Khamsin on Ebay

A LONG time...

 

Market value is on par with the Pantera, of which there was a post comparing the two apparently.

 

I googled the serial # ( AM120194 ) and found this

http://www.sportscarmarket.com:8080/rrserver/browser?title=/supplements/Monterey2006&page=57

It was considered an average car, with tired paint and a worn interior.

Sold for 31,800 in 2006 ( considered a strong price for this car)

 

As I wrote in an earlier post Hyman has had it since Aug '06. BTW Khamsin prices have been rising of late, filling in the vacum left by rising Ghibli prices.


Joe

 

An assessment is in order: I did not start the Maserati Khamsin registry for commercial purposes but I cannot help seeing what takes place on the market so here are some observations, both on recent sales and on cars on the market; any constructive comments are more than welcome I don’t claim to hold any special knowledge or position, I am just in love with this model and am happy to see it get some attention, long overdue.

Clearly until about 2003 Khamsin's were very much forgotten or misunderstood, in great part due to the hideous US bumpers and their prices at the time made them bargains a few years ago: at least half a dozen expert classic car dealers as well as a founder of the Ferrari club of America have remarked to me that Khamsin's were sleepers.
No longer.

Just as its similarly forgotten Modenese cousins the Ferrari 365GTC/4, Lamborghini Islero, Espada and Jarama have doubled in price in the last two years, so Khamsin's have now resolutely come under the spotlight, thanks in part to general awreness sharpening but also to the fact that people have seen Khamsin's with the correct Euro bumpers, which cosmetically is night and day.
One 5 speed Khamsin car which sat for years dismantled in Fort Lauderdale in the 90’s (where I considered buying it but as a freelance writer it was not feasible) was restored to perfection by San Diego restorer and Pebble Beach Cavallino judge Gary Bobileff as mentioned by a previous poster, for strong and deserved sums, a Concours enthusiast in New York totally restored another, AM120US1266, converted it to Euro bumpers and went the extra mile by deleting the big ugly rectangular US market sidelights, nicknamed Ralf Nader pimples, sold for US$60000 last year to another US collector, astounding market professionals. Another US Khamsin AM120US1178 also converted to Euro bumpers but still with its Nader pimples sold for US$45000 on Ebay in the summer of 2006. More recently another came up under the gavel at the Bonhams auction in the glamorous Gstaad Switzerland Palace hotel in December of 2006; AM120US1262, built 10 cars after my own car, AM120US1242, and extremely comparable since it is also one of a few US cars which has received both the bumper and sidelight conversion; there are probably no more than a handful of cars, perhaps a dozen which have been so paintstakingly converted. On December 17 it sold for US$64026, Euro 48521, despite being a color change as it was black in the 1980’s and was sold as dark blue.
AM120US1046 was sold for a strong price last year into one of the finest Maserati collection in the USA, where it now resides along about 25 other Maseratis including an MC12, it just had its bumper conversion. The Khamsin spyder AM120US1030 was sold at Retromobile in February just over USDollar 100000, despite being an automatic with tired interior. I was able to establish for Christie’s that it was converted by Garis Forbis of Port Huron, Michigan for owner Russel C Schmidt of Mount Clemens Michigan in 75 or 76; interestingly it lived in their home with #1046 mentioned above. Finally, I learned last night that a friend of mine just bought an early series 1 Khamsin in Europe, a very early car long in private ownership and not offered publically. Can’t mention the Vin yet.

No less than 8 Khamsin's have been snapped up by eager buyers in recent weeks in Europe: the pale green car formerly owned by the French Maserati club President , two in Switzerland bought by a famous Swiss dealer, Lukas Huni (he is notorious for huge prices and won’t comment on these two cars; he bought them for future inventory) , a silver car in Germany, an automatic in the US in Georgia by respected expert Ivan Ruiz earlier this year, a right hand drive at the Coys auction in February in England.
In Japan, AM120350, a white automatic, in stunning condition sold within 24 hours of being offered about 2 weeks ago.

Cars on the market:

There are none in the US, except the one currently on Ebay.
Most of the cars available are in Europe; this is explained by the fact that only 155 US cars were made, total, 55 of which were automatic so that is 100 5 speed cars, of which if you count those shipped to Europe, through the years, particularly in the 80’s, those destroyed, left to decay I would guess that not much more than 50 5 speed are alive and well in the US, plus the less desirable automatics. AM120US1000 for example, the first US car featured in the most common US car brochure, now lives Norway, complete with bumper and sidelight conversion. In Florida for example I know of 3 cars confirmed, 2 unconfirmed, that is it!

In Europe there is a good selection: AM120504, a 1982 model one of the 3 last Khamsin's built that final year of production, the one with the highest existing chassis number but not the last one built (that one resides in South Africa), sold new to an Arabic prince, was sold at a Brooks auction in Monaco a few years ago for if I recall correctly, over US 60000 and is now for sale in Europe with 1200kms on the clock at more than Euro 100000, which is a bit optimistic... Another, nicely restored is offered at Euro 80000, two more are available in Germany, one at Mario Bernardi’s AM120US1238, built two cars before mine, one dark green series one with no hood slats at a northern German dealer, two at Limacher in Switzerland of which one is US spec and one Euro. There are a couple in Italy with very steep asking prices, while a right hand drive car is or was available in England at British Pounds 23000 a car formerly owned by the classic collection of Maserati's United Kingdom importer. Alos in England, Martin Chisholm offers a very nice dark blue right hand drive, that comes out of Scotland; perfect Khamsin roads! In the US there is only one 5 speed for sale, located in the midwest, a Euro car AM120194 imported many years ago by Bob and Lani Odenthal repainted red from its original...rame or oro kelso color at US$ 44,000; this is the car currently on Ebay, owned by Mark Hyman whom I met in Boca Raton and at Retromobile this year, a very nice guy, he was touring Paris with his little daughter.

