Maserati Khamsin 4.9 V8
The Maserati Khamsin, named after the hot Egyptian desert wind, was the last of Maserati's great front-engined V8 grand tourers designed under the company's original independent management. Styled by Marcello Gandini at Bertone — the same designer responsible for the Lamborghini Miura and Countach — the Khamsin featured a dramatic wedge-shaped profile with a distinctive concave rear window and floating C-pillars. Under the bonnet, Maserati's proven 4.9-liter quad-cam V8 produced 320 horsepower, making the Khamsin one of the fastest cars of its era. The Khamsin was produced during Maserati's Citroën ownership period, and it benefited enormously from Citroën's hydraulic technology — the steering, brakes, pop-up headlights, pedal adjustment, and even the rear suspension height adjustment all operated through Citroën's high-pressure hydraulic system. This provided an extraordinarily sophisticated driving experience but at the cost of maintenance complexity. With only 430 examples produced over eight years, the Khamsin is one of the rarest Maseratis and increasingly appreciated by collectors who understand its unique blend of Italian passion and French engineering sophistication.
The Citroën hydraulic system is the car's greatest asset and biggest potential headache — it must be maintained by a specialist who understands both Maserati and Citroën systems. The quad-cam V8 is powerful but complex and expensive to rebuild. Body corrosion can be severe. Check for hydraulic fluid leaks everywhere. Manual gearbox cars are more desirable than automatics.
Only 430 examples were built over the car's 8-year production run. The car was developed during Citroën's ownership of Maserati (1968-1975), incorporating Citroën hydraulic technology throughout.