1989 Maserati 228

This is another of my "I want one of those cars" cars.

The 228 is based on the 430 sedan but, it's 2.4 inches longer, 4" wider and 65lbs heavier than the 4 door car. It's more car with less doors, as a magazine article once said.

The 228 was the successor to the Biturbo. It looks similar to the Biturbo and shares a few parts with it, but it was much more refined and less problematic.

Like the Biturbo, the exterior was handsome, but not outstanding. It's the interior where it stood out. There are very few cars that have an interior with a better combination of sport and luxury than a 228.

The 2.8 liter engine is based on the Biturbo engine. It's a great engine that propels this car to 60 MPH in 6 seconds, but it needs to be maintained. Regular oil change and cooling system flushes are a must. Contrary to popular belief, the engine is durable and, if properly maintained, can go well over 100,000 miles without a problem.

Most of the Biturbo's problems (i.e. fuel delivery, electrical problems) were cured by the time this car was built. Still, like any older Italian car, you can expect a few odd things to go wrong here and there.

According to one site I looked at, only 438 of these cars were built. The seller claims that only 150 of them were built. (He may be talking about the number of US spec 228s built.) Either way, this is a pretty rare car.

This was arguably the best of the Detomaso era Maseratis. (A nod could go to the Shamal too, but we never got that car in the US.) The car on eBay appears to be in very nice shape and very well taken care of.

If I only had a bigger driveway or more storage space...

Located in Tacoma, WA, click here to see the eBay listing.