Finally there is, though not yet on the market, a red tan 5 speed US model project in the Fort Lauderdale area with recent Euro bumper conversion which I did myself in November while in Florida but needing a full restoration after 12 years of unuse.

The best places to find info on Khamsin’s for sale in Europe are the following websites

Mobile.de (comes up in German but you can pick other languages at the bottom of the page).

Autoscout24.it

Autoscout24.ch

Classicdriver.com

I have been fortunate to drive a lot of desirable Modenese cars and the Khamsin is my favorite, with the exception of a Miura SV and a 375MM but they cost a bit more!
Driving a Khamsin is like a dream date who is always horny yet never gives you any hassle!

As renowned writer Martin Buckley wrote in Classic & Sportscars magazine the Khamsin is not only the last of the real Maserati GT cars, as opposed to a souped up sedan, it is one of the few sportscars of that golden era cars that delivers as much as it promises, that goes as fast as it looks.

Best regards,

Marc Sonnery

www.maseratikhamsinregistry.com
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Mark - Great summary...I have vin # AM120US1234. It is a 5 speed with the Euro header and bumper conversion...black with red interior.

The car was featured on the front cover of Vale Ciro Menotti (the magazine for Maserati enthusiasts), issue no. 56, Nov, 30, 1989 after Lowell Barton did a restoration at MIE. The Bartons picked up the Khamsin in Seattle, named her "Black Beauty" and subsequently wrote a 5 page article in issue 67 of VCM about their cross Canadian Rockies return home adventure to St Louis.

I believe that the Khamsin then went to Florida and then ultimately landed up in John Bookout's large Maserati collection in Houston, i.e. the Vintage Auto Heritage Foundation...see:http://www.themaseraticlub.com/vahf.html

The car participated in The First International Maser Miglia in the Colorado Rockies in August, 1997 (You wrote a nice article about it in Il Tridente, Marc!)

After meeting muster, I bought the car from Mr. Bookout. I had Citroen expert Dave Burnham go over all the hydraulics, including recharging of 2 of the 3 accumulators...http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=15126

Black Beauty & I were able to participate in a variety of events including the First Run of the Bulls to Vermont (2005), the NY Auto Show Ferrari/Maserati Dinner and the 34th Annual Floyd Bennett Antique Car Show. The car has been a blast to drive (the loud V8, finger-tip hydraulic steering, WRX-like performance through the twisties with independent suspension all around, good cabin comfort for a 6 footer, and real good looks). Other drivers always chase me to find out what it is.

Vinny from Autoelite, has carefully cared for the non-plumbing aspects of the car and is almost done rebuilding the engine.

I bought this model because it was a relative bargain, but have never looked upon it as an investment. Its for fun and for facination with the marque's history.

Marc feel free to add me to the registry. Tell me if you need pics (what's the max KB?)

Jordan Glaser
Brooklyn, NY

 

Hello Jordan:

Thanks for your nice comments! It makes the effort worthwhile.

So as you may recall from that Maser Miglia 97 article that was when I drove my first Khamsin and it was your car! A very special day, drove it from the Giorgio hotel in downtown Denver to the Ferrari Maserati of Denver dealership and, despite the hangover from the previous nights banquet, those few miles were enough: I had to have one!

I would be happy to get a few pictures thank you: no need for massive resolution, just 3/4 front, 3/4 rear and interior. Your chassis number is very easy to remenber; 1234! Please send them to [email protected]

Your car was at Motorcar Gallery for a while, before I worked there, its file included some photos the Bartons took on what looked like a camping trip, perhaps that big Canadian drive you mentioned.

Below are photos all taken at MCG years ago before i worked there, of your car, AM120US1234, just before Bookout bought it, mine AM120US1242 in February of 1992 before it was sold to San Jose Costa Rica (it was actually flown there, for a year) and AM1201262, in 1984, the car Bonhams sold at Gstaad in December 2006.

Both 1262 and 1242 have since been converted to Euro bumpers and sidelights (1266 and 1000 have also had both done and you will notice that 1262 was black back then, not blue as in Gstaad.

Funnily enough 1262 was the very first car that Motorcar Gallery had in inventory back in 1984.

Best regards,

Marc
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Small world...what goes around, comes around.

Thanks for the pics and info. When I get the car back from the re-build...feel free to come to New York to drive her. I'm sure you'll enjoy Brooklyn as much as the Rockies...Jordan

 

Thank you! I may well take you up on that one day!

Best regards,

Marc

 

AM120.194 was with Bob Odenthal from Rocklin.CA./USA in 1982!

Ciao!
Walter

 

Yes thanks.

I forgot one to add to the list; Jean Guikas in Marseille south of France has AM120132 available at Euro 55000.