Kyalami...molto Speciale!!! | FerrariChat

Kyalami...molto Speciale!!!

Discussion in 'Maserati' started by wbaeumer, Mar 3, 2010.

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  1. wbaeumer

    wbaeumer F1 Veteran
    Consultant

    Mar 4, 2005
    8,826
    #1 wbaeumer, Mar 3, 2010
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
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  2. Ferraripilot

    Ferraripilot F1 World Champ
    Owner Project Master

    May 10, 2006
    17,171
    Atlanta
    Full Name:
    John!
    Surprisingly, this is one of my all-time favorite Maserati's. different
     
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  3. f308jack

    f308jack F1 Rookie

    Jun 7, 2007
    4,300
    Cape Town, South Afr
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    Jack Verschuur
    Funny enough the car didn't start life as a Maserati, instead it was a De Tomaso, with Cleveland 351 V-8, as a short wheelbase version of the 4-door Deauville, and was called the Longchamps.
    Tom Tjaarda designed them to replace the Jaguar XJ-range, but BL refused to buy into it, and the design was sold to De Tomaso.
    The Longchamps had common Ford Granada headlights (unlike the Deauville), and at some point it was decided to crea\te a Maserati derivative, with a proper Maser V-8 and a revised front, which looked much better.
    Of course the car was named after a well known F-1 circuit near Johannesburg, South Africa.
     
  4. Merak1974

    Merak1974 Formula 3

    Aug 31, 2009
    1,707
    Oslo, Norway
    Full Name:
    Gabriel R.G. Benito
    Wish I had the time, space and money....

    Frua did the restyling, and ended up with a substiantially more elegant car than Tjaarda's Longchamp (which certainly is handsome, but in a more brutish way!).

    Personally, I think the first version (prototype?) with slender chrome bumpers is the prettiest, but I have never one (it?) up for sale. Does it still exist?

    Cheers,
    Gabriel
     
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  5. f308jack

    f308jack F1 Rookie

    Jun 7, 2007
    4,300
    Cape Town, South Afr
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    Jack Verschuur
    You are quite correct, but the only difference on the outside that distinguishes from the longchaps to the Kyalamy are the front end, the different headlights and grille. I believe the rest of the bodies are identical.
    It is a very pretty car, and yes, the earlier style bumpers (identical to those on the Deauville and Longchamps) were way prettier than the latter 'per metre' bumpers with plastic corners.
    The De Tomaso even got a GTS version with wide wheel-arches and blacked-out chrome, very bad, but very pretty was the Longchamps cabrio, of which I've seen the prototype but have no idea if it was produced in any numbers, let alone a Maserati Kyalami version.

    All in all, we're talking about an XJ Jaguar clone, including the suspension set-ups etc., in an Italian jacket. A very interesting and attractive proposition. I loved the Deauville I had many moons ago.
     
  6. Nembo1777

    Nembo1777 F1 World Champ
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    Marc Sonnery
    #6 Nembo1777, Mar 3, 2010
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
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  7. Nembo1777

    Nembo1777 F1 World Champ
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    Marc Sonnery
    #7 Nembo1777, Mar 3, 2010
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  8. wbaeumer

    wbaeumer F1 Veteran
    Consultant

    Mar 4, 2005
    8,826
    If you guys would speak German the same way we from The Fatherland are able to speak English.......!

    Ciao!
    Walter
     
  9. Nembo1777

    Nembo1777 F1 World Champ
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    Nov 4, 2006
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    Marc Sonnery
    Hey just teasing you!:)

    Am going to Geneva show this afternoon are you there?

    best regards,

    Marc
     
  10. Merak1974

    Merak1974 Formula 3

    Aug 31, 2009
    1,707
    Oslo, Norway
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    Gabriel R.G. Benito
    Actually, a bit more than just the front end is different. Yes, the differences are quite subtle, but some of them very easy to spot: for example, the rear lights are totally different.

    Gabriel
     
  11. wbaeumer

    wbaeumer F1 Veteran
    Consultant

    Mar 4, 2005
    8,826
    Hi Marc,
    no, unfortunately not!

    Ciao!
    Walter
     
  12. wbaeumer

    wbaeumer F1 Veteran
    Consultant

    Mar 4, 2005
    8,826
    Sold today for very strong money (in terms of Kyalami-prices!).

