Photo: Italdesign Giugiaro
Exactly half a century ago, Maserati presented one of the most irrational concepts on March 9th, 1972 at the Geneva Motor Show. A watershed moment for automotive design, the Boomerang took the wedge-shaped craze to a new level thanks to the one and only Giorgetto Giugiaro.
The Italian designer penned everything from econoboxes like the Daewoo Lanos to ultra-collectible sports cars, grand tourers, and concepts. He also sketched the DeLorean, which is one the most iconic movie cars of all time alongside the Aston Martin DB5, Pontiac Trans Am, and Dodge Charger.
Based on the Bora’s platform and powered by the Bora’s oily bits, the Boomerang started life as a mockup at the 1971 Turin Motor Show. Registered as a road car even though it’s a one-off concept, this fellow is rocking a 4.7-liter V8 with a 90-degree angle between the cylinder banks.
Capable of hitting almost 300 kilometers per hour (186 miles per hour), the Boomerang is a rear-driven affair with 310 horsepower on deck and a five-speed manual transaxle supplied by ZF Friedrichshafen. The mid-engine concept was designed along a horizontal line that divides the car in two. Interspersed with metal strips, the side windows are complemented by a giant windshield and a glass roof. This fighter jet-inspired layout allows plenty of light inside the cockpit, which is a work of art in its own right.
From the spokeless steering wheel to the ginormous tachometer on the upper side of the similarly enormous instrument cluster, there’s a lot to take in. The low seating position gives the Boomerang sporty credentials, but as for the driver, one could argue that lower back pain is on the cards as well.
Sold many times over and featured in a number of commercials, the Boomerang inspired the DeLorean mentioned a few paragraphs before and many other production cars and concepts. In chronological order, those are the first-gen Passat, Golf, Lotus Esprit, Lancia Delta, and third-generation Quattroporte developed under Alejandro de Tomaso’s ownership.
The Boomerang last changed hands in September 2015 for $3.7 million.
Based on the Bora’s platform and powered by the Bora’s oily bits, the Boomerang started life as a mockup at the 1971 Turin Motor Show. Registered as a road car even though it’s a one-off concept, this fellow is rocking a 4.7-liter V8 with a 90-degree angle between the cylinder banks.
Capable of hitting almost 300 kilometers per hour (186 miles per hour), the Boomerang is a rear-driven affair with 310 horsepower on deck and a five-speed manual transaxle supplied by ZF Friedrichshafen. The mid-engine concept was designed along a horizontal line that divides the car in two. Interspersed with metal strips, the side windows are complemented by a giant windshield and a glass roof. This fighter jet-inspired layout allows plenty of light inside the cockpit, which is a work of art in its own right.
From the spokeless steering wheel to the ginormous tachometer on the upper side of the similarly enormous instrument cluster, there’s a lot to take in. The low seating position gives the Boomerang sporty credentials, but as for the driver, one could argue that lower back pain is on the cards as well.
Sold many times over and featured in a number of commercials, the Boomerang inspired the DeLorean mentioned a few paragraphs before and many other production cars and concepts. In chronological order, those are the first-gen Passat, Golf, Lotus Esprit, Lancia Delta, and third-generation Quattroporte developed under Alejandro de Tomaso’s ownership.
The Boomerang last changed hands in September 2015 for $3.7 million.
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