Tag Archives: Auto Italia

Hot & Violent – Maserati Khamsin

The Maserati Khamsin was launched in 1974 to replace the Maserati Ghibli and like it’s predecessor the cockpit accommodated two seats and two rear cushions.

Maserati Khamsin, Auto Italia, Brooklands

For the first time Maserati commissioned Bertone to design the Khamsin and Marcello Gandini is credited with carrying out the work on behalf of his employer which included asymmetrical vents in the bonnet /hood. A post 1977 Khamsin like this 1978 example is easily distinguished by the three vents at the front.

Maserati Khamsin, Auto Italia, Brooklands

Like the late Maserati Indy, Bora and early Merak models the Khamsin was building a selection of parts from owner Citroën’s parts bin that included braking and steering components.

Maserati Khamsin, Auto Italia, Brooklands

The Khamsin was the only Maserati to be fitted with Citroen’s self centering steering gear, meaning the driver must hold the steering wheel at all times when negotiating corners because other wise the steering wheel will positively self center in a much shorter time than a traditional self centering system activated by the castor angle of the front wheels.

Maserati Khamsin, Auto Italia, Brooklands

Only the 4.9 litre / 300 cui V8 engine from the Maserati Ghibli SS was available to 170 mph Khamsin customers, this was fitted with Bosch fuel injection, replacing the Weber Carburettors and produced 10hp less than the 330hp Ghibli SS.

Maserati Khamsin, Auto Italia, Brooklands

Khamsin is the name given to a hot and violent Egyptian wind that blows in the desert for 50 days.

Production of the Khamsin ended in 1982 with only 435 vehicles built a disappointing third of the number of it’s predecessor, it was the last V8 Maserati model to be built until the arrival of the Shamal in 1990.

Thanks for joining me on this “Hot & Violent” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at another aero engined car, not powered by a Curtiss OX motor. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Mesopitamian Wind – Maserati Shamal

Named after the Mesopitamiam summer wind the Maserati range topping Shamal was launched in December 1989 with a range topping price of 125 million Lire (One Hundred and Twenty Five Million Italain Lire).

Maserati Shamal, Auto Italia, Brooklands

The Tipo 339 Coupé is powered by a 32 valve 3.2 litre / 195 cui twin turbo charged V8 that produces 322 hp.

Maserati Shamal, Auto Italia, Brooklands

Marcello Gandini was responsible for updating the original Biturbo body that features his signature slanted rear wheel arches first seen on the Lamborghini Countach.

Maserati Shamal, Auto Italia, Brooklands

Fitted with a six speed gearbox the Shamal also features a Koni active suspension sytem which adjusts the shock absorber stiffness with real time information about the road conditions.

Maserati Shamal, Auto Italia, Brooklands

Top speed is said to be 170 mph with 62 mph being reached in 5.2 seconds from rest.

Maserati Shamal, Auto Italia, Brooklands

Factory records show just 369 Shamals were produced, like the 1994 example seen here at Brooklands Auto Italia, between 1989 and 1996.

Thanks for joining me on this “Mesopitamian Wind” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Counter Clockwise Spider – FIAT 850 Spider

One year after the launch of the original FIAT 850 in 1964, FIAT brought out Coupé and Spider variants.

FIAT 850 Spyder, Auto Italia, Brooklands

The 850 Spider featured body work designed and built by Bertone.

FIAT 850 Spyder, Auto Italia, Brooklands

The design appears to have been inspired by the 1963 Bertone Concept Vehicle the Corvair Testudo.

FIAT 850 Spyder, Auto Italia, Brooklands

Among the features unique to the Spider was it’s instrument panel and it shared sports seats and steering wheel with the Coupé.

FIAT 850 Spyder, Auto Italia, Brooklands

The 850 Spiders motor was uprated from 34hp to 49hp and unlike it’s siblings it rotated counter clockwise to give a top speed of 90 mph.

FIAT 850 Spyder, Auto Italia, Brooklands

In 1968 a revised spider received a 902 cc / 55 cui motor which produced 52 hp. The 1972 model seen here at Auto Italia Brooklands was made the year before 850 Spider production ceased in 1973 by which time Bertone was engaged in the production of the FIAT X1/9 which would later become a Bertone badged product.

Thanks for joining me on this “Counter Clockwise Spider” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow for a tribute to the late great AJ Watson. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Which Verde Pino ? – Ferrari 250 GT/L #5097GT

I’ll let farmer Hugh James the owner of today’s featured 1963 Ferrari 250 GT/L chassis #5097GT tell you about his car at the end of today’s blog personally.

Ferrari 250GT/L, Auto Italia, Brooklands

While looking for details about the car I stumbled across an old thread at Ferrari Chat that listed over 1000 colours, many with codes that have been offered and or used on the cars from Maranello.

