Why do manufacturers build concept cars?
They can showcase future plans and tease the public with the manufacturer’s direction.
They also provide a platform for manufacturers to get critical feedback allowing them to shape their marque to the niche market.
The Maserati Boomerang is a fine example of a concept.
The Boomerang, designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, was named the Car Designer of the Century.
The first Boomerang concept was unveiled at the 1971 Turin Motor Show and made out of Epowood, a two-component epoxy coating; the car was non-functional.
By the 1972 Turin Motor Show, Maserati displayed a fully functioning Boomerang based on a Maserati Bora chassis.
The reaction was sensational, and even today; the Boomerang has the power to shock.
The design is entirely angular, with no curvaceous form normally expected of Maserati.
It is clear that the Lotus Espirit and the VW Golf Mark I came from the same Master of Design.
The design is considered by many to be one of the most astounding of the 20th century.
As to performance, it has a centrally mounted, 90-degree, race-bred 4.7-litre V8 engine behind the cockpit, producing 310 hp to the rear wheels through a five-speed manual gearbox.
Maserati has made no claims about the performance numbers, but it said the Boomerang could reach 186 mph.
The last recorded sale was through Bonhams when the ‘Boomerang returned’ £2.83 million.
