Back to back: Quattroporte 1 or HK1?

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We can see ourselves driving from one European auction to another in a Gran Turismo or big saloon from the golden years of motoring. Take these two. In order to secure one of them, a trans-continental drive would be needed anyway, since both are offered for sale at different venues. The Maserati with Bonhams in Padua this weekend, the Facel the next weekend with Artcurial in their ‘Automobiles sur les Champs’ sale.

To start with the Maserati Quattroporte of the first series: this is a 1967 car, which claims to have had just one Italian owner from new – ‘A member of the legal profession, in the Italian capital, Rome’, or so the seller describes him. And the four-door Maserati must have been in good hands with the man for all those years. He reputedly owned a Ghibli and a Rolls-Royce also. It is described as highly original, with having had only a repaint in its original silver colour a few years ago, while the original blue leather interior is still in its place, 51 years after being clad and now ‘posessing a delightful patina’.

About as rare is the Facel Vega HK500 or HK1 that is for sale a week later with Artcurial. Remarkably, perhaps, it is just one of several Facels offered for sale there, with price estimates ranging from 28,000 to 280,000 euros (!). This one is closest to the Quattroporte’s estimate and therefore the reason why shown here. It’s a 1961 car with disc brakes on all four wheels and the four-speed manual gearbox. Like the Quattroprte, it has been repainted at one stage but also in its original colour (ivory) and keeping with its original leather interior (black). The car hasn’t seen the road for some years so needs tlc, but it does seem to be quite an exceptional car.

Over to you. Which one would be your choice to use for touring the intercontinental auctions held in the near future..?

(Words editor, pictures Artcurial and Bonhams)

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