Maserati Khamsin

Thank you Magnus you have a PM.

Best regards,

Marc

 

So...as I mentioned the other day it would be interesting to know how many US Khamsins have relocated to Europe, meaning how many are left in the US I suspected it was quite a few.

There were 155 US model Khamsins made, of which 100 were 5 speed and 55 automatics. Of these a handful were sold new in Canada and one or two stayed in Europe.

Of the 155 I have some information on 76 cars, just about half and of these and among those 24 are known to be in Europe so that is 33% of a known 50% so, considering polls are usually done on much smaller percentages, we could venture to estimate that 48 out of 155 are in Europe. Ad to that the cars destroyed, left to rot etc it confirms what I thought: the number of cars in the US is not very high: I will now work on estimating that one in the next few days.

If anyone wants the list of US Khamsins I know about (for some of them it is very little) let me know.

Then I will tell you about the stolen 5 speed white US Khamsin...in the US northeast....and about the "Gentleman" whom I met in Florida who told me he had a Khamsin, eventually showed me photos -yes it was white, 5 speed- but never ever gave me the chassis number....

Best regards,

Marc

 

Here are sone gratuitious shots of AM120US1230 taken for the Car & Driver 1978 article. Those hooligans just used this car for photos and used another, which is now Joe Corbaccio's car, for the actual test drive: their behaviour and report is best not mentioned, suffice to say as Joe already recounted in a story in VCM, they did not treat that car respectfully...so...the only good thing about them was these photos and I just love fly yellow so here you go: enjoy. They are just magazine pages scanned by way of a poor scanner but it still looks stunning despite the US bumpers.

It is now in Sweden in a rather long term and ambitious full restoration...

Best regards,

Marc
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The person driving the car in the photos is former Maserati North America President George Garbutt. If I remember the story correctly, the photographer's feet were tapped to the roof of a U-Haul truck to take the pictures while the car was in motion on the street.

Joe
BTW the actual Test car was #1226.

 

Thanks for that info Joe: I have been in touch with Frank Garbutt but did not know this was him. Small word I found myself next to his son Frank on a plane once.

Doing car to car photography, moving shots as I call them, can have its moments and I could tell some stories.

Best regards,

Marc

 

Sorry meant George Garbutt...

 

Attached are some Pictures of my 1977 Khamsin # AM 120US1124. As you can see I have converted the rear bumper but not the front. The car has 96000 miles so it does get driven.
Does anyone know where to get the plastic hoses and rubber boots for the air intake?

 

MIE should have those items. IMHO, yellow looks great on this type of Maserati!
Ciao,
George

 

MIE does not have the hose or the rubber boots, I have also asked Kyle F and Jacque but with no results. Sorry the pictures did not go thru, I got an error message that said a security key did not work.
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Hello Eugene: we communicated a couple of years ago: congratulations on doing your rear bumper!

If the sources mentoned do not have these parts then try BillMcGrath's in England (Andy Heywood is the man to speak to there: you can email) or Carozzerria Campana in Modena (best to fax them a short precise fax in simple English.

They both have websites.

Let me know if you have any trouble, will be glad to help.

Was your car ever for sale in the Los Angeles Beverly Hills area about 5 years ago?

Best regards,

Marc

 

IMHO, yellow looks great on this type of Maserati!
Ciao,
George[/QUOTE]

Hi George:

Yes glad you agree!

Unfortunately I only know of five fly yellow cars so far, all of which were US cars:

1046 now in Los Angeles area
1272 now in north eastern Italy

Photo of those two both stunning have been posted previously in this thread.

The others are:

1118 upper midwest needs full restoration (photo in barn)
1160 also upper midwest, neds full restoration (photo outside)
1230 in Sweden undergoing long term full restoration (photo of car taken apart)

There is a butter yellow car in England (409) but that is not an original color: also enclosed: enjoy!

Another color that is intersting is light gold: that brings out the subtle lines of a Khamsin very well.

Best regards,

Marc
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Marc, Thanks for the info on Bill McGrath and Campana, while I am aware of both of these suppliers I did not try either. My car has not been For Sale since I bought it in 1984. I am in No CA near SF

 

Great story Joe, do you or anyone know where he is today? I know his father lived well into his 90's so I am sure George is still kickin.
I loved his stories about his times with DeTomaso.
Gene, your Khamsin looks great, the Euro bumper, red leather and automatic IS the only way to go, IMHO.
Ciao,
FGM

 

Frank,
He is still in the Baltimore area. I see him and Jean on occassion. They are usually at Fall Hershey or at Jessilonis place in Glen Burnie when I visit the pieces of #1226.


Joe

 

I can PM you his phone number if you want.

 

Hello all:

Just had some interesting French Khamsin news: AM120016, which was sold from long term ownership in April 2007 has now changed hands in the Grenoble area.

The man who just sold it is the person who bought the red Khamsin AM120132 which dealer Jean Guikas had for some time and which was sold at the June Paris auction of Artcurial.

