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Maserati Shamal - Italian shock therapy

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Created on January 24, 2020

Text:

Daniel Koch

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

17

Archiv

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Daniel Reinhard

17

Archiv

10

Maserati Shamal (1989) - A V8 engine works in the unconventionally styled front end

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Maserati Shamal (1989) - Powerhouse from Modena

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Maserati Shamal (1989) - It is just as high as its little brother, the Biturbo: 130 cm

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Maserati Shamal (1989) - Unconventional rear end

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Maserati Shamal (1989) - Fierce look

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Maserati Shamal (1989) - Unusual mix of round and angular headlights

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Maserati Shamal (1989) - Not only the front polarized

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Maserati Shamal (1989) - Four-pipe exhaust system

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Maserati Shamal (1989) - Unconventional B-pillar

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Maserati Shamal (1989) - Extensive spoiler work

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Maserati Shamal (1989) - Striking rear end with trident

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Maserati Shamal (1989) - A Gandini specialty: the diagonally cut rear fender cut-out

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Maserati Shamal (1989) - The front was fitted with 225 25 ZR 16 tires

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Maserati Shamal (1989) - The early models were only available with a black interior

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Maserati Shamal (1989) - V8 engine with 3217 cc displacement

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Maserati Shamal (1989) - The maximum torque was already available at 2800 rpm

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Maserati Khamsin (1974) - one of the most beautiful designs by Marcello Gandini

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Maserati Shamal (1990) - compact coupé with short overhangs

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Maserati Shamal (1990) - Marcello Gandini was responsible for the design

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Maserati Shamal (1990) - powerful rear end

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Maserati Shamal (1990) - Interior

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Maserati Shamal (1989) - Unusual look

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Maserati Shamal (1989) - Brochure

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Maserati Shamal (1989) - A bit of biturbo is already recognizable

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Maserathi Shamal (1989) - View of the engine

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Maserati Shamal (1989) - Four-way adjustable suspension

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Maserati Khamsin (1977) - a wedge between curves

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Summary

Not only the brand's fans were shocked, the trade press was also irritated when Alejandro de Tomaso presented the Shamal. Despite all the efforts made by designer Gandini, hardly anyone described the latest addition to the Maserati family as a classic beauty at the time. This vehicle report tells the story of the V8 coupé and shows it in many historical illustrations.

This article contains the following chapters

Little applause
Critical press
The maestro speaks
New top model
Eight instead of six cylinders
Adjustable suspension
Compact sports car
Musical exhaust
Dreariness in the cockpit
Finding a name
Pay with lire

Estimated reading time: 6min

Preview (beginning of the article)

Marcello Gandini, of all people, the creator of the style-defining Lamborghini Miura, father of the iconic Countach and designer of many other bodies that are still among the most beautiful in automotive history, was commissioned to design a new flagship for Maserati. Due to the requirement to adopt the bodyshell of the Biturbo and parts of the Spyder's floor assembly, Gandini's creativity was severely restricted, which was clearly reflected in the appearance of the Shamal. The result was a powerful sports car whose design is still polarizing today. Hans-Karl Lange wrote in issue 2 of "Auto Exklusiv" in 1991: "Pregnant armadillo, tuning car from the Far East, Quasimodo's brother - these and similar comments were made when Maserati boss Alejandro de Tomaso presented the company's future top model on December 14, 1989. Even the most loyal friends of the sports car brand, which was exactly 75 years old to the day, were shocked. In the past, Maserati had always stood for elegant, sensitively designed cars. But this Shamal - short, stocky and hunchbacked in its stature, with aggressively glaring projection headlights and some body details that are beyond noble."

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