MASERATI CLUB OF QUEENSLAND INC
Ghibli Series I
The Ghibli released in 1966 was the creation of Giorgetto Giugiaro who was at Ghia at this time. The car as initially released came with the 4.7 V8 as seen in the Mexico and Quattroporte. Utilising a tubular frame and a dry sump the car was quite low, which enhanced its appearance. The Ghibli SS version which was powered by a 4.9 litre V8 was released in 1970 and was offered in both the coupe and spyder versions of the car.
The Ghibli, named after a hot desert wind that blows across the Sahara desert, was first introduced at the 1966 Turin Auto Show where it created a sensation. Penned by the young maestro Giorgetto Giugiaro while still at Ghia, the Ghibli is perhaps the most famous of all Maserati GT cars.
A genuine two-seat sports car with a long hood and low roof-line profile, the Ghibli strikes an aggressive, yet elegant pose. Because of the low profile of the hood, that beautiful 4.7-litre engine that had been fitted to the Quattroportes and Mexicos was now re-engineered to accept a dry-sump oiling system to reduce the overall height of the engine. To accommodate the 13+ quarts of oil, an external oil tank was mounted in the front of the engine and was fed by two hoses.
First series Ghiblis were equipped with 4.7-litre engines fed by four 40DCNL5 carburettors. The power was transmitted through the German-built ZF S5 325 transmission and on to a Salisbury live rear axle, with multiple ratios being offered. Early cars were also equipped with Smith instruments, manual steering, radiator cooling fans mounted in front of the radiator, toggle-type accessory switches, and a dual Girling booster braking system.
The second series cars got improvements such as tilt and telescopic steering wheel, a new induction system featuring 42DCNF Weber carburettors, a more advanced cooling system with a single thermostat, a Bonaldi power brake booster, as opposed to the two Girling brake boosters and, on some cars, we find the 4.9-litre SS engine option.
The 4.7-litre blocks were stamped with one S and the 4.9-litre engines were stamped with two Ss. It's simply a quick and easy visual mark to ascertain the size of the engine, as that information is not always available in the chassis number except where the numeral 4.9 is inserted. The only difference between an "SS" car and a non-"SS" car is that 2/10ths of a litre. An inspection of the engine serial number will clearly reveal whether it is a 4.9-litre SS or not.
Over the period from 1967 through 1974, approximately 1,100 Ghibli coupes were built. Of those 1,100, some 200-270 of them were SS cars, equipped with 4.9-litre engines.
