Maserati Ghibli 5000 SS

The Maserati Ghibli - Giorgietto Giugiaro's masterpiece. Long hood, flowing lines, large windows, short rear end. The maximized elegance made this design immortal. Even today, the Ghilbli still impresses with its beguiling beauty and the sound of its V8 glides into the ears of car enthusiasts as a smooth symphony.

Its competitors were the Ferrari 330 GTC, the 275 GTB (and later the Daytona) and the Lamborghini 350 GT/400 GT. The Lamborghini Miura belonged to a different category, because with its less luxurious mid-engine concept it was more of a racing car. The Ghibli never wanted to be a racing car and, in line with the expectations of a Gran Turismo, has enough storage space for longer journeys as well as a comfortable interior.

The Ghibli was shown for the first time in November 1966 at the Turin Motor Show. Automobil Revue wrote at the time:

„The newcomer from the house of the trident Neptune is a prestige car with two seats, which was dressed by Ghia in an almost sensational way. The basis is the chassis of the Maserati Mexico, shortened to a wheelbase of 255 cm. The 4.7-liter V8 engine was adopted as the drive unit, delivering 330 DIN hp with its four camshafts.

In order to reduce the height of the front end, dry sump lubrication was used. The smooth surfaces of the harmonious body lend the model, christened «Ghibli» (desert wind), the necessary visual breed. The Maserati Ghibli is one of the most beautiful models on show in Turin.“

A tubular trellis frame formed the platform for the body and the engine had four overhead camshafts, light alloy cylinder heads and four Weber downdraft twin carburetors. The only conservative feature of the car was the rear axle suspension, which used a rigid axle with leaf springs.

With acceleration from 0 to 100 in just 7 seconds, the Maserati was in the top league of sports cars available at the time. Only the Lamborghini Miura and the Ferrari Daytona, introduced in 1968, were faster. Fuel consumption averaged around 23 liters per 100 kilometers. This was compensated not only by the driving performance, but also by the resulting concert. You could read about it in Auto Motor und Sport:

“Maserati has ensured that the processes in the combustion chamber are not concealed from the public by excessive silencing. Under «Important», the owner's manual states: «Your vehicle is equipped with an exhaust system that has been approved by Ispettorato Generale della Motorizzazione. The fact that the silencers comply with the regulations of the Italian authorities does not mean that the exhaust noise limit will not be exceeded under certain operating conditions.»

The Ghibli was built from 1967 to 1973. In 1968 it received a new addition to the family in the form of the open-top version, which was called the “Spyder”. In 1969, the engine was enlarged to 4930 cm3 and the power was increased to 335 hp, indicated by an “SS” in the designation, internally it was called 115/49, although the 4.7-liter engine continued to be built in parallel.