#1266 looking good...any kind of dark red Burgundy works very well on a Khamsin. Here it is a few years ago fresh out of the paintbooth and yes Bob it matches the floor too;-). best regards, Marc PS: Oh and George did I say I love fly yellow on a Merak? Image Unavailable, Please Login
In other news I was informed by Bonhams that 1298 sold this past weekend at the Greenwich Connecticut auction was bought by "a US broker". So it is not -yet?- on a ship and is likely to be made available within the US. The comments some of you made about the natural fluctuations of international commerce absolutely made sense and with the Euro becoming less strong vs the Dollar perhaps fewer cars will head from the US to Europe but that in itself does not generate new US buyers. It would not take much for interest to increase in the US, we just need Khamsins in good condition and devoid of walrus tusk bumpers to be seen by the public in major gatherings. I know when I took my car to cavallino at Moroso and Palm Beach in 2005 a lot of people commented on how great it looked and on how they had never seen one undisfigured. best regards, Marc
It would not take much for interest to increase in the US, we just need Khamsins in good condition and devoid of walrus tusk bumpers to be seen by the public in major gatherings. I know when I took my car to cavallino at Moroso and Palm Beach in 2005 a lot of people commented on how great it looked and on how they had never seen one undisfigured. best regards, Marc[/QUOTE] Marc, Funny you should say that Khamsins need more exposure, I think I can help a little. During the Mitty at Road Atlanta this year I met Dave Wallins and John Webber from Grassroots Motorsports when they came over to look at 1266. We talked for 30 min. about how it was the right car but the wrong time (and the hideous bumpers) for the Khamsin when it was launched. They asked if I would be open to having them write a feature article for their Classic Motorsports Magazine. Well, I pondered the question for about . . . 5 seconds and told them that I'm in! They have since contacted me and we're setting up a time in July to do the session. I would think that anything like this opportunity that exposes our cars to the public would help in generating interest and thereby increasing the value. I know that when I take the Khamsin to the local car shows it always draws a crowd and virtually no one knows what it is but nearly everyone is struck by it's design. Rick . . . .
Excellent Rick thatt's the spirit! Let me know if they need any help and I am a their disposal if they have any questions. Look forward to seeing what they do. best regards, Marc
I couldnt agree more. I am in a small non marque club in the south of Sydney called the R.O.M.E.O. Club. It stands for Retired (rude , recalcitrant, or whatever starts with R that fits) Old Mens Eating Out Club. A Club Dedicated to Classic Car and bikes. 20 odd member plus friends that go to various events and there are three Khamsins in it! The cars are greatly admired where ever they go and public perception is that they are worth a hundreds. The cars make it difficult to look at other cars at shows as we get trapped by people wanting to talk. I was going to have my car in a Classic car Mag here they took the pics and before it went to print the Mag went bust. My Daughter is a budding Movie person maker so I am pestering to her to do a video for you tube.
Thanks Marc. I'll be sure to let the guys know you are available for any details and especially the enthusiasm that surrounds the Maserati marque.
This is 1160 which is in need of restoration and is for sale. It is a 5-speed speed USA version which has been converted to the Euro bumpers. Rubber bumpers (not fiberglass) were used for the conversion. It has not run in over 6 years and there are some rust issues that need attention. Interior is original and can be saved. Matching number engine. Additional photos and details at: http://thecarnut.com/Khamsin76Yellow.html Ivan Image Unavailable, Please Login
Possibly re-painted yellow & blue interior? Looks like something Stephen James would have done. What's the deal with the rubber bumpers? The front one looks different. I thought the non USA ones were all fiberglass? Bob S.
