Photo: Maserati
Whether it is for its rich history and culture, clear waters, or delicious cuisine, Italy holds a very special place in our hearts. But if we were to name our absolute favorite thing about the country, we would sum it up in a single word: cars.
You see, Italy is the birthplace of Ferrari, Lamborghini, Pagani, Lancia, Alfa Romeo, Fiat, and Maserati, and the latter company is currently celebrating 55 years since the original Ghibli was unveiled at the 1966 Turin Motor Show, on November 3.
The official successor of the 5000 GT and Mistral was designed by Ghia, who had Giorgetto Giugiaro on its team, and has truly aged like a fine wine, if you ask us. The new interpretation of a gran turismo car, as Maserati refers to it, has a long hood, pop-up headlights, small grille that displays the Trident logo, muscular back end, and simple yet extremely elegant cockpit.
But those are not the only highlights, because the original Maserati Ghibli was a true intercontinental cruiser, with space for two. In the first years of production, it rocked a 325 hp 4.7-liter V8, based on the knowledge obtained from the one powering the Mexico, which was then replaced by a 4.9-liter V8 with 330 bhp. The latter powered what was basically the mid-cycle refresh of the car, the Ghibli SS, which had a 160 mph (257 kph) top speed, and the ability to hit 62 mph (100 kph) in 6.8 seconds.
Named after the Northern African wind known for carrying a great deal of sand with it, the Maserati Ghibli entered production in 1967. Until 1972, when assembly ceased altogether, it is estimated that more than 1,200 Coupes and 128 Spyder were made. The moniker was then ignored for the next four decades when the modern-day Ghibli came to life, but that’s a story that everyone knows, so we’ll end this one by wishing the classic Ghibli a big ‘Happy Birthday!’
The official successor of the 5000 GT and Mistral was designed by Ghia, who had Giorgetto Giugiaro on its team, and has truly aged like a fine wine, if you ask us. The new interpretation of a gran turismo car, as Maserati refers to it, has a long hood, pop-up headlights, small grille that displays the Trident logo, muscular back end, and simple yet extremely elegant cockpit.
But those are not the only highlights, because the original Maserati Ghibli was a true intercontinental cruiser, with space for two. In the first years of production, it rocked a 325 hp 4.7-liter V8, based on the knowledge obtained from the one powering the Mexico, which was then replaced by a 4.9-liter V8 with 330 bhp. The latter powered what was basically the mid-cycle refresh of the car, the Ghibli SS, which had a 160 mph (257 kph) top speed, and the ability to hit 62 mph (100 kph) in 6.8 seconds.
Named after the Northern African wind known for carrying a great deal of sand with it, the Maserati Ghibli entered production in 1967. Until 1972, when assembly ceased altogether, it is estimated that more than 1,200 Coupes and 128 Spyder were made. The moniker was then ignored for the next four decades when the modern-day Ghibli came to life, but that’s a story that everyone knows, so we’ll end this one by wishing the classic Ghibli a big ‘Happy Birthday!’
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