Only now I discovered this very interesting thread, which has been going on for so long! I am linked with a very special story to the Khamsin. Because, when I had just acquired my driving licence at the age of 18 in 1986, 6 months later I got the opportunity to drive a Khamsin! That came though a friend in the Swiss village of Scoul, who had been a long time owner of a Khamsin, and to whom I had become acquainted years earlier, when I had asked him whether I could take photos of the car and write about it in my school newspaper. At that time, I was still going to school, but he told me then, once I had become 18 and were in possession of a driving licence, I could drive it. I wonder what happened to the car. It was a blue Khamsin, registered in the Swiss county Graubünden (number plate GR ...), and the name of the owner was Otto M. Augustin from Scuol (or Schuls in the Swiss-German way of writing). He was owner of the local shopping center (which he developed out of the small supermarket of his father) and a local politican. Augustin died a few years ago.
Hello Sven, Glad you got out of the book section and had a look around I am sorry I have no data on this car I don't have any photo of a Graubünden canton K. There are many shades of blue and there are several K's missing in Switzerland, just around Zurich there are 15 or so if you dig well. In August 2010 we did a small meeting near Zurich with a local owner friend of mine and gathered 8. Without some absent on holidays we could have had 12. Group photos attached. One possible car is 396 which spent much of its life in eastern Switzerland and has stayed below the radar mostly (individual photos). Could it be this one? Which shade of blue, do you remember? there are many from light to dark. Glad that it affected you so positively 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 Image Unavailable, Please Login
Hello Marc, Thank you very much for answering so swiftly! First, I have to convey a compliment to you: When I desparately looked for any book published about the Khamsin some years ago, I came across your book about the Maserati-Citroen Years and I was - and still am - totally enthusiastic about it! When I Iooked through it and read it, I knew I had found the right book! You provided much pleasure for me with it! I took exensive photos of "my" Khamsin, most of which are stored somd 900 kilometres away at the attic of my parent's house. But I am sure I also have some of them here at my flat at Lake Constance. I will look for them and scan them for you. The livery was a dark blue. The interior was a creme-like colour, except the dashboard, which was covered with dark material. Manual gearbox. Augustin drove the car just in spring and summer and used a Subaru the rest of the year!
Hello Marc, I went through all boxes with old photos, but I didn't find the Khamsin pictures. Unfortunately, I left all the stuff at the attic of my parents when I moved out a long, long time ago. As they are 900 km away, it will take some time until I can "rescue" them.
Hello Sven I am sure it is #298, probably still in Switzerland, I talked to the second owner a few years ago. He confirmed to me that it belonged to a Mr. Augustin, he thought he was from Sent near Scuol. The car was originally Blu metallizzato, which is a lighter shade than Blue sera but darker than Celeste chiaro, and white interior. Later it was repainted 'resale red'. The second owner regretted his choice later on. I live near Schaffhausen, so you may not be very far from my home. Best regards Roger
Here some of its history and a pic confirming the original colour Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Hello Roger, Thank you very much for this precious information! Highly appreciated. Now that I know it's #298, maybe I can research some more information. I can understand the second owner for regretting the repaint - the Khamsin really looked great in her original livery. And as it appears, it hasn't been done very properly ... Yes, the Augustin family is from the little, beautiful village of Sent near Scuol, but Mr. Augustin himself lived in Scuol, at least, he had a flat there and a garage, while the Khamsin was parked in the garage of his shopping centre during the winter. As you live near Schaffhausen, yes, we should try to meet one day!!! Indeed, it's not that far away from Konstanz ;-) Best wishes Sven
And incredible that the car had just clocked 2,000 km in Augustin's ownership! So I can really feel privileged so have added some of the few kilometres
Sorry to correct you, but the 2'000 km was when the car was first sold by the garage in Chur, so it was probably a demonstration car until then. The ad is from end of August 1978, so it was new then. Here some more info: Build date february 1978 First delivery current Maserati distributor Lugano Switzerland Owner september 1978, Hr Duerst, Davos (Sportplatz-Garage), I suppose not registered as he is owner of Garage Duerst 1st Registration october 1978 Owner 1978 - 1991, Hr Augustin, Sent Serviced by Garage Bjarsch, later Herr Fausch Engine rebuild 1993 last roadworthy 23.09.1997 The car was well used thereafter and clocked up 147'000 km! I would have loved to test drive this car as you have done! Roger
Great work Roger, 298 is naother I had nothing on, typically another that was under the radar tucked away in Switzerland. Now to start with we need to find 260 laat seen at the delaer Galantica in Valais years ago-first three photos- and the Neuchatel twins Of course perhaps it is one of the twins (photo at the Dijon Prenois F1 GP 1979 by Pierre Lemounier). Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Khamsin 082 in one of several trips of thousands of kilometers each in Europe this summer, copyright owner DR. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Hi Mark, It is non factory but yes, stunning I call it emerad green. AM120-82 was owned by Fredrik A, treasurer of the Swedish Maserati club when I saw it at the 2010 MIR event in southern Sweden and when I rode in it in Stockholm in 2014. Then it went to Holland for a while. It has been owned for several years by a Berliner who organizes tours and drives it a lot. It actually has an Indy engine because the original motor was blown on the autobahn in the 80's or early 90's after which it sat as a project for a while. The owner has a proper Khamsin engine and gearbox and will eventually install them. He sourced these from Khamsin 208 which he bought from Japan and shipped over but it was too far gone to be restored so it was retired and used for parts. Here some photos of 082 in Sweden: the first two with Fredrik winning an award at a concours and later photos in Germany by current owner DR. It has a gorgeous tan interior with a nicely made custom trunk cover in tan leather. Not the most factory correct car but certainly very attractive, all in good taste. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Having just rebuilt a weak clutch slave cylinder in 1196, and ending up with a dead clutch pedal - I'm picking up the topic of bleeding the clutch slave cylinder on a Khamsin. First reference page 80 of the Owner's Manual. - No priming or bench bleeding is necessary. - The manual describes needing to pump the brake 8-10 times to fill a 'special recovery tank', with the engine running, and then the clutch pedal, and alternate this a few times before the clutch system will expel air and the slave cylinder begin to function. - I found you can also bleed the clutch slave 'conventionally' via the little bleed nipple on the bottom and having an assistant pump the clutch pedal, with the engine running, and you release the pedal pressure as appropriate for the pedal position of a conventional brake or clutch hydraulic circuit. This will expel air in the clutch slave system. Cheers, - Art
A question for the tech minded, asked by the workshop restoring the front end crashed Khamsin 182 in Poland: thanks in advance for any help. Hi Marc, Sorry to bother you but maybe you will be able to help on a Khamsin detail. It is about the bonnet positioning. My guys are asking how this should be in original – there is a double jump on the seating where the bonnet is placed. And some cars have it positioned on the lower edge and some on the higher edge. What is the correct setting? Thanks in advance for any help.
Ignore my post I understood what they were meaning, they were looking at another car with the bonnet/hood incorrectly mounted, I sent them plenty of reference photos of good cars.
Hello to all #400 is now restored and for sale at Prestige Cars in Switzerland https://www.classic-trader.com/de/automobile/inserat/maserati/khamsin/khamsin/1981/301691
For a freshly restored car including replacement of the engine, the engine bay with worn rubbers and hoses looks poor. The leather in the cabin is also not in the most attractive condition... But if the rest of the restoration has been well carried out, why not, the price itself is attractive
Great to see that they finished it, odd that the dash top and glove box lid are black, other than that decent value for money.
