Description
Of the 430 Khamsins built between 1974 and 1982, only 71 were right-hand drive and of those, only 50 came to the UK. This particular example was supplied new by UK Maserati concessionaires MTC Cars in March 1978.
The original specification was standard 4. 9 litre Maserati V8 engine with dry sump, ZF 5-speed manual gearbox with dog-leg first, Citroen LHM high pressure brakes and steering, a Salisbury LSD axle and all round independent suspension. It was ordered in the unusual colour of Marrone Colorado with a Connolly Vaumol leather interior in ‘fungo’ or mushroom.
The first owner was reputedly the musician Mike Oldfield, who was then flush with the success of Tubular Bells. However, a year later, it was advertised for sale again, this time by Rod Vickery in London, before finding its way into a large Italian car collection based in the North of the UK in 1989, where it would remain until 2003.
Offered for sale by Christies at auction in Nine Elms in June 2003, at that time showing only 25, 700 miles and now painted Maserati red instead of the original ‘Marrone Colorado’, it was purchased by the current owner’s husband, who, as already the owner of a Citroen SM and CX, would later confess that it was the Citroen influence that attracted him to this particular Maserati.
From the auction, the car was transported to us at McGrath and a process of recommissioning took place. Years in a large collection had preserved the condition of the car, but it had hardly been used. At that time, the owner lived in Monaco and once fettled, the Khamsin headed south, to share the garage with that Citroen SM. Both were featured in an article by Dale Drinnon in Octane magazine in 2006 and over the next three years, the Khamsin covered over 7000 miles.
