AMLC, what I meant about Alfieri is, that some of his designs were highly over-engineered! He made those motors more complicated than neccessary! Yes, the Khamsin is a very exclusive car. Thats the reason wy I would never touch it (f. example: taking the green-soup-system out etc.!). Nor would I do this with the Bora! Its not an irrelevant remark about the Citroen-system was not in the league as Maserati was. Now the logical question occurs: WHY the heck did they (or Alfieri) this system into a Maserati when it was never before developed for a GT-sport car??? It was a completly wrong path! Yes, it gave the Khamsin a very unique charachter but the image of the car is a very complex one and this was not very much appreciated by customers of those period as only few cars were made while Ferrari had a big success with the Daytona (and even with the "old-fashioned" designed Ghibli before!). Lets find a compromise: the Khamsin is a very fascinating car - but with a doubt! Ciao! Walter
Marc, maybe I can help you here. Clarkson presented an item in Topgear about the history of Maserati. I believe it was transmitted by BBC2 on 29-10-1992. The whole item takes about eight to nine minutes. In this item he drives a 250F, a Sebring, a Mistral, a Khamsin and a new 222 4v. The Khamsin is (orange-)red with beige leather, RHD, manual and has the nose vents. It has registration SUL 123R. He calls it the stunning Khamsin, which was named after a wind, which was apt because thats what it went like. Walter, The Daytona was built from 68-73, the Khamsin from 74-81, so you cant compare their sales success as they were sold in different time periods. The Khamsin suffered from the oil crisis in 73, while the Daytona production already ended in that year. What we can agree on is, I think, that the Khamsin is a complex car. But I believe many beautiful classics are in one way or another complex cars (the engine of a Ferrari Boxer, the body of a Superleggera Lancia, and so on); this may even be part of the fascination. This should, in my view, not lead to doubt, but to the conclusion that these cars need professional care, from people who really know what they are doing.
Walter: glad she is there! AMLC: thank you for that. SUL 123 R, according to Andy Heywood's records a copy of which he kindly gave me, is AM120359, sold new to Rocco Forte of the hotel chain, owned for some years by George Perfect. I do remember now George telling me about 10 years ago at Maser Miglia that Clarkson had test driven his car and...damaged his engine. Don't have photos of the car but yes it is red/tan. In a top 100 list Clarkson made he listed the Khamsin as 30th and like you noted he said named by a wind and goes like the wind, in that he showed this shot of an other one: AM120381. I would love to find that footage: if you have any suggestions as to how I will appreciate them. Image Unavailable, Please Login
This arrived in my emailbox this afternoon, with the simple mention please find enclosed a photo of a Khamsin in Iran: I had been told by a very knowledgeable Iranian who is a sports car dealer in Geneva that there might have been one or two there...now we know! (It was a huge photo so I used my high tech reduction method of photographing the screen) I have asked for further information if at all possible. It is always exciting when you do a registry to find a car in an unusual exotic country as opposed to the usual markets. best regards, Marc Image Unavailable, Please Login
Marc, The pod-cast section here has a link in one of the posts to a site with ALL of Top Gear, and without commercials. I'm going to see there now if I can locate the Maserati footage))
Here is a link to Clarkson's Top 100 ... http://vodpod.com/watch/1267930-jeremy-clarkson-top-100-cars-part1-2-video http://vodpod.com/watch/1267931-jeremy-clarkson-top-100-cars-part-2-2-video Unfortunately there is no driving footage of the Khamsin. Only the still with text. It goes from 35:23 - 35:33 (first link) ... so only 10 seconds of exposure.
Once the Shaw was overthrown it just seems like the very last place you think of finding such vehicles but look at that photo and you can spot an E type as well. The question is, what do they cut off for a speeding violation? ;>) Bob S.
Thanks Jack: eager to find out if you can manage it, much appreciated. This being said I do believe this Maserati segment including a Khamsin test drive which AMLC refers to was part of an earlier version of the show the archives of which are not consolidated with the current one: they probably mean to do it but don't have time and staff for that.
