Maserati Khamsin

The Maserati Khamsin (Tipo AM120) is a grand tourer produced by Italian automobile manufacturer Maserati between 1974 and 1982. The Khamsin was sold alongside the DeTomaso-based Maserati Kyalami - also a V8 GT car - between 1976 and 1982.

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 as a concept car. Designed by Marcello Gandini, it was Bertone's first work for Maserati. Its design highlight was a clear rear section which housed the tail lights along with a sharp, angular design in contrast to its predecessor. 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 Citroën's ownership for a clientele that demanded a front-engined grand tourer on the lines of the previous Ghibli, a more conventional proposition than the mid-engined Bora.

In 1977 a mild facelift added three horizontal slats on the Khamsin's nose to aid cooling. Inside, it brought a restyled dashboard and a new padded steering wheel.

Despite the many improvements over its predecessor, the Khamsin did not replicate its success, partly due to the ongoing fuel crisis that reduced demand for cars with large displacement engines.

Production ended in 1982, with 435 vehicles made, 155 of which had been exported to the United States - barely a third of the Ghibli's production total of 1,295.

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.