The Maserati Shamal (Tipo AM339) is a two-door grand touring coupé produced by Italian automobile manufacturer Maserati from 1990 to 1996. In keeping with an established Maserati tradition, it is named after a wind: shamal (Persian or Arabic for ‘north’), a hot summer wind that blows in large areas of Mesopotamia, particularly in the large plain between the Tigris and Euphrates.

With its newly developed twin-turbocharged V8, the Shamal was Maserati's flagship grand tourer, topping the lineup of V6-engined Biturbo coupés in both performance and price (at 125 million Lire). It was the last model announced under the De Tomaso ownership: in January 1990, half of debt-plagued Maserati was acquired by Fiat S.p.A.

In 2020, Maserati revisited the Shamal with the cyberpunk-themed Project Rekall restomod concept.

Design

thumb|left|Maserati Shamal rear, side view

The Shamal was designed in collaboration by Marcello Gandini and Maserati's own Styling department. A debt ridden Maserati was not able to develop an entirely new car, and accordingly the Shamal shows its Biturbo heritage in the doors, interior, and basic bodyshell, which were carried over from the Biturbo. The feature was never adapted by other automakers.

The center pillar is also an actual roll bar, not simply a styling element. Finished in black, it wraps around the cabin. "Shamal" badging appears on either side of the central pillar in chrome lettering. The car came with 16-inch alloy wheels, a small rear spoiler and a blacked-out grille with chrome accents, the only chrome element on the car aside from the badging. While built for comfort as well as performance, the Shamal was not as luxuriously appointed as the contemporary Ghibli. The Shamal was initially only available in red or black exterior colours; other colours became available later in the production run.

References

  • Enrico's Maserati page on the Maserati Shamal