The undeniably rare, and relentlessly interesting 1975 Maserati Khamsin ‘Resto Mod’, a car that was formerly part of the seemingly endless automotive collection owned by the Royal Family of Brunei. The Bruneian royal family (BRF) is said to own anywhere from 2000 all the way up to 7000 unique cars. Some cars however were not unique enough from the factory, so in a number of cases, vehicles was actually created specifically at the request of the BRF, and or modified to match their exact desires. This ‘French Blue’ Maserati Khamsin is another example of a car that was extensively modified by the Brunei Royal Family. A few obvious, and notable elements that were altered on this car in comparison to a standard Maserati Khasmin include a wide variety of mechanical enhancements and changes, consisting of a modern Holden V8 engine and automatic gearbox, as well as blatantly redesigned bodywork. In standard form, the Khamsin (Tipo AM120) model was designed by Italian car designer, Marcello Gandini, while working for Italian industrial design company, Bertone. The Khasmin model was actually Bertone’s first ever project with Maserati, and by 1973, the production-ready variant of the Khasmin was displayed to the public during the Paris Motor Show. Due to the ongoing 1973 oil crisis, just 435 khasmin vehicles were produced by the time production ended in 1982, with just 155 of those cars being delivered to the United States. Despite the car pictured here having gone through mechanical revampings, the Khasmin model originally came out of the Maserati factory with a 4.9L AM 115.10.49 V8 engine. The interior of this special vehicle is finished in beautiful red leather, and interestingly features a De Tomaso steering wheel!
How many made? 435, with this particular car being one-of-a-kind.
Engine: Holden V8 engine with an automatic gearbox•Debut: the Khasmin was first shown as a concept for the first time during the 1972 Turin Motor Show
Top Speed: n/a
0-60mph: n/a
Photo Credit: @rwc_photo
Research: @rarecarsonly