Ferrari 250GT/L, Auto Italia, Brooklands

The list includes several variations of the same code but it was interesting to find that there have been as many as 8 variations of the Verde Pino seen on Mr James car at Auto Italia Brooklands a couple of years ago. If you happen to know which Verde Pino #5097GT is painted please do not hesitate to chime in below.

Ferrari 250GT/L, Auto Italia, Brooklands

Here is Mr James’s story of how he acquired the car :-

Thanks for joining me on this “Which Verde Pino ?” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at the second model to be offered by Gilbern. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Estremamente Bella Donna – Lamborghini Countach 5000 quattrovalvole

When it was first seen at the 1971 Geneva Motor Show the prototype Lamborghini Countach LP 500 powered by a 5 litre / 302 cui V12 with a Bertone body designed by Marcello Gandini was like the Muira before it nothing short of sensational. Unfortunately despite featuring extensive use of honeycomb aluminium in it’s construction, ironically unlike the later production models, the prototype was destroyed in European Countach type approval tests.

Lamborghini Countach 5000 QV, Auto Italia, Brooklands

Appropriately the Countach name, Piedmontese slang for extremely beautiful women, lived up to the original, but production variants needed cooling intakes which broke up the smooth roof line. Due to a financial crises which resulted in founder Ferruccio Lamborghini selling a 51% stake of his company to Georges-Henri Rossetti in 1972 and the remainder to René Leimer in 1974. The first 1974 production iteration of the LP 400 Countach featured only a 4 litre / 244 cui longitudinal mounted V12 enough to give the car a 192 mph top speed though it was slightly slower 5.4 second rest to 62.5 mph time.

Lamborghini Countach 5000 QV, Auto Italia, Brooklands

The second production Countach LP400S launched in 1978 https://www.psychoontyres.co.uk/had slightly reduced power, and only 181 mph top speed, but wheel arch extensions first seen on two cars commissioned by Canadian oil magnate and Formula One entrant Walter Wolf in 1977.

Lamborghini Countach 5000 QV, Auto Italia, Brooklands

1982 saw the introduction of the 500 S with a 4.8 litre / 292 cui motor which took the top speed back up to 186 mph and acceleration times back to the same level as the original LP400.

Lamborghini Countach 5000 QV, Auto Italia, Brooklands

In 1985 the 5000 QV with four valve cylinder heads was launched and a larger 5.2 litre / 315 cui motor as used in the, LM 002 SUV, which increased the power to well over 440hp taking the rest to 62,5 mph time below 5 seconds to 4.9 seconds bettered only by the Evoluzione which managed the same test in 4.2 seconds and prototype twin turbo 400S which got to 62.5 mph in 3,6 seconds with over 700 hp available.

Lamborghini Countach 5000 QV, Auto Italia, Brooklands

Today’s featured car is a 1987 5000 quattrovalvole but without either the optional rear wing which took at least 10 mph off the top speed, or the dreadful seemingly Ferrari Testarossa inspired side skirts running between the front and rear wheels.

Lamborghini Countach 5000 QV, Auto Italia, Brooklands

For 1988 designer Horacio Pagani was commissioned to rework Gandini’s original Countach lines into a model celebrating Lamborghini’s first 25 years of production. The 25th Anniversary edition Countach remained in production until 1990 when it was replaced by the Diablo. By 1992 2,042 Countachs of all types had been manufactured it remains significantly rarer than the Ferrari 512 BB of which 2,323 were produced from 1973 to 1984 and Ferrari Testarossa variants of which over 10,000 were manufactured from 1985 to 1996.

Thanks for joining me on this “Estremamente Bella Donna” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at what is going on with Brighton Speed Trials. Wishing all GALPOT readers and contributors a Happy, Healthy and prosperous new year, don’t forget to come back now !

Brighton Speed Trials Under Threat of Permanent Cancellation !

In their infinite wisdom, Brighton & Hove City Council are seeking to ban the Brighton Speed Trials from 2014.

If you care about speed and or motorsport history, please sign this linked petition to save Brighton Speed Trials in 2014 and beyond.

It’s a faf to Register before signing, but relatively painless compared to loosing the event which has been run with few interruptions since 1905.

You do not need to be resident in Brighton or even the UK to sign.

Thanks and please spread the word through whatever social media you have at your disposal.

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Rambo Lambo – Lamborghini LM002

The origins of the Lamborghini LM002 permanent all wheel pick up lie in a prototype rear engined Chrysler powered Armored Reconnaissance Scout Vehicle built by FMC Corporation (Food Machinery and Chemical Corporation) called the XR311. Under the direction of Lamborghini’s new owners Georges-Henri Rossetti and René Leimer Lamborghini took on a contract to develop a Armored Reconnaissance Scout Vehicle for Mobility Technology International (MTI) who, unknown to Lamborghini, passed on plans for the new vehicle that “borrowed” heavily from the prototype FMC XR311.

