There’s an entire class of Italian supercars that seemingly get overlooked by the brawnier performance models that emerged in the middle to late 1980s. Throw in the fact that many of these models were 2+2s – the horror! – and it’s not entirely surprising that these big two-doors rarely cause a ripple in the auction world. The Maserati Khamsin is one such model that we see come up for sale very rarely but doesn’t seem to be high on many collectors’ radar; regardless, these are superb road cars that check all the boxes as it relates to grand touring in one of the most sophisticated ways possible. Find this Khamsin listed here on Lucky Car Auctions website with just over 23,000 original miles.
The Lamborghini Countach and Ferrari F40 are two models that have been rocketing up the auction charts seemingly forever. Immensely valuable and undoubtedly some of the best performance cars of the era, there’s no comparison between those and the class of 2+2s that every Italian manufacturer built in some capacity throughout the 1970s. The Lamborghini Espada, the Ferrari 365 GT4, and the Alfa Romeo Montreal are just a few examples of Italian GTs with back seats and powerful V8 or V12 engines, often paired to a manual gearbox. They were also sumptuous inside, draped in leather and other high-grade materials, clearly intended for gentlemen drivers whose suit collection was likely curated with a specific vehicle in mind.
The Khamsin is one model we see far less frequently than the likes of the Espada, undoubtedly due in some part to poor timing at launch with the arrival of the international fuel crisis. In addition, tastes were changing; the Italian marques in particular had seemingly overindulged in large 2+2 cars that were fading in popularity as well as the perception of them being examples of raw excess at a time when many manufacturers were actively downsizing. Still, there’s no denying the beautiful profile of the Khamsin is still striking today, and this one will look exponentially better if you swap out the U.S. bumpers for the chrome European assemblies.
The Khamsin is powered by a 4.9L V8 engine accompanied by four two-barrel Weber carburetors, which was capable of generating 320 horsepower in the European market but was reduced significantly to 280-290 b.h.p. after U.S. regulators had their way with various emissions controls. Still, reports at the time indicated the big Maserati could reach speeds of 170 miles per hour, which had to have been a thrilling experience with that delightful quad-cam V8 thundering away. The seller claims this particular car is one of just 100 with a manual gearbox, and is exiting long-term ownership for the first time in 40 years – so regardless of your opinion of Italian GTs, this one should certainly find a new home. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Araknid78 for the find.
Wow, some machine 🇮🇹 Would love to have a day behind the wheel. Thanks Lavery. ✍️
Luv these, but not a big fan on white with a red interior.
Flying the bordello colors…
A nice find, agree that the Khamsin is a largely forgotten model. Perhaps a bit strange that Maserati offered both the Khamsin and the Kyalami 2+2 at the same time. “What kind of profile do you prefer, Signor?”
I thought it looked strangely ugly and unfamiliar from the rear until I realized that it’s not just the bumper that is different for the US model. They have moved the Alfa 2000 Berlina sourced taillights down from the glass panel to the space between the panel and the bumper. The European bumper goes all the way up to the glass panel. So it would no doubt be a larger job to fit chrome bumpers than just unbolting the rubber ones.
Technology has certainly moved forward, strange to think that I can get more power from my 4-cylinder Genesis engine than what this glorious engine can muster. But I’m sure that this one sounds a lot better!
170 MPH?? I knew a guy who claimed 185 in his Maserati.
Yeah, but he no longer has a license.
yup
My Maserati does 185
I lost my license now I don’t drive
I have a limo ride in the back
I lock the doors in case I’m attacked
Ever since John Bond brought one home when I was even more of a punk in the late 70s, i love these cars and the noise they make- he was waterfront down the street- always nice cars parked in front.
Well here’s another car I’ve never heard of! This one is ticking all the “I’m dating a supermodel” boxes:
It’s beautiful
It’s fast
It’s exotic
It’s rare
It’s complicated
You’ll spend more time working on it than driving it
It’ll break your heart 5 times to Sunday, but you’ll love it anyway
But damn it’s beautiful. Just lose those bumpers.
Wow, has the appearance been corrupted with that US-spec rear bumper and taillight relocation. No wonder.
Nice ride! I am not sure what this will go for, or what it is worth, has to be above 100K, so I am out. However, I checked the Lucky Car Auction site, and it has quite a range of rides for sale. Has anyone attended this auction or bought a car from the site? I think I am going to go to one, the other auctions suck big time now. My wife and I used to attend the BJ in Scottsdale and Monterey, but quit 15 or so years ago. Money ruins everything. It was a hell of a good time, prices were decent, and the vibe was great.
De Tomaso during this period also had the Longchamp which I’ve always liked. Big Ford engine in an Italian car made by an Argentinian guy.
The Longchamp and Kyalami were basically the same car, the former being mildly revised (along with gaining a Maserati engine) to become the latter when de Tomaso acquired Maserati from Citroen and urgently needed to revitalize the marque and update the range with new models having no further dependence on Citroen components. That same platform also eventually underpinned the Quattroporte III.
Those who hate ’73 front & ’74-81 rear corvette bumpers, take a look at these beauties.
I owed a Khamsin for thirteen years. It was a 1978 car around five years old when I bought it. I can honestly say that it was completely reliable. Much has been said that they go wrong even when standing still. Not in my experience. Wonderful car! I still miss it!
I think you’ll find that your experience is actually quite consistent with that of others who’ve actually owned Maseratis of this era, as opposed to folks on the internet who exaggerate, extrapolate, and repeat every unkind thing they’ve ever heard about Italian cars from the ‘70s.
My all-time favorite car; if only I hadn’t been too cheap to snap up the one I test drove in 2010 for $35k…
But yeah, gotta correct the taillight placement (relocated to cover up the frame rails exposed by moving the bumper down to satisfy USA regulations) along with the bumpers.
And surely more than 100 had manual transmissions. Maybe only 100 USA-spec manuals?
I love these. but, OMG those bumpers and the way the taillights are attached.
I owned a Khamsin for thirteen years. A 1978 car that was about five years old when I bought it. I can honestly say that it was completely reliable. Superb driver not heavy like many other exotics of the era. I still miss it. Hope the new owner of this one loves it as much as I loved mine.