08/27/2026
The Maserati Quattroporte (M139) was generally received as an over complicated yet gorgeous beast. At the time it was released in 2003, the global economy, while slowing, was still rather strong and it was an era where new money was taking over for the traditional “Silver Spur Mulholland Drive” old money crowd. Young celebrities, comedians, reality television and the rap culture crossover into suburban youth was in full swing. Old traditions of the past seventy years were being broken rapidly. Rolls Royce was now BMW. Bentley was now Audi Volkswagen. Mercedes Benz and BMW had already began their plummet from grace with the atrociously unreliable W220 and E65. Jaguar was recovering from a few years of terribly unreliable ford V8s. Audi’s V8 reputation followed so closely behind the rear bumper that you may have gotten rear ended at an abrupt stop and the Lexus LS, while still very good just wasn’t AS good as it once was. Enter the Quattroporte. Completely different than any Maserati of the past 40 years. Gone were the obscure, blocky, obese shapes. Gone were the underpowered turbo four and six cylinder engines. Most surprisingly, (Aside from a troublesome duo select automanual with a thirty thousand mile clutch life) gone were the leaks and poor reliability problems that plagued the company for decades. (The duo select or Cambiocorsia was fully removed from the line in 2007 and replaced with a fully automatic ZF 6 speed)
The M139 was unique in that it offered a level of performance, class and bespoke that hadn’t been seen outside of the Ultra Luxury class since the Jaguar Insignia program dissolved in 1995. Details like rear climate control and rear sunshades were great but bespoke wood options to interior leather combinations (so detailed that the door stitching was color coordinated to match the wood trim) and the seat stitching was colored to the buyers will. Ornate piping in any shade imaginable, color choices for your rugs, safety belts, top roll and headlining made these cars extremely unique. The dimensions and layout are striking as well. Out of every vehicle we have owned, sold and driven, the M139 most closely feels, smells and even looks like a Jaguar XJ40. The floor pans that you step down into. The wide flat boot. The driving position. The smell of hand cut and sewn leather and hand carved mahogany really bring me back to my 1989 and 1994 Jaguar Vanden Plas. Even the quirks like the strange button placement, dry rotting ac drain hoses or the whacky CD changer located under the steering column SCREAM XJ40.
The performance is good (Not GREAT) but very respectable being a 19 year old 5000 lb sedan with an automatic transmission. 0-60 in around 5.3 seconds pushed out by a slightly detuned Ferrari 4.2 V8. The exhaust note is sublime however the fuel economy is laughable at 16 highway. In the Euro Luxobarge tradition we find a 23.8 gallon fuel tank in the back and due to the compression ratio this car HAS to burn minimum 91 octane. (Naysayers, remember it’s about smiles to the gallon) It manages to cruise comfortably and effortlessly on the highway and it handles city roads and bumps with ease. It’s truly a comfortable place to be in every regard. Having both driven this as a personal vehicle and having been chauffeured in it many times, I can safely say that it is my preferred mode of transportation. Riding in the back feels very sheltered, almost cocooned from the world yet the amount of room and the amenities are excellent. The power heated, reclining and lifting rear seats are supportive and the rear climate control is easy to reach and operate. The low slung rear windscreen and high quarter position give you the ultimate amount of privacy, especially if you choose to utilize the rear window and door sunshades. I sincerely prefer being driven in it over my Bentley Arnage or my Rolls Royce Silver Spur (And that’s saying something) The Build quality is where I was truly surprised. This is a well built, well put together, heavy automobile and it has held together rather perfectly. There isn’t a leak to be found. There isn’t a warning lamp on the instrument panel and there isn’t a single feature that doesn’t work. VERY few eurobarges can make that boast. The wood, while aged in a few minor spots, presents very well and the upholstery, from the leather seats, dashboard top roll, door tops and console show beautifully with minimal wear. The rugs and alacantara headlining are gorgeous, un worn and show no fade. The reliability has been as good as any Cadillac or Lincoln we have ever enjoyed long term and overall, the car just makes me smile. In your author’s humble opinion, the M139 is one of the best (and most attractive) saloons of this century.
