Description
In 1975, Allessandro de Tomaso acquired Maserati from Citroën and decided to revive the range. It wasn't until 1984 that the BI TURBO was unveiled, initially as a coupé—luxurious and sporty, at an affordable price. A saloon and a cabriolet would expand the range a few years later.
The 1980s were marked by the emergence of supercars: the Ferrari Testarossa and 288 GTO kicked off this power race, Porsche replied with its highly technical 959, then Ferrari again with its F40, followed by more niche manufacturers like Cizetta-Moroder with its V16 T producing 540 horsepower…
Maserati wanted to join this very exclusive club and launched two projects: a massively powerful BI TURBO and a supercar called the CHUBASCO; unfortunately, the marque lacked the funds to complete both projects. FIAT took a stake in the company and chose to abandon the supercar project; only the first came to fruition, giving birth to the ferocious SHAMAL (a hot wind that blows over Mesopotamia). It was styled by Marcello Gandini based on the KARIF, and its twin-turbocharged V8 exceeded 320 horsepower, paired for the first time in series production with a GETRAG six-speed gearbox.
De Tomaso, who had pinned great hopes on the SHAMAL, had to scale back his ambitions as the German competition of the era—less brutal but more refined and user-friendly (BMW 850 CSI, Porsche 928 GT)—attracted the more conservative clientele. The manufacturer nonetheless invested so that in February 1994 the model was released with modifications that improved its reliability and versatility, but it was too late, and the SHAMAL was produced in only 369 examples.
It is this history that makes the model we are offering you today an exceptionally rare collector's piece, especially in this version delivered new in May 1995, after the technical modifications, making it the rarest and most sought-after version of the SHAMAL.
Moreover, its history is crystal clear and its ownership limited to three keepers: the first was the president of Maserati France, who registered it in his mother's name, then it was acquired in June 2006 by the second owner, who sold it in September 2020 to its current proprietor.
Our model received press coverage when it was tested in Auto Retro 302 in October 2006, as evidenced by the stickers on the windscreen.
We have an expert's report from November 2020 in which its value was estimated at €150, 000.
It has just undergone a complete overhaul in August 2026, with a new air-conditioning system installed. It runs beautifully and its driving sensations would put many modern GTs to shame.
This extravagant and exceptionally rare Maserati is an opportunity to acquire a car destined to become an absolute collector's piece, iconic of its era, in exceptional mechanical and aesthetic condition.
