Last week I went to Provence near Avignon to pick up a Ligier Maserati JS2 for a California Silicon valley client friend who also owns a Khamsin I sold to him 7 years ago. Well the seller also had a Khamsin; men of impeccable taste! It is one I had never seen in person: AM120-042 an early French market car sold by Thepenier: K 042 data Delivered 13/11/74 To Mr Rocca Radio Blaupunkt Vert (green) metal blanc (white) Resold 25/2/75 to Winterstein at 10200kms Seen at Avignon Motor festival 21-23 March 2014 August 24 2021 I inspected it at home of the owner near Cavaillon, when picking up the Ligier JS2 for ASW. Fabio Collina of Maserati Classiche sent me this data: Basic information: KHAMSIN (AM120) Chassis number AM120*042* Gearbox type Manual type ZF S 5.24/3 External colour "Verde Scuro" (Dark green) Interiors leather colour White Date of production 03/04/1974 Delivery area Saint Cloud (Île-de-France) End of quote. St Cloud is the west Paris suburb where Thepenier Maserati France was located. 87000kms. Part of the seats had been redone. The seller who does a lot of vintage rallies had a trunk carpet done with a big bump, shown in a photo to make room for a tool box. The tomato red color is unfortunate but the great news is that after I obtained the factory information the owner is very tempted to put it back to its original color He is coming in it to KHAMSIN CINQUANTA June 16-19 2022 with his rally driver wife! Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
For such an early Khamsin, it looks to be in excellent shape. The current owner has done a wonderful job in keeping it up with minimal attempts to redo it. I appreciate that this car is used and is not a garage queen.
Very true in my Registry database with info on about 360 cars as of this month those missing the most are early cars...so this one is a nice discovery. Also this man really drives all his cars, for example he was busy that day but the Ligier was driven 160kms/100 miles by his mechanic each way to its pre purchase inspection in July, no trailer
Sun visors and clip arrived from Campana, still in Maserati packaging. Excellent service and thanks again to Italiancars. Neil.
I am rebuilding the clutch slave cylinder and when one of the securing caps was removed the small piston (#37) came flying out before I could identify its orientation. The parts manual is not much help as the piston shown is different than the one on the car. I know this is a long shot but anyone know the proper orientation of this piston (it is not symmetrical)? I checked with my Citroen contacts and it appears this was a Maserati only part. Ivan Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Good Morning Ivan... Attached is a picture of the clutch slave when I did this work some time ago... Note the orientation of the spring to the piston.. It has been a while since I have had to do this so I cannot be absolutely certain that this is correct, but I probably took this picture to assist when rebuilding... You may wish to wait for corroboration from another source to be certain.. But perhaps this will help... Mike View attachment 3202325
I also don't recall this detail from when we did same. Nonetheless I think you (as corroborated by the parts manual) are right
Thanks Mike. Using the diagram from the parts manual it appears the spring goes towards the back of the car; which means if your photo has the spring in its correct location the longer part of the piston points towards the front of the car. I'll try that first and if it does not work I can always take it apart and flip the piston. Ivan
Hello Marc Here another K from long time ownership in Switzerland for sale. You may have good contacts with them already? No VIN yet. http://www.lutziger-classiccars.ch/maserati-Khamsin-1976-Rot_yi6w1SISdhgOw2zAcTeu2g.aspx Roger
Hi Roger, Good to hear from you. A converted US car in Switzerland...? Hmmm I have to do some digging. A lot more fun than just asking Lutziger for the chassis number...but if no clue tomorrow of course I will. Back on this tomorrow.
Well I emailed the Lutzigers to ask because the only US K's I have known to be in Switzerland are 1168 which now has Paris plates but is still in Geneva and 1288 but it was black on black last I saw photos of it so considering this one has been 23 years in the same ownership it looks like another that comes out of nowhere, anther one that stayed under the radar. Will let you know if and when I get an answer. The few US cars sold directly in Europe, like 1168 which was sold new locally in Modena actually, were sold with a km gauge not miles, this was a legal requirement as Ermanno Cozza confirmed to me years ago. Of course US cars sold new in the US and then privately reimported to Europe had and in most cases still have their speedometer in miles.
It actually has a kilometer gauge, I think that is required in Switzerland as well (my Lotus has a km gauge for speed but counts miles ) and it reads 07055, so it is your guess if the 107'000 declared are correct. The only other picture i had of this car (I think it was used on a classic rally sometime) shows it was on number plates from BL (Canton of Basel Land). Image Unavailable, Please Login
Another one I cannot identify, apparantly an automatic, US- or Japan model, living in Australia Image Unavailable, Please Login
This silver one in your photo is actually a right hand drive because it has the additional hood/bonnet vent that only RHD cars have so it is either a car sold new to Oz or one imported later from the UK. As you know Japanese cars are all left hand drive because they insisted on having them "like in Italy" (imagine their struggles at the toll booths in Japan! Speaking of unidentified cars this one was spotted in a workshop, I believe in Holland, ten days ago: would love to know which one it is, apparently freshly painted looking great....though the bumpers should be silver and black not body colour. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Hi Marc About the car in Australia, I did not notice it was RHD, just spotted those horrible indicator boxes underneath, I don't think they were delivered like this in the UK? And about the lastest spot in Holland that must be 244, judging by the F1 rear view mirrors. So it was repainted from that ghastly red. I thougth you said it should become Luci del Bosco, a lighter version of it, but I like it! Roger
The Aussi car could have been resprayed as well, I think it could be 353, an automatic with black interior, formerly a faded Oro Kelso. What do you think?
Hi Roger, Yes it is a conundrum but there were various market requirements in various countries so that would explain it.... Regarding the luci del Bosco car yes bravo you are right it has to be 244! It was bought at the Gallery Aaldering by a major fashion figure in Holland and Nick aaldering had told me the buyer's intention was to paint it in this color. As you say it seems a bit ligher than that, here for comparison below is a photo of 337 in actual Luci del Bosco I took during a visit to McGraths in April 2019. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Ah the former Dilip Sen car...well it could be...It (also) has those boxes under the nose though the mirrors would have been changed since they don't match. Here some old photos of it. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
So Fabian Lutziger, Koni' son kindly answered. This is AM120US1048 over which I only had a few notes K 1048 Here is what Fabian was able to share: - Unit shipped from Maserati, Italy in April 1976. - Sold to Denver, CO. dealer Johnson Fine Car Stone on June 12, 1976. -Unit Licensed on June 17, 1976 in Colorado under 16FDP60 to list Owner Mr. Alexander Giacco. My notes: Viale Ciro Menotti member roster 1984 Khamsin 1976 Al Homen Tulare, Ca Back to Fabian Lutziger's notes: 15 August 1989 arrival in Switzerland from the USA to a first Swiss owner Mr R. in Bern CH. Second Swiss owner a Dr. G W from Schaffhausen. Third Swiss owner the current consigner who bought it in 1998. Will ask Fabio Collina for original color.
It looks much better without silver painted bumpers, IMHO. The more you reduce the "presence" of the bumpers, the better. - Art
Another very good reason to always have an accommodating and beautiful woman in the car ... Here you almost have to have a fast pass now and even with that one is always fighting the collection agencies foul ups over the phone.