Unveiled at the 2004 Geneva Motor Show the Maserati MC12 was originally built as a homologation car to signal Maserati’s return to racing after 37 dormant years. 25 cars were built in 2004 (the number required by the FIA) and a further 25 constructed in 2005, totalling 50 road legal cars. This limited production number made the cars far rarer than the Ferrari Enzo, on which it was based, and even rarer than the 64-car production run of the McLaren F1. When you think 10 years ago, a McLaren F1 could be bought for around £1m and finding a good example today could cost well in excess of £10m, it is not surprising that many experts and collectors consider the Maserati MC12 to be an amazing investment opportunity.

Maserati very wisely decided to use many of the key mechanical components for the car from their fellow Italian car marque Ferrari, who had just finished producing the spectacular Ferrari Enzo. This included the hugely powerful F140B 65 degree V12, the groundbreaking “F1 gearbox” (which Maserati renamed to the “Maserati Cambiocorsa”) and the Enzo’s chassis itself. However, from the exterior the only visible component the two cars share is the windscreen, the rest of the carbon fibre bodywork has been completely redesigned in the wind tunnel giving the MC12 extraordinary levels of downforce, a lower drag coefficient and a decidedly imposing road presence.

The MC12 was only available in the beautifully regal Bianco Fuji colour scheme, featuring outstanding details such as the highlighted open front headlight clusters, exquisite pinstriping and colour coded centrally locking wheel nuts (red on the left, blue on the right). What makes the MC12 even more special is it's one of the very few hypercars to feature a detachable hardtop roof, allowing for the full visceral, open top, driving experience courtesy of that savage V12 exhaust note. Overall the MC12 has to go down as one of the greatest and most exclusive hypercars of the modern era and this bonafide blue-chip example is a truly show-stopping addition to the world's greatest car collections.