Former Flagship: 1995 Infiniti Q45 – SOLD!

March 18, 2021 Update – we confirmed the seller of this Infiniti “Classifind” deleted their listing, so we’re now able to call this one “SOLD!” While this one got away, please reach out either by email or call Rudy directly if you’d like to be informed when we come across something similar.

The flagships of the early 90s are almost always associated with models from the likes of BMW, Mercedes, and Jaguar. When considering what the Japanese makes were offering, the sporty Acura Legend almost always overshadows the other comers, which include compelling vehicles like this clean 1995 Infiniti Q45 originally listed in February 2021 on Craigslist in Gloucester, Massachusetts (Boston) for $3,000. The seller claims its being relisted after the first buyer flaked, and with under 55,000 original miles, it seems like a big miss on that buyer’s part. According to the NADA Price Guide, the Q45 hasn’t risen to collector car status, with a top condition model valued at just $4,625. With the seller asking just $3,000 for an example with low miles and seemingly the right kind of maintenance done, it seems to be priced right.

The rad era of big-body luxury sedans was a glorious time if you liked rear-wheel-drive and conservative styling, with cars like the Mercedes W124 chassis leading the way. Following closely behind in the stoic but refined department were the likes of the Acura Legend, Lexus LS400, and Audi A6. If you wanted to let your hair down just a little, the E34-chassis BMW 5-Series was there to help. The Infiniti Q45, however, fit none of the molds. The most striking detail was the nose panel, which lacked a grill of any kind – revealing only smooth, contoured skin, behind which rested a 4.5 liter V8. Yes, a V8 in this oddball Japanese luxury sedan, making the aura of the already-unusual Q45 even more captivating. Sadly, consumers didn’t agree, and sales were far behind its competitors – perhaps because of that unusual beak and a lousy marketing launch.

That’s why today it’s rather difficult to find one in pristine condition, or any condition, really. You can still find a beater Acura Legend or 5-Series all day long from this era, but the Q45 is far trickier to track down. This example is potentially a diamond in the rough, as it comes with a respectable paper trail of service records and is obviously quite clean given its low miles. However, the seller reports there is an intermittent stalling issue that he hasn’t had the inclination to sort out, even though he points a finger at the likely culprit of weak fuel injectors. If a few hours of garage time can remedy the unpredictable running issues, the next owner will have a car on their hands that will need minimal detailing (or freshening up of any kind, really), making it either a world-class commuter car for short money or a possible candidate for flipping with good potential for a healthy return. Good luck with the purchase if you take this Japanese Q-ship home!

Here’s the seller’s description:

“Reposting this 1995 Q45. Thought I had it sold a few months back only for the buyer to back out. Only 54K miles on it and in very good (9 out of 10) cosmetic condition inside and out, however, it does not run reliably. The car will start up and sometimes it’s fine to drive it across town no issues and other times it will stall intermittently. If you know about these cars there are some usual culprits to check–fuel injectors come immediately to mind, and I thought I would tackle these myself and get this car up and running but honestly, between an old house, an old boat, and an old truck, I’ve found that one more ‘old thing’ that needs sorting out is one old thing too many.

I have checked a few things out on it–brakes are good, belts have been replaced, there was a recent (before I got it) service that included factory spark plugs, fuel filter, air filter. If you can sort out the intermittent stalling you will have quite a gem on your hands for, I hope, not too much money.

Car is amethyst silver (a really light metallic purple that looks great) over black interior. The pictures speak for themselves I think in terms of cosmetic condition. In addition to the stalling issue I note that there is a leak at the base of the windshield in a heavy rain and a misalignment of the parking lamp on the passenger side, which probably speaks to this having been in a minor fender bender at some point over its 20 years, but overall this car is in fantastic condition and with such low miles, still has that new car smell. Open to all reasonable offers (no trades please) and in no hurry to sell. If you are viewing this email from beyond MA area, I am willing to work with your shipper to get it loaded and on its way to you.”

Do you have an Infiniti Q45 story you’d like to share?  Comment below and let us know!