Maserati

The Maserati Ghibli was first unveiled as a two-seater concept car at the November 1966 Salone dell'Automobile di Torino. Its steel body, characterized by a low, shark-shaped nose, was designed by a young Giorgetto Giugiaro, then working at Ghia. The car featured pop-up headlamps, leather front sport seats and alloy wheels. Two rear seats consisting of nothing more than a cushion without a backrest were added to the production model, allowing the Ghibli to be marketed as a two-door, 2+2 fastback coupé. The car was powered by a front placed 4,719 cc V8 engine, with an output of 306 hp and a top speed of 250 km/h. The two-seat Ghibli Spyder went into production in 1969. Also introduced in 1969 was the Ghibli SS. Its new engine displaced 4,930 cc and was rated at 330 hp. Its top speed of 280 km/h made it the fastest Maserati road car ever produced at the time. A Spyder version was introduced in the same year. In all, 1,170 coupés and 125 Spyders (including 45 Spyder SS) were produced. The Ghibli went out of production in 1973; it was succeeded the following year by the Bertone-designed Khamsin.