Maserati Khamsin

Maserati Khamsin
1975 Maserati Khamsin
Overview
Manufacturer	Maserati
Production	1974–1982
Designer	Marcello Gandini at Bertone
Body and chassis
Class	Grand tourer (S)
Body style	2-door 2+2 coupé
Layout	Front mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive
Powertrain
Engine	4.9 L AM 115 V8 (petrol)
Transmission	5-speed ZF manual 3-speed Borg Warner automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase	2,550 mm (100.4 in)
Length	4,400 mm (173.2 in)
Width	1,804 mm (71.0 in)
Height	1,180 mm (46.5 in)
Kerb weight	1,500 kg (3,307 lb)
Chronology
Predecessor	Maserati Ghibli
Successor	Maserati Shamal

The Maserati Khamsin (Tipo AM120) is a grand tourer produced by Maserati between 1974 and 1982. The Khamsin had no direct successor, with Maserati not making another V8 grand tourer until the 1990 launch of the Shamal. Following Maserati's tradition it was named after a wind: the Khamsin, a hot, violent gust blowing in the Egyptian desert for fifty days a year.

The Khamsin was introduced on the Bertone stand at the November 1972 Turin Auto Show. Designed by Marcello Gandini, it was Bertone's first work for Maserati. In March 1973 the production model was shown at the Paris Motor Show. Regular production of the vehicle started only a year later, in 1974. The Khamsin was developed under the Citroën ownership for the clientele that demanded a front-engined grand tourer on the lines of the previous Ghibli, more conventional than the mid-engined Bora. In 1977 a mild facelift added three horizontal slots on the Khamsin's nose to aid cooling. Inside it brought a restyled dashboard and a new padded steering wheel. One Khamsin was delivered to Luciano Benetton in 1981. Despite the many improvements over its predecessor, the Khamsin didn't replicate its success; partly due to the concurrent fuel crisis that decreased demand for big V8 grand tourers. Production ended in 1982, with 435 vehicles made (a mere third of the Ghibli's 1274 examples production run) - 155 of whose had been exported to the United States.

The Khamsin's body is prominently wedge-shaped, with a fastback roofline and kammback rear end. The tail is characterized by a full-width glass rear panel, carrying inset "floating" tail lights.