Many reckon the Ghibli is the greatest of all road-going Maseratis. It was the sensation of the 1966 Turin Show, and today it’s widely regarded as Maserati’s ultimate front-engined road car, a supercar blend of luxury, performance and stunning good looks that never again quite came together so sublimely on anything with three-pointed trident. Pitched squarely against the Ferrari Daytona and Lamborghini Miura, it gave both rivals a run for their money, both in terms of performance and sales. It outsold the Miura with sales of 1,149 coupes from 1966 to 1973, and it closely matched the production total of the 365 GTB/4 Daytona. In short, the Ghibli was more than a contender. Based on a shortened version of the Mexico/Quattroporte tubular chassis, the gorgeous styling of the Ghibli’s steel body was from the pen of Giorgetto Giugiaro, then working at Italian stylist Ghia. Later, in 1999, Giugiaro was named Car Designer of the Century. From the shark nose and the huge raked windshield to the tapering rear, the whole form, particularly in profile, gives the impression of being swept back and sculpted by the wind. In height, it measures just 45.6 inches. Suspension was the tried and trusted Maserati setup of wishbones and coil springs up front with an anti-roll bar, and a rigid rear axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs. As for that throaty engine, the 4719cc 90-degree DOHC alloy V-8, mated to a ZF 5-speed manual transmission, pumped out 330 HP. On the road, that translated into a top speed of 154 MPH, with the 60 MPH mark coming up in under 7 seconds. In short, the Ghibli—named after a North African wind—did indeed go like the wind. Then, in 1970, it got faster with the SS, which featured an engine enlarged to 4930cc and pumping out 335 HP. That’s certainly the case with this 1967 left-hand drive Ghibli, finished in red base/clear coat paint with a tan and black interior. Prior to joining the Rick Grant Collection in 2014, the Ghibli was the subject of an extensive six-year restoration from 2001 to 2007 that included bodywork, paint, chrome, the interior and mechanicals, as well as an upgrade to SS 4.9L/335 HP specification. Receipts from that restoration, carried out by Maserati specialist Carlos Maduro, testify to its thoroughness. In addition, the Ghibli’s Smiths gauges were restored by Palo Alto Speedometer. With interior appointments that were a clear cut above its fellow Italian rivals, the Ghibli is both an uncompromised supercar and consummate, well-equipped, continent-eating grand tourer complete with air-conditioning, electric windows and a Blaupunkt radio, even though the thrilling V-8 soundtrack will likely be more than enough for most.
