Happy 50th Birthday, Maserati Boomerang, You Wedgy Dream Car!

Say happy birthday to another one of Giorgetto Giugiaro’s wild creations because the Maserati Boomerang was first shown at the Geneva Motor Show on March 9, 1972, exactly 50 years ago today.

Although the car never went into production, it is considered by many to be a work of art and it’s more than just a concept. Based on the Maserati Bora, it features a 90°, 4.7-liter V8 that was capable of making 310 hp (231 kW/314 PS), which Maserati claims could take the Boomerang to a top speed of 300 km/h (186 mph).

Based on the video below of the car driving around Nice, France, in 2012, I’m not sure I’d want to explore how capable the car actually is of hitting its supposed top speed. But it remains a gorgeous car made all the better for its functionality.

Read Also: Maserati Bora Is Exactly Half A Century Old, And It Has Never Looked Better

As with Marcello Gandini’s Lamborghini Countach and the Lancia Stratos Zero, the Boomerang was a forward-looking, wedge-shaped concept that had an impact on the automotive world. Its acutely angled windshield transitions into a panoramic sunroof, which foretold the increasingly common trend of making the entire top half of a vehicle out of as much glass as possible.

Inside, too, the Boomerang was as exciting as it was surreal. The lower window could open, giving the driver the seeming ability to touch the ground if they wanted and the steering wheel is spokeless, so the instrument cluster is unobstructed.

The Maserati Bora

Through the years, the Boomerang has passed through many hands and has been featured on several auto show stands, as well as in commercials.

“The Maserati Boomerang, considered by many to be a genuine work of art, was revolutionary and managed to influence the designs of successive cars,” writes Maserati. “It continued the tradition of Maserati as a brand capable of creating unique automotive concepts, iconic and avant-garde cars that acted as pioneers of technology and style.”