1967 Maserati Mexico

Commemorating John Surtees' victory in a Maserati V-12-powered Cooper T81 in the 1966 Mexican Grand Prix, Maserati's new four-seat, two-door grand tourer was named the 'Mexico.' It was given the steel unibody chassis of the Quattroporte sedan but shortened by over four inches to improved handling and performance. It was a blend of luxurious practicality, innovation, and race-bred performance. The bodies of the first three examples wore coachwork by Frua, Bertone, and Vignale, eliciting a competition to see which design would prevail.

Chassis number AM112.001 was the first Maserati Mexico and its coachwork was created by Pietro Frua's coachbuilder firm. Styling features incorporated design cues from Maserati's legacy, with headlights recessed into chrome accents in the front fenders, similar to those of the Mistral. The sweeping upper lines and graceful greenhouse were reminiscent of the Maserati 5000 GT bodied by Frua. Bertone also created a 2+2 prototype but it was the Vignale-bodied prototype that was ultimately selected for production. The Vignale prototype that appeared on the Salone di Torino in October of 1965 wore a design created by Virginio Vairo and built using a 4.9-liter 5000 GT chassis that had been damaged. After the show, the prototype was sold to Mexican president Adolfo Lopez Mateos, further reinforcing the 'Mexico' name.

In production guise, the Maserati Mexico was introduced in August of 1966 at the Concorso internazionale di eleganza per auto in Rimini, and introduced to the international community two months later at the Paris Motor Show.

The design of the Maserati Mexico, much like the Ghibli introduced a year later, represented a shift in the company's design language and engines. Its racing-derived DOHC, 4.7-liter 90-degree V8 had first been used in the 5000 GT and Maserati's first Quattroporte, and with the help of four twin-choke 38 DCNL5 Weber carburetors, it produced 290 horsepower. The engine was backed by a five-speed ZF manual gearbox with overdrive sending power to the liver rear axle. Stopping power was via servo-assisted ventilated disc brakes, a first for Maserati. In 1969, the Mexico was made available with a smaller, 4.2-liter V8 engine. Cars equipped with the 4.7-liter engine received 650x15 Borrani chrome wire wheels, while the 4.2-liter version received steel disc wheels. Regardless of the wheel, all Mexico's left the factory wearing Pirelli Cinturato 205VR15 tires (CN72). Optional equipment included power steering, an automatic transmission, and a radio.

Production lasted through 1972 with a total of 480 examples built during that time, with the bulk of production (305 examples) receiving the smaller, 4.2-liter engine. The remaining 175 examples were given the 4.7-liter engine. The Maserati Mexico represented approximately 1/3 of the volume of the contemporary Ghibli.

by Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2022