Hi Bob: I had occasion to speak repeatedly with the Shah's younger son on the phone and to review communication with various Iranians about other Modenese sports cars and not only did the Shah have the collection we know about which was very extensive but there were a number of other fine cars in Tehran as well. The Shah's former collection is held in a museum which is considered the people's museum by the current regime who, yes, are probably as kind with speeders as with demonstrators, however let us not veer into politics please! There is a surprising amount of rare cars in war torn places such as Lebanon, Iran and Haiti: we only see the heart of the flash points on tv but there are perfectly quiet areas in those countries as well of course... best regards, Marc
"Dear Marc, Mentioned khamsin belonges to one of my friends. It was shown in Tehran Classic car Show 2009 recently. I will try to find out the chassis number. He has a porsche 911 targa and some other sport cars too. Best Regards "
Nope, the shows than can be watched from their archives only go back to 2002. Fingers crossed that the older ones be added at some point in future. Btw, not all the Shaw's cars are in the collection. I vividly remember the announcement of his Miura SV Jota (with plexi covered headlights it finally looked good) to be auctioned.
Thanks for trying Jack: yes some of the Shah's (not Shaw) former Lambos and some other cars were smuggled out at some point but there are other quite active forums for those. best regards, Marc
Another view of the Iranian Khamsin sent by my correspondent: early car, no slats, parallel wipers, missing its fender indicator. It would make sense that it is an early car since, as noted by Bob cars would not have been imported after the revolution in, I believe 1977. best regards, Marc Image Unavailable, Please Login
-Well I am hesitant which one to pick, there could be some shade variation in the photo and...this list could conceivably be incomplete. http://www.maseratikhamsinregistry.com/specs_1.html best regards, Marc
Appears to be the same color as this one: AM120080 in the Pannini collection for which I do not have the official color name...but what do you think: I am not very good with color shades. First photo copyright SupercarFrance. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Maybe the Iranian car is not as grey as it appears to be in the photo, and the colour is luci del bosco? By the way, why is the indicator missing, maybe it was repainted recently? The only Khamsin imported new in Holland (as far as I know) was, I think, originally delivered in luci del bosco. Even though I would normally not pick brown as the colour for a (any) car, I think luci del bosco does look good on a Khamsin!
This explains why you are looking for a fly yellow one Both cars (Iranian and Panini) do appear to be dark grey, and not luci del bosco.
Yes as you say I beleive they are both a certain probably identical shade of grey. It looks like original paint to me, perhaps they just broke the sidelight and could not find another readily. Actually Ermanno Cozza of the factory lists 7 Khamsins sent new to Holland but it appears only one stayed there which is why there is the perception only one was sold there. This was actually the biggest surprise resulting from the numbers of cars per country count he did for me while I visited him in his office summer 2005. Regarding color...yes I use a lot of Tabasco and you could say yellow is Tabasco for the eyes! best regards, Marc
I did ask the Dutch import company back then when you first told me this, but they didn't reply. Will try again!
Good luck don't know how to say it in Dutch perhaps that grey is grigio Flemington....anyone? Lukas Huni who has AM120354 (as a personal car, not for sale) told me at Retromobile that he has repainted it that color. It is a car he bought in Switzerland in 2006 or 2007. In the records Walter gave me he described the color on that car as it was then before that repaint as smoke grey so that seems about the right way to describe this. Don't have photos of 354. best regards, Marc
Here is a link to a very good article by Andy Heywood on hydraulics, within the website of the UK Maserati club. It has some detailed recommendations which are very useful: Andy is hugely experienced with these cars. Note that the the Q and A at the end adresses worst case scenarios of possible problems, not common occurences: I had none of these issues with my car. http://www.maseraticlub.co.uk/trident38.htm best regards, marc
You probably know this, but there are some pictures of SUL 123 R in a book called "Maserati Heritage" from Osprey Classic Marques. There are also some pictures of another Khamsin in this book, registration "LST 151P", RHD, gold with black leather, manual, no slats.
Hello ALMC: yes the second car you speak of is one I like quite a lot, even though I have never seen it in person: it is AM120325 the personal car of the late Cameron Millar which is still with the family. It is very original with a tired interior no slats. By the way I have had an answer from Tehran: the Iranian khamsin is AM120130! Predictably enough I had nothing on this car, nada: will now ask Cozza. best regards, Marc Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
