Ghibli still deity of supercars

Maserati's Ghibli is the ultimate supercar among some very notable contenders.

If your definition of an Italian supercar is a long, curved bonnet, a coupe rear end and sheer, sleek style, then Ferrari isn't the only candidate.

The 1966 Maserati Ghibli coupe is the ultimate classic supercar. Styled by Carrozzeria Ghia of Turin - before the illustrious firm was bought by Ford so that they could use its badge and shield - the Ghibli was a wonderful piece of integrated styling.

In fact, it was drawn by a very young Giorgetto Giugiaro in 1964, when he was working for Ghia, long before he hit the big time.

And this car is not to be confused with the Maserati Ghibli of the 1990s, which was a booted, box-shaped horror.

Good car design usually has a secret ingredient: the ability of the designer to create a sculpture with fine modelling to the surfaces.

With its long, arcing bonnet and neat rear, many think that the Ghibli is Giugiaro's finest effort in that vein - even if it is 5.5m long and lower-slung than any competitor.

The detailing, the shape of everything, from the side windows to the lamps, the motif of the windscreen (a later Giugiaro hallmark), through to the way in which the fuel filler-cap reflects the shapes around it - all signal a true masterpiece of timeless elegance.

Even at rest, the car looks as if it is moving. It has a stance, but not a swagger. Viewed from any angle, even from above, every facet of this car's shape works.

Forty years on from its 1966 birth, the Ghibli remains the ultimate Maserati - and it is far more rare than other Italian exotica of the time, or since.

When new, this car outsold the Ferrari 365 Daytona, which is often regarded as the deity of supercars.

Yet the Ghibli - named after a wind, like Maserati's Merak, Bora and Khamsin - blew away the competition after it stunned the press at its 1966 launch.

The Ghibli even swiped the Lamborghini Miura off the sales sheets. By the end of its life in 1973, as the oil crisis took hold, the Ghibli had become the car to have on the international style scene.

In 1972 and 1973 the Ghibli could be bought in an SS version, with uprated power, for US$25,000 ($39,000).

In all, 1149 Ghiblis were made. The Hollywood set loved it - Frank Sinatra owned a silver one. Yet only 125 of the convertible Ghibli Spyders left the factory.

Some were converted from coupes by coachbuilders. But purists say that lopping off the roof affects the lines because the car is no longer a fastback.

Under the bonnet there was a soulful Maserati multicam V8 engine with 4.7 litres - or 4.9 litres in the 1971 version, which also saw updated trim and alloy wheels instead of Borrani or Campagnolo wire wheels.

The best top speed was a whisper under 170mph (274km/h) , although the front end would be getting lively at that point because of the change in downforce created by the rear deck.

The Ghibli was one of the fastest cars ever made. The handling was as you'd expect, despite the slightly agricultural rear suspension set-up.

Powerful air-assisted brakes hauled this styleship down to more sensible speeds in case you quailed at the 275km/h maximum or were left breathless by doing zero to 100km/h in six seconds. By the standards of the time, that was close to warp speed.

The fuel consumption was very costly - try 31 litres/100km (9mpg) trundling through LA on a hot day with the aircon spitting ice.

Despite its size, the Ghibli was a two-seater, with two laidback Italian chairs behind a wonderful dashboard festooned with dials, toggles, chrome inlay, leather trim and a wood-rimmed steering wheel.

All were stylish long before such features became mass-market staples.

The Ghibli was not perfect - it broke down, and the pop-up lamps sometimes didn't pop. It rusted, and the engine needed serious servicing.

But all that applies to most 1970s supercars and even some newer ones.

The automatic version had only three hard-worked speeds and could run hot and jerky.

These days, Ghibli prices are much lower than those of the Ferrari Daytona or Lambo Miura. A perfect Ghibli might make US$70,000 in the United States.

As a sports car and grand tourer, the Ghibli excelled. As a collection of curves and angles it was perfection.

The ultimate classic car experience could be driving on a glorious Swiss summer day in a Ferrari Daytona, or a drive through Provence in a silver Ghibli.

The Ferrari would be incredible, but the Ghibli more poised - even in a tail slide.

With its style and pose, the Ghibli is definitive Italian design.

Buy one if you can.

- INDEPENDENT