Yes look forward to that: what is really needed if I may make a suggestion is hig speed videos, car to car i.e. the Khamsin at speed filmed from another car. Also the car at top speed passing by the standing cameraman. Tunnels are good for sound and if you film from inside the car the cameraman should move the camera, show the footwork the dash the wheel the view of the back the side not just dead ahead. Thank you in advance! best regards, Marc
Back in 1986 when I was looking for a nice Khamsin or Bora I just couldn't get used to "that" steering. The car is gorgeous outside but with a weird dash. I've always loved the styling but once I had also driven a nice Bora it was just so much more of a real feeling to drive. I did think that the steering hardener on the differential was cool. Obviously they both share most everything else hydraulic (clutch excluded) and that did take some getting used to. The hydraulics are the most annoying on these cars when they leak into the interior and these days those blasted cylinders are expensive and not easily rebuilt but generally the system is not that troublesome if maintained properly. Sadly, most have been neglected and become a mess. Perhaps a bit too much use of the system on lights and such? At least the windows were electric but I never did understand the hydraulic cigarette lighter??? So Mark, I guess I'm just a bad driver. Maybe when you have a Khamsin once again I can visit for a week or two and you can teach me to drive? ;>) Bob S. P.S. I just noticed that spell check offers "Khomeini" as once of the replacement options for "Khamsin" WTF???
Marc, this requires a special setup which they do make to do split screen and it uses multiple mini-cams. It's cool when it's setup but with a hand held camcorder? I like it when they put the mini-cams on fenders and stuff. Bob S.
Hi Bob: Hydraulic cigarette lighter LOL! Don't know if you rememebr that I posted Cleto Grandi's comment that they had meant to put a spring under the brake pedal to harden it and make it less delicate to use? Cleto Grandi was head of development for the Khamsin as the relationship between Giulio Alfieri and Guerrini Bertocchi had deteriorated. By the way it was Giulio Alfieri, NOT Citroen who insisted on using hydraulics. All this will be covered extensively in my book. I am sure you are a good driver. You can do a lot with a small hand held camera and yes your idea of having the camera outside of the car on a bracket makes for spectacular video. best regards, Marc
So here it is, the complete article in this and subsequent posts. Quite obviously by far the best driver ever to do a Khamsin test drive article. He calls the brakes the best brakes in any sports car as he could not generate fade either on the track or in moutain drioving flat out and this was in high summer in Italy. He likes the elasticity of the engine, he likes most of the car, he mentions there is understeer at the limit which is interesting as it is the contrary of what most articles said: terrible brakes, great handling but a lot of the hacks just don't have the qualifications or the time to do the job properly. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Thanks for the comments. Yes, that is my 2008 GranTurismo in Blu Nettuno. Next month will mark one year since I have owned it. For anyone interested, I plan to write up (in a sperate thread) a year's reflections on the car and post a few more pics. As for the automatic, while manual would have been my first choice, the opportunity for this Khamsin came up and I jumped at it. I don't regret it. At this time in my life (with two small children) I don't have the same luxury of time that I used to have to really drive the heck out these cars. That being said, the automatic delivers smooth shifts and I perceive no lack of power. Now I just need to convince an owner of a stick to let me drive it and compare!
I was under the same impression about the hydraulics. He liked them for the reasons Fittipaldi mentions. I never felt any fade on my Bora when I used to drive it at the track. I did see another Bora driver completely burn up a set of pads one day. They weren't original quality though. However, they aren't exactly the easiest to modulate at slow speeds. I think Giulio drove a Citroen as his personal car did he not? Bob S.
Hi Marc and all Maseratistis what is the VIN of Fittipaldi Khamsin? I think this is #218 on my photo. Some photo of #1156,anyone? Marc did you found some photos from your visit to Johan Hellenius? I met him and his race Bora last saturday. Best regards, Magnus Image Unavailable, Please Login
Yes they are not the easiest to modulate at low speed, one of the things that take some getting used to. I can see how a set of cheap pads could not take the massive pressure on a track day.... Alfieri drove a normal SM a lot and tinkered with it quite a bit, in an official capacity: he was actually given a position within Citroen fro R & D which he condicted in Modena during the Citgroen era. Paris had huge respect for him and rightfully so.
