Maserati was between owners and cash was tight, making the Boomerang just another icon in Giugiaro’s greatest hits catalog.Įven today, however, the Boomerang is emblematic of the era. The Boomerang did not see the light of day at the end of a Maserati factory, but mostly due to economic issues around the world in the early 1970s. The gauges are all so accessible, you just want to reach out and tap them to see if they are the real deal. The steering wheel with its rim-mounted setup is quite breathtaking even today. Production-ready elements are seen in the relatively practical doors, enclosed popup headlights and even the cabin. In fact, the Countach has a very blunt nose and shape by comparison. It debuted in 1972 just a few months after the Bertone-styled Lamborghini Countach, and aimed to make Lambo’s vision seem quaint. By 1972, Maserati dipped into its parts bin, and the Boomerang was showcased at the 1972 Geneva auto show as a running, driving, street-legal car sporting a 310-hp 4.7-liter V-8 out of the. The sophisticated computer modelling of today was just a twinkle in the DoD and NASA’s eye at the time, so the intuition of a designer often led the day.īut unlike the 512 S Modulo and others, the Boomerang concept was designed to go into production - tomorrow. Wind tunnels in this era were largely the last step of a design – mostly to flag any huge turbulence issues. Lancia Stratos HF Zero at Atlanta Dream Cars exhibit Ferrari 512 S Modulo at Atlanta Dream Cars exhibit In wind tunnels of the day, the goal was to have as little front surface area as possible. The design was the ultimate expression of mid-engine hypercar engineering of the time. What was not seen again was the highly unusual steering wheel / dashboard.This design mantra took over the minds of the world’s top stylists collectively around 1970 – as the Ferrari 512 S Module and the Lancia Stratos HF Zero concepts swept everyone to accept the shape. Many of the details of the one-off Maserati have made it onto subsequent production cars, most notably the wedge-shaped Lotus Esprit. Like so many show cars of the day, the Boomerang was sold to a private customer in 1974.
1972 maserati boomerang full#
So thorough was Italdesign's conversion to road specification that when later examined by the notoriously strict German TÜV all that was needed for a full compliance was the installation of yellow indicator bulbs.įollowing the fully functional Boomerang's debut at the 1972 Geneva Motor Show, the wedge-shaped machine was displayed at the Paris, London and Barcelona motor shows. In fact, when later tested, the Boomerang actually proved slightly slower than the Bora on which it was based. Although reports at the time suggested a competition engine was fitted, it is more likely that a street-specification V8 was fitted. Serving as underpinnings for the Boomerang was a Bora platform, including its throaty V8. The rest of the interior was lavishly appointed with leather used for both the seats and the door-cards. The whole column also served as a safety feature as it was connected to chain to prevent it protruding into the car in case of an accident. In the original design, the emphasis was on a single large rev-counter but for the sake of practicality other, essential dials were added and a smaller rev-counter fitted. Mounted on a circular extension of the dashboard, the steering wheel housed all the major dials. On the inside, the Boomerang was perhaps even more spectacular with all the attention focused on the steering wheel. The sides of the Boomerang were two flat surfaces, cut in half by the sharp belt-line. The windshield had a 13° rake, which was a further 2° less than the Bizzarrini Manta's windshield. A single, straight line ran from the tip of the nose all the way to the top of the roof. What was left unaltered was the dramatic wedge-shape design. By the spring of 1972, the car was fully functional and re-painted silver ahead of its appearance at the Geneva Motor Show. In addition to the striking exterior, the Maserati Bora-based Boomerang boasted an equally futuristic interior.įinished in a striking bright orange, the Boomerang was still a non-runner when shown in Turin. It carried on where the Alfa Romeo Caimano and Porsche Tapiro that came before had left off. Launched at the Turin Motor Show late in 1971, the Maserati Boomerang was the third in a line of wedge-shaped show cars created by designer Giorgietto Giugiaro for his company Italdesign.
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