Yes indeed Bob 1160 was white when new but since white is not so popular and I love fly yellow I for one have nothing against this color choice, particularly as with the blue interior it has Swedish flag colors It had been all this time with someone in rural Illinois who intended to restore it but he was smart to realize he could not afford it so he just kept it in storage. I actually saw 1160 brielfy in 1998 at Prestige Imports in Miami, lost in a sea of shiny flashy "exotic cars", it looked good but rust bubbling was just beginning. The front bumper probably just needs to be adjusted: when fitting a Euro bumper kit the adjustment of the front bumper has to be gotten right, no big issue just takes a few minutes. It deserves a good home and is the ONLY project Khamsin around so.... best regards, Marc
The factory Euro bumpers were rubber. The repro bumpers are fiberglass. The two nuts that hold the front bumper just need to be tightened. It was 95 degrees in Atlanta, which makes my storage warehouse even hotter. It was too hot to even tighten two bolts I would either leave the car yellow or go dark blue. The interior could stay blue or dyed black. I've had very good results using leather dyes from Color Plus. This Khamsin is definitely a project but is complete, unmolested, and too nice to part out. Ivan
.....comes for sale: http://www.artcurial.com/en/asp/fullCatalogue.asp?salelot=1855+++++138+&refno=10309546 Ciao! Walter
Hello Walter: Yes Artcurial contacted me about it a few weeks ago, they initally thought it was a prototype but it is a mid/late production car: AM120188 partly restored this winter by Lecoq a French workshop who strangely put their own chassis plate on each car they do...it is said to be the 1975 Geneva show car. What is odd (beyond the closed off vertical rear glass) is the front bumper seems to be in actual chrome like the prototypes...look forward to seeing it at Le Mans Classic. if you google carrosserie lecoq there are a couple of videos shot in their workshops one of which shows the car in passing. Obviously it is cosmetically superb but I write partly restored because no mention is made of mechanical condition which needs to be determined. This photo shows it at a show in the south of France in early spring. best regards, Marc Image Unavailable, Please Login
ThanksMarc. Yes, the car looks fantastic. Unfortunately I can`t make it to LM this year. Ciao! Walter
I remember this story. I think it was in the MIE mgagazine years back? I think he got the car for a song after watching it for a while in some guys barn. Bob S.
No what happened was he bought it from a garage in rural Illinois about 40 miles westo fo Chicago which had received 3 cars for service from a client...who turned out to be a bad apple. He had his 308 serviced drove off saying I will pay you when you have serviced the Khamsin and the Biturbo as well...in fact it was a way to get the service on the 308 without paying for it, he never came back so the mechanic got liens and clean titles on the two cars the Biturbo is long gone, the khamsin was bought by Matthew the chap who just sold it to Ivan though at the time Matthew had to wait a year for the garage to get the title. He then mentioned the car in Enrico's Maserati pages 5 years ago so I kept in touch with him the last few years and had "smelled" that he was not going to actually restore it and sure enough he agreed that selling it was the best option a few weeks ago. Hopefully now it can find a good home and be reborn as it deserves! best regards, Marc
Beatiful car. I thought only the very early Khamsins had "clean" fronts, i.e. came without the horizontal slats at the nose, but this 1975 model also has the early front. How common is that for cars made after 1974? Cheers, Gabriel
Well it is in the same general region of the country as the one I remember. I think(?) it was yellow as well. I wonder if the the story posted in VCM was laundered a bit or incomplete? So you leave behind a Biturbo and a Khamsin just to get your 308 serviced? Dumb. Sounds even more like the person I mentioned earlier. Bob S.
Hello Gabriel: This has been discussed before: write up ten theories toss them in the air and the one that falls closest is the correct one. To cut a long story short there is no clear answer, it is very Italian! If you go back through the thread you will find this discussed at lenght. use the search function or try around November 2009. Bob: The guy may not have actually intended to abandon the other two cars, it just worked out that way. There is another car (perhaps the one you are thinking about) which was amazingly similar in every way: AM120US1118 shown below. This was mentioned I think in the old Yahoo forum or elsewhere can't remember and it was also in the northern midwest, also a fly yellow project: see photo. This one I have lost track of as the data was from about 8 years ago I think. best regards, Marc Image Unavailable, Please Login
KHAMSIN S/N AM120US1298 $45 USD plus commission http://www.sportscardigest.com/greenwich-concours-auction-report-2010-bonhams/
Hello Graeme, thanks for the link, we discussed the car here a few days ago but it is interesting to read Rick Carey's review, I like and respect Rick but he is clearly very concours biased here: even mentioning the radio is bizarre when you have 3 lines of text for a whole car but never mind that, what I find astonishing is his grading the car as being a two minus! It is clearly one of the best ones around restored by one of the best shops in the world so unless the recent owner used it as a dune buggy I can't really understand 2-. On another note any luck persuading your daughter to do that video of your Khamsin yet;-)?! best regards, Marc
