For sale: £2.9m one-off Maserati 'Boomerang'

This is a Maserati concept car. It is coming up for auction later this year, and it is expected to sell for as much as £2.9m. That's a lot of wedge for, well, a wedge.

Why so much cash for an old pointy, Italian car? Well, designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, this Maserati ‘Boomerang' first made its public debut at the 1971 Turin Motor Show. 1971, when the rest of world was driving, y'know, Austin Maxis. Jaws, we suspect, may have dropped.

Just look at the thing. Giugiaro must have gone through a classroom-worth of rulers making this one, but there's no mistaking its appeal. Following its debut in Turin, the Boomerang was shown again at Geneva the following year, this time with proper running gear and the ability to move under its own propulsion.

Maserati developed the Boomerang over the chassis of the gorgeous Bora, complete with a 300bhp V8 and a top speed of 186mph (300km/h). And because it's a concept, it's a strict one-off, this one having more recently being shown off at places such as Villa d'Este and Pebble Beach.

"It's considered by many to be one of the most remarkable designs of the 20th century," explains Bonhams' Philip Kantor.

It works, is fully road-registered, and is being offered up at Bonhams' Chantilly Sale, which takes place on 5 September. It's pricey, but is it worth it?