    Ciao!
    Walter
     
  13. EMILIO

    EMILIO F1 Veteran

    Feb 23, 2006
    6,852
    Italia
    Walter:
    how much is strong money for a Kyalami? i kinda like them :)
     
  14. wbaeumer

    wbaeumer F1 Veteran
    Consultant

    Mar 4, 2005
    8,826
    Emilio,
    PM sent!

    Ciao!
    Walter
     
  15. staatsof

    staatsof Nine Time F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Mar 13, 2005
    91,370
    Fuggetaboutitland
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    Bob
    Holy Kyalami Batman I didn't know pricing for these cars was a state secret!
     
  16. wbaeumer

    wbaeumer F1 Veteran
    Consultant

    Mar 4, 2005
    8,826
    OK, Batman doesn`t know - but Robin knows why...::))

    Ciao!
    Walter
     
  17. AMLC

    AMLC Formula Junior

    Apr 4, 2009
    597
    #17 AMLC, Mar 25, 2010
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    This very early Kyalami is in Holland, I believe it is AM129.006
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
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  18. wbaeumer

    wbaeumer F1 Veteran
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    Mar 4, 2005
    8,826
    One of the prototypes.

    Ciao!
    Walter
     
  19. Merak1974

    Merak1974 Formula 3

    Aug 31, 2009
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    Gabriel R.G. Benito
    Very nice!
     
  20. finlandese

    finlandese Formula Junior

    Jan 1, 2006
    257
    Finland
    #20 finlandese, Mar 27, 2010
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Deauville was a De Tomaso project from the start. Kyalami came about after De Tomaso aquired Maserati, and needed a new product in a hurry. Longchamp had a good chassis to build on, so with a Frua restyle, the Kyalami was born. As far as the merits of each design go, I have my opinion, but then I´m hardly a neutral arbiter in this matter...

    Top photo

    Longchamp prototipo at Turin 1972

    Bottom photo

    My clone of the same vehicle
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  21. f308jack

    f308jack F1 Rookie

    Jun 7, 2007
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    Jack Verschuur
    They're all great looking cars, but the one thing I could never accept were the Ford Granada headlights in the Longchamps. IMO the design screamed for double round lights, either in the same way as the deauville or the way it was finally done for the Maser.
    The Deauville I had for 3 years was a very practical car, and with a Pantera GTS engine it performed well too. It drank well too....
     
  22. Maserati

    Maserati Rookie

    May 10, 2004
    45
    As an ex-Kyalami owner, I can tell this is the most underrated Maserati. Back to 100% traditionnal layout/components after the Citroën years, the chassis is excellent and the car's really sporty despite its weight/dimensions. I sold mine which was as good as you can get with low KMs and never restored/welded/rusted body about 4 years ago for CHF 58'000.- if I remember correctly. It went to Germany. That was top money at that time for a Kyalami but I'm sure I'd be able to sell it again as fast as it went last time for even more today! I somehow miss this car. It's one car that's much much much better in the flesh than in pictures! I'll see if I can find some pictures of that car.
     
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  23. finlandese

    finlandese Formula Junior

    Jan 1, 2006
    257
    Finland
    Kyalami was on my short list before buying my Longchamp (along with Iso Lele, Alfa Montreal, Ferrari 308gt4/400). I might´ve ended up with one, if weren´t for a picture of the Longchamp prototipo, that I saw in a French classic car mag. After that recreating that car became an obsession... In any case, Maseratis have been an excellent source of spare parts for my car.

    f308jack,

    I wasn´t too thrilled about the Granada lights either, but I solved the problem by switching to clear indicators, which disguised them enough for me. Actually a bigger problem was the area between the lights and the grille, that is almost kit car like in the production Longchamp. IMHO mine has a better solution.
     
  24. Simon

    Simon Moderator
    Moderator Owner

    Aug 29, 2003
    6,750
    Switzerland
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    Simon
    This car used to belong to Lucas_P
     
  25. Ramboy

    Ramboy Formula Junior

    Aug 6, 2009
    766
    Stockholm
    Full Name:
    David Ramm
    Well nearly 10 years later that very Kyalami is now mine. I'm the second owner in Sweden - it came here in 2016. I believe there were about 40 5 Speed LHD 4.9 litre Kyalamis made. It still drives really nicely.
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