Maserati Khamsin

Thanks to Roger locating the museum and thanks to Shinichi Ekko President of the Maserati club Japan contacting them for me we have found that the barn find car of last year is AM120-064.

Fabio Collina provided the following info below: so it was dark blue new not red. FYI all Japanese delivery cars were left hand drive (to be "like in Italy"). It was one of 31 car delivered new in Japan, 21 of which were automatic so one of ten 5 speed. Shinichi and I agreed that about ten survive in running condition as quite a few were lost to the climate and neglect. This was corroborated by a Japanese lady tracking down some for me a few years ago.

Basic information:

KHAMSIN (AM120)

Chassis number

AM120*064*

Model

KHAMSIN (AM120)

Body

Bertone - Closed

Displacement

4.930 cm3 - Carburettors

Gearbox type

Manual type ZF S 5.24/3

External colour

“Blue Sera” (Dark metallic Blue)

Interiors leather colour

White

Date of production

08/05/1974

Right hand drive

No

Delivery area

Yokohama - Japan



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very neat find. Japan often shocks with discoveries such as this, often wondering how the cars legally got there as they are often missing from other countries!

 

Thanks, not my find in any way but very happy to see it emerge.

In this case as you can see from the factory details it is entirely legitimate.

It is luckier than some other Japanese K's....





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...but thankfully some are very well preserved in Japan: for example this one was repainted white which has a special meaning of purity there.

 

Hi Marc

maybe originality has won over purity, because this very car has again changed colour.
If you have such good contacts they may find out about the VIN of this one too?

Regards, Roger
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http://ookami-museum.com/


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Hi Roger,

I looked through the website and did not find an email address...

 

Hi Marc

you are right, the owner likes to draw mangas, but has an aversion for emails, sorry

Address:
Ikisu
Kamisu, Ibaraki
314-0133
Japan

Phone
+81 299-95-5550
FAX:
+810299-92-9870

 

Thanks Roger, ok your turn, send him a flying pigeon message, we'll have the answer in 2025;-)

 

Hello

Prestige Cars in Zurich seem to have another Rosso Fuoco K at their premises.
Cannot figure out which car that shoud be, with white interior and padded steering wheel, now beeing 'upgraded' to BBS-wheels and with roof antenna(?)...

https://www.picuki.com/media/3028831361917032226

 

I knew it was familiar but its' been a while: 274.

Been around Zurich for decades, first registration in Switzerland 10-10-77, was owned until around 2010 by a Peter Meier.

Robert Daetwyler who has or had a garage in eastern Switzerland emailed me about it in 2010. He had it for engine service years before that and sent me these wonderfully evocative photos by the then owner. One of a handful of cars with BBS wheels fitted by owners after purchase: not factory.

Good to see it raring to get on the road!

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Hi

it looks as though #300 has been sold in Japan and is no longer in that private museum

https://daiyaauto.co.jp/car2/index105.html


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Hi Roger,

Hopefully it will go back on the road. It has a bit of an odd interior, I mean to say the seats, totally incorrect. Of course it could use a full redo as it has sat sleeping there for years.
Don't know what color it was new but certainly not fly yellow, only 7 K's all US cars were born fly yellow.



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Funny as I am usually particular about original looks but those wheels don't look half bad do they!

 

Well like everything it is a matter of opinion and taste. I bought and fitted BBS type wheels on one of my other cars ( not a Maserati) 30 years ago though so I don't dislike them per se but they do steal a bit of attention from the car's design.

 

another yellow Khamsin with its steering wheel on backwards

 

We've seen a few Maseratis with the steering wheel mounted backwards. Is it possible they left the factory that way? Perhaps the cars were assembled after a "two grappa lunch".

Ivan

 

The grappa producer's association just asked the Italian government to ban you from visiting;-)

 

I always thought it was the Lambrusco @ lunch that was a potential issue?
I had grappa but once in Cortina ... blah! Made from the dregs of the pressings, no thanks.

