1977 Maserati Khamsin

This 1977 Maserati Khamsin Series 2 with coachwork by Carrozzeria Bertone was offered for sale at the 2007 Christies auction of 'Exceptional Motor Cars at the Monterey Jet Center.' It is Oro Kelso with a Senape leather interior. It is powered by a V8 engine with twin overhead camshafts and capable of producing 320 horsepower. There is a five-speed manual gearbox and hydraulically-operated discs with servo on all four-corners.

There were only 430 examples of the Khamsin produced and 155 of those were sent to the United States. 100 of the US bound examples were given the five-speed manual gearbox. Production lasted from 1974 through 1982 and these were the last of the big, four-cam V8 Maserati's.

This example, with its 173 mph top speed, is one of about 50 with the five-speed gearbox still in operation in the United States. The series II Khamsin's distinguished themselves by its nose louvers which aided in keeping the engine and mechanical components cool. It has the full European bumper conversion and is void of the US sidelights which were replaced in favor of the smaller European type.

By Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2007