Although Maserati already had a more economical alternative to the Bora, the Merak V6, the company’s new president Alejandro De Tomaso thought that a smaller version could boost sales. In particular, the Italian government had introduced a VAT rate of 39% on cars over 2 litres. It was against this backdrop that the Merak 2000 GT was launched. This same strategy would later lead to the Biturbo range. The expensive hydraulic brakes were dropped from all Meraks from 1980 onwards. On the outside, the 2000 GT kept the black grille of the SS between the lights and also had a wide black stripe below the belt line. There was a choice of two colours: light blue metallic and gold. In total, the Merak model went through three variations and the range lasted 12 years; 1,830 cars were sold, including 200 in the 2-litre version, exclusively on the Italian market.