Lamborghini LM002, Auto Italia, Brooklands

When the prototype Lamborghini Cheetah with a larger Chrysler motor in the back was announced in 1977 it immediately triggered legal action from FMC against MTI and Lamborgini and the project was abandoned after it had been demonstrated but before it was submitted to the US Military for testing. The US Military contract for which the Cheetah was built to compete for was won by AM General and their M998 Series High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicle or HMMWV also known as Humvee which would find a civilian application known as the Hummer.

Lamborghini LM002, Auto Italia, Brooklands

Lamborghini meanwhile went bankrupt in 1978 and was put into the care of Swiss food entrepreneurs Jean-Claude and Patrick Mimran by the Italian courts in 1980. Under their stewardship a second all wheel drive prototype LM001 was developed in 1981 now powered by a rear mounted AMC motor. It was soon realised this had the same handling issues as the Cheetah and so a front engined LMA002 (Lamborghini Militaria Anteriore) powered by 370hp V12 from the Countach super car.

Lamborghini LM002, Auto Italia, Brooklands

By the time the LM002 went into production, in 1986 just before Lamborghini was acquired by Chrysler, it was fitted with a 450 hp version of the Countach V12 complete with 4 valve heads as seen above in this 1991 version. Later a even more powerful version of Lamborghini’s offshore powerboat marine V12 could also be specified.

Lamborghini LM002, Auto Italia, Brooklands

Nickmaned the “Rambo Lambo” the only tyres on which the vehicle of this weight and performance can run were specially commissioned by Lamborghini from Pirelli and are marketed as Pirelli Scorpions which have a run flat capability. 328 LM200’s with air conditioning and leather interiors were built between 1986 and 1993 with none being sold for military service.

Thanks for joining me on this “Rambo Lambo” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I shall be looking at a Countach the last in this series celebrating 50 years of Lamborghini car production. Don’t forget to come back now !

Brighton Speed Trials Under Threat of Permanent Cancellation !

In their infinite wisdom, Brighton & Hove City Council are seeking to ban the Brighton Speed Trials from 2014.

If you care about speed and or motorsport history, please sign this linked petition to save Brighton Speed Trials in 2014 and beyond.

It’s a faf to Register before signing, but relatively painless compared to loosing the event which has been run with few interruptions since 1905.

You do not need to be resident in Brighton or even the UK to sign.

Thanks and please spread the word through whatever social media you have at your disposal.

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It’s a Lamborghini Philistine – Lamborghini Urraco 3000

Named after a small breed of fighting bull the 2+2 Lamborghini Urraco Coupé was Lamborghini’s first V8 powered car, built to compete with the Ferrari Dino 308 GT4.

Lamborghini Urraco, Auto Italia, Brooklands

The Urraco was first shown to the public in 1970, but was not available for sale to the public until 1973 when the Dino 308 GT4 also went on sale.

Lamborghini Urraco, Auto Italia, Brooklands

The transverse mounted V8 motor was available in 3 sizes P200 2 litre / 122 cui with 180 hp, P250 2.5 litre / 147 cui with 217 hp and P300 3 litre / 183 cui with 247 hp.

Lamborghini Urraco, Auto Italia, Brooklands

Like the Dino 308 GT 4 the Urraco carries Bertone bodywork designed by Marcello Gandini

Lamborghini Urraco, Auto Italia, Brooklands

The top end P300 model as seen here at Auto Italia Brooklands was capable of reaching 62 mph from rest in 5.6 seconds and a top speed of 162 mph.

Lamborghini Urraco, Auto Italia, Brooklands

Allegedly when James May tested one of these cars for the Top Gear TV program he was heard to tell a passer by “It’s a Lamboghini” and muttered under his breath “Philistine”.

Lamborghini Urraco, Auto Italia, Brooklands

Of the 797 Urracos built between 1973 and 1979 66 were P200s, 520 were P250s, 190 were P300s and 21 US spec P250 Type 111s.

Thanks for joining me on this “It’s a Lamborghini Philistine” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be a successful Special built and raced in Zambia. Don’t forget to come back now ! Wishing all GALPOT readers and contributors seasons greetings and best wishes for the new year.

Brighton Speed Trials Under Threat of Permanent Cancellation !

In their infinite wisdom, Brighton & Hove City Council are seeking to ban the Brighton Speed Trials from 2014.

If you care about speed and or motorsport history, please sign this linked petition to save Brighton Speed Trials in 2014 and beyond.

It’s a faf to Register before signing, but relatively painless compared to loosing the event which has been run with few interruptions since 1905.

You do not need to be resident in Brighton or even the UK to sign.

Thanks and please spread the word through whatever social media you have at your disposal.

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