 

Remove horn button, 4 - 10mm (?) bolts, turn wheel around, reverse procedure. Hardest part is securing the horn button bezel with the wire ring

 

Hi all,
has anyone experience with the Maserati Classiche certification service?
Since Dec 2021 Maserati Classiche is offering a certification service for classic Maseratis in Modena. As I'm interested in it I wanted to see if someone did this already and if it's worth the effort (they need the car for 7 working days) and costs (about €3500.-)? Thoughts? Experiences?
Here the link, featuring a nice Khamsin: https://www.maserati.com/gb/en/news/maserati-certification-of-authenticity-the-new-maserati-classiche-programme-begins

 

Hello Lucas!

Well it is a lot cheaper than Ferrari comparatively. You are not too far from the factory so you can drop it there, fly back from Bologna then pick it up when they are finished and enjoy Italy from behind the wheel.
I know 142 (dark blue, now Belgium based, photo) has been certified and it is coming to K50. The white car (photo) is 270, based in Modena which you saw at K40 and which you will also see again at KHAMSIN CINQUANTA with cars from eleven countries!

As to certification it is a personal choice, a nice thing to have for some, less relevant for others. I suppose if I had my Khamsin now and it was a Euro model I would do it. Fabio Collina is due to come to K50 as a judge so you can ask him about it then.

FYI while yours is a Euro model this is the time to mention I had multiple lengthy exchanges with the factory to try to convince them to allow US version Khamsins converted to Euro bumpers to be certified (at least 80 of the 155 US cars have been converted) but while they considered my points and very candid and understanding about the issue, agreeing that the US version was ugly and not desired by the factory but forced by the US rules, they have their hands legally tied so converted US models cannot be certified. So since my ex K was a converted US model (by my own hands!) I would not try to certify it since it can't be.



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Personally I see very little value in the certification process for pedestrian cars like the Khamsin, Bora, Merak and Ghibli only perhaps for the spyder.
But if you must then have it done before you remove the bumpers & side markers then keep that document plus documentation of what's done to convert the car in the car's dossier along with the pieces removed.

I would expect that no one would pay top dollar for a fully USA spec Khamsin anyway though Bora 1044 which is mostly USA spec sure did well the last time it was auctioned.
I should think a well documented car in this manner, converted Khamsin would sell for more.

I cannot imagine who would leave the bumpers on?

 

Hello all...

A while back I believe there was some discussion regarding the small spare wheels used on Khamsin's. Specifically I
believe owners were trying to find one if at all possible. If I also remember correctly, the discussion then went on to
discuss possible substitutes, such as tractor wheels, etc.....

I received an e-mail today from Classic Motorsports, whose magazine I subscribe to. The e-mail referenced an auction
in England (I believe) of what is being called The Garagista Collection by RM / Sotheby's. I looked through many of the lots available and there
are a few Maserati items listed. Although no Khamsin small spares were listed, there were listings for a Porsche Boxster,
Lamborghini Countach, Ferrari 328, 512 BBi , 360 space saver wheels. I am not sure if any of these would fit the K, let alone
be an acceptable substitute. But, I thought I would mention it in case anyone wants to look into these!

Mike

 

Last month and on request by Maserati S.p.A., I was involved in the certification process of an A6GCS. We also talked about the US-versions-back-to-EU-specs.-issue. They clearly do not want to change their standpoint on this. I find it a pity as Ferrari is not that harsh with their US-models. OK, legally only their 308-versions made it to the US and these cars now get their certification from Maranello.
But I have to admit that a 308 in US-specs looks still much better than the terrible looking US-Khamsin which was -IMHO- the peak of uglyness on an Italian car.
I can`t also understand the "legal"-aspect in the argumentation of Maserati Classiche. But Maserati is the copyright-owner of all their cars and can accept anything like that (as long as it does not harm safety-issues!).
Basically, I think that the certification process would give the cars from Maserati a better reputation in the market - and this would also include -for me- the US-cars!