for a MILLION dollars, and NOW their claims are being denied.:mad::mad::mad:

http://www.jsonline.com/business/53229787.html

concealer404

DO WANT.

audiobliss

nadams wrote: »

Here you go - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NB2B8F7_6hU

That's awesome! It's amazing back there in 1950 they were pumping 270 horses out of 2.5 liters, rocketing to 60 in 4.5 seconds, screaming along at 150+. That's insane! And sounds awesome, too!

TECHNOKID

shack wrote: »

Then that would be myth. The Cash For Clunkers limits the age of the vehicle to 25 years or newer. That means the oldest vehicles eligible for the program would be mfgd in 1984.

shack wrote: »

On another note. If it is truly a rare vehicle, a savvy dealer would simply give the customer the clunker trade-in value then sell the vehicle for true market value or keep it themselves rather than destroy it. While they may not be thought of too highly or believed to be the most ethical...most dealerships owners are pretty astute business people.

I agree, if the car is worht to the dealer, why should he go through the government incentive. Pays for it himself and cash the reward of resale.

Knucklehead

Doesnt a Maserati do 185?

concealer404

Knucklehead wrote: »

Doesnt a Maserati do 185?

I'm sure one of them does.....

zingo

Knucklehead wrote: »

Doesnt a Maserati do 185?

This one does. It's the MC12 and tops out at 242 mph.

Face

Bah, only because it's a rebadge.

concealer404

zingo wrote: »

This one does. It's the MC12 and tops out at 242 mph.

205mph, actually... but either way, ridiculous.

Knucklehead

apparently that's what Joe Walsh was driving.:p

sucks2beme

Some dealers are doing the "waiver". If uncle sugar doesn't pay them,
the car buyer is on the hook for the $4500.

Gee, I feel so good they want nationalized medicine.

Barefoot

The bi-turbos may be pieces of junk but they still have a coolness factor. Kinda like the Deloreans.

shack

Knucklehead wrote:

apparently that's what Joe Walsh was driving.:p

Actually, while Joe may have been driving a Maserati....no way he was going 185...least not in a street model. This misconception of course could be explained by Joe's propensity to dabble in mind expanding recreational drugs widely available at the time. When the song was written in 1977/78 there was not a street legal Maserati available that would go that fast. The closest would have been the 1971/1973 Ghibli SS with a top speed of around 170.

Knucklehead

LOL...well put!

audiobliss

concealer404 wrote: »

205mph, actually... but either way, ridiculous.

That's actually an Edo tuned MC12 Corsa. I bet it'd do every bit of 240.

gdb

Barefoot wrote: »

The bi-turbos may be pieces of junk but they still have a coolness factor. Kinda like the Deloreans.

Yeah !! And with a small block V8, Chevy motor swapped in, it would become a reliable car also !!;)

danger boy

nadams wrote: »

Here you go - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NB2B8F7_6hU

Maserati MC 12

totally insane.. V12 with 630 horse power OMG!

66chevyIISS

danger boy wrote: »

The owner had spent many months trying to sell it but given it’s service records, nobody wanted it

There you have it. He tried to get rid of it before sending it to the crusher sometimes you gotta cut your loses. Where were all these people wanting to buy it before?