That is amazing. My parents met while studying linguistics at Oxford and subsequently worked together providing translations for corporations and the U.N. Where did you study? Apart from these wonderful cars, perhaps we know some people in common. RM
Hello Magnus: I have to ask Cozza the Vin of that car: it could be the one of mister Mazocchi (not sure I rememebr the name right) who owned Quattroruote: he had one. Saw photos of him visiting the factory with his cane and...a very young blonde gorgeous secretary. Should be easy to determine: early car with no nose vents and unusual color. Thank you for the photo of this Swiss Zhuich plate car: it has very unusual front wing lights.... I don't have 1156 photos. Will post tomorrow what we discussed. best regards, Marc
Hello RM: Hooh will try to keep it short....born in Stockholm Sweden in 64, Frenc Dad, Swedish mother, lived there till 68, then Lisbon Portugal till 75, Bad Godesberg Germany (where my dad headed Citroen Germany and he brought Masers home which got me hooked!) till 76, Gruyeres Switzerland till 78, Neuilly near Paris till 86, Silverstone England (racing) till 89, New York city the first half of 1990, then Fort Lauderdale, Florida, which I love, till....2005, then six months in Modena, 10 months in Geneva Switzerland working on a project with a Mad Scotsman and now Burgundy where my parents have always had a place.....now you are really sorry you asked aren't you! I will have to learn how to count in the next life though! You must do well with languages with such parents? best regards, Marc
Magnus: -Will post the photos of the visit at Johan's in the cars in Sweden thread. -What makes you think that is 218? Tak sa mycket in advance for any info! Marc
The battle between Alfieri and Bertocchi dated back to long before the Khamsin. When the Orsi Family was selling Maserati, Alfieri supported a sale to Citroen and Bertocchi supported a sale to DeTomaso. A little bit of Italian soap opera, after Citroen gained contol Bertocchi left Maserati and went to work across town for DeTomaso. When DeTomaso took control of Maserati in the mid-70s one of the first things he did was fire Alfieri. Who then went down the road to work for Lamborghini. Joe
Thanks to the kind help of Magnus as well as some info in the database Walter gave me here is some info on the Khamsins in Sweden (where I was born so I was obviously curious). Will insert one car at a time. 076 navy blue with a hint of green in it, brown interior, 5 speed, arrived in Sweden 2002. There is an amazing story related to that car which I will tell a little later. Here is a hint: the lady behind the car in the first photo looking at it astonished is Tiffany visiting from Laguna Beach California who with her husband John bought my own car AM120US1242 in Los Angeles never having seen a Khamsin before seeing this one, 076! This photo was taken in front of the Grand Hotel in Stockholm, August 2007, the Opera can be seen in the distance, the Royal palace is to the left. I like navy blue on Khamsins suits them well. More later...after the Brazilian GP and dinner! Marc Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
These pictures are the best I have ( poor quality) about Khamsin , pictures were taken in a 2006 event of Swiss club. The black one ( a 1979 ) at that date was owned by Arlt Gerhard's . The silver one ( a 1974 ) was owned by Maurizio Perego . Ciao Andrea Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Grazie mille Andrea: Much appreciated! Now I will gamely try to figure out the numeri di questi telaii Best regards, Marc
If the car is indeed a 1974 model it cannot be chassis AM120US1258, the car at Mistral dreams as that is a 1978 US model. However if the year stated is an error then the geographical location of the event was very close to where 1258 is and it could well be that car. We would ned to see the nose to see if it has vents or not and the wings/fenders of the car. Here are photos of 1258, many years ago at Motorcar Gallery and now. It was at one point owned brokered by Steve Ahlgrim who preceded me at Motorcar Gallery. Note that it now has Euro style sidelights: the big ugly "Ralf nader pimples" sidelights have been deleted as I had done on 1242. Best regards, Marc Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Well having just looked at the photos of signor Perego's car, particulalry the one from high up, that car has no nose vents so appears to be a 1974, in any case it certainly is not 1258 as all US Khamsins had nose vents.
Hey Marc ... I have a question for you, as you are the most knowledgeable person I know when it comes to Khamsins. Can you tell me when 096 was built? The reason I'm asking is that it's registered in Austria as a 1972 which of course isn't possible. Where the chassis numbers sequential? (Unlike the Ghibli as an example) Thanks, Alex