Khamsin AM120204, very badly wrecked in 1988, 60 miles south of Paris, having sat there like that 20 years in the ownership of the man who also had 016 until April 2007, has now been sold, to the man from Grenoble who now has 132.He is a professional Citroen restorer and collector one of the best there is of the former and the latter. He confirmed 204 is dead and buried so he is dismantling what can be saved.

RIP 204.....


The man who owned 204 and 016 all these years had also many years ago bought bits from a navy blue Khamsin which had been totalled, when he still hoped to restore 204...so now I have to figure out the # of the navy blue car....

Best regards,

Marc

 

Hello all. I am new to the forum and I was drawn here by the shared passion for the Khamsin. By the way, to Marc S. - I can confirm that I purchased 1975 Khamsin AM120US1112, automatic, in Silver over black hides - with US Bumpers. The alternator is being replaced in Pompano, but it will soon reside in Miami Florida.

I read with great interest the post about Marcello Gandini's "reaction" to seeing the U.S. bumpers. I am almost convinced to do the conversion and I understand that it is a personal and aesthetic decision, but I am curious about other owners' experience - does the conversion alter the value? With many classics/antiques original resotration is highly recomended and valued. What are the experiences here? I guess one coul agrue that the conversion is actually a restoration to the original design - but not as originally delivered. Curious to see your thoughts. Thanks!

 

http://www.maseratikhamsinregistry.com/bumper_kit.html

Hello Michael: congrats on buying it in the end and welcome to the thread: it is sporadic but as you can tell a lot of people do view it. I always give it a good BUMP! when needed, if needed and by the way any photos, comments questions are always appreciated: this is not one of those idiot filled threads that degenerate: it takes some refinement and intelligence to appreciate Khamsins....I think!

The above link is my how to which also serves as a report on the experience.

Read it carefully including the part about being prepared up front: think like a McLaren or Penske team have checklists, get the logisitics right before you start.

Luc Grondin in Hollywood Florida has done my car with me as clumsy helper then, during a 3 month sabbatical, I did a friends car and someone else asked me to do their car so I have done three. See if Luc will do it: his number as far as I know should still be 954 494 8772. He is very talented and a good person we used to go kayaking in the Everglades with his wife.

The satisfaction of seeing your car undisfigured at the end is very intense: I was more emotional to see it ready than when I bought it, because it was finally the way it should be.

Don't hesitate to ask any questions!

Best regards,

Marc
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A cuple of photos of Euro silver Khamsin back ends for you: AM120382, Paris area.

 

The photos:
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Michael to answer your point about value re. the bumper conversion which I failed to do above: go for it. The sheer ugliness of the US version just turns people off completely: bystanders, market observers, buyers. When my car still had those bumpers I saw people frown as if they had a sour taste in their mouth...including friends of mine who thought I did not see them...people will buy a Maserati...they will not buy a bumperati: it can only have a positive effect on value.

My K had been in Wisconsin with a very nice guy; Lance, who had it for sale (this is back in 2000-2002 well before the market changed) and due to it being far from typical markets for these cars and the unusual color (people are like lemmings) had no real interest...but the third reason which discouraged anybdy from far away to go see and buy it was that it had the US bumpers. I had decided that I would do the bumper conversion (of course) before I bought it.

Hope this answers your question.

Best regards,

Marc

 

Hi Marc. Thanks for the great info (as usual). I will follow up and try to reach Luc.

I will shoot some before and after pics of the car to post here as well.

By the way, I picked up the issue with your article about the one-off Khamsin Spyder - great stuff.

Thanks and have a great weekend.

 

Thank you Michael: say hello to Luc for me and yes look forward to the photos.

Best regards,

Marc

 

Gang,

last weekend saw the anual Int. MASERATI Classic Rallye 2008, this year hosted by the German MASERATI Club.
Among the 68 cars from 7 European countries were no less than 8 Khamsin.

The silver car is #306, owned by Mrs. Caroline Fürth, the only woman in Europe who owns her own Khamsin!
The blue car is #413, owned by Mr. Cunningham from the UK (its a RHD)
The "Rosso Rubino"-car is #352, owned by Heini Pfenninger from CH (this car has exactly the same 2-tone interior as #306, the only tuned version by Maserati! To my knowledge only this 2 cars had that color combo interior!)
Unknown for me was this very early green car. It had a shattering performance and sound!!! (as I was involved in the event organization I could not check the VIN.)

Not pictured here are #346 (owned by Mr. Arlt/Germany), 1238 (Mr. Eyben/Germany) and #392 (Mr. Harms/NL).

It were fantastic 4 days!

Ciao!
Walter
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Thank you Walter, I was looking forward to that: 8?! I would have had a stroke on the spot

I can think of two early green Khamsins in that shade of green:

AM120082 in Sweden at the Rosersberg event a week before your event in Dresden (photo courtesy fchatter Magnus) but no: mirrors are different or...

This other car (the smaller photo) which was offered by a dealer in Germany last year: no mirror in the photo of back then but one could and would logically have been added. Additional headlights could have been removed...the interior matches...who knows hard to tell at this point.

Looks like it was a tremendous event!

Berst regards,

Marc
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