RAD RIDES: 1990-1996 Maserati Shamal
MASERATI’S RARE BITURBO GANDINI-DESIGNED GRAND TOURER
STORY | Evan Griffey
Photography | KARL NOAKES
Named after a warm Mesopotamian wind—not the plane from the Grand Theft Auto video game— the Maserati Shamal has the pedigree of a true Italian grand tourer. The smoothly contoured coupe, whose wide-body lines were brought to life by famed car designer Marcello Gandini, can be easily spotted by the atypical shape of the fender openings—a Gandini signature of the era. Other design callouts include a targa-style roll bar that also increases chassis rigidity and a cowl-mounted spoiler that improves airflow over the windshield. The car, built on a shortened Biturbo Spyder chassis for enhanced agility, represents the ultimate evolution of Maserati’s Biturbo series. Looking at its side profile, the Shamal gives off a rally racer vibe akin to the Lancia Stratos HF of the mid-1970s—also a Gandini design.
The Shamal’s departure from mainstream Biturbos goes beyond its body cladding. It’s all about muscles. The Shamal is powered by a 32-valve, four-cam, twin-turbocharged 90° V8 engine, where mortal Biturbos feature V6s. The boosted 3.2-liter powerplant produces 326 horsepower, and gear selection comes compliments of the trusty Getrag 560G six-speed manual. An innovative, adaptable suspension developed in concert with Koni took handling to levels beyond the base Biturbo’s ability to dream.
In many ways the Shamal was handicapped by its Biturbo roots. It was a six-figure ride in the ‘90s that was too often seen as an overpowered Biturbo, not the dramatically different driver’s machine it really was. Consequently, only 369 examples were produced by the Modena factory between 1990 and 1996, making the Shamal a rare gem indeed.
BEN ABRAMS’ 1993 MASERATI SHAMAL
Ben acquired his Shamal in 2024, and he says it was a case of perfect timing. “I had been looking for unique 2+2 cars to accommodate my growing family. Finding the Shamal was like a breath of fresh air… or should I say hot air? This car was in the middle of a very thorough engine-out restoration, so I knew I’d be getting a well-sorted example. I love rarity and a good grand tourer, and this one ticks both of those boxes.”
“Pedigree matters to me. It starts and ends with Gandini. Although I used to own a Countach, most of his cars are now inaccessible to me, so finding an ‘affordable’ and rare example of a Gandini car was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. The box flares, the windshield ‘spoiler,’ the wheel well cut outs…these things scream Gandini thinking out of the box, you just won’t see any other cars that look like this.”
Ben reports that the car has played a big role in his life from the start. “My wife and I celebrated our 15-year anniversary by picking the car up fresh from the restoration at a small workshop outside of Florence, Italy. The mechanic spoke no English, and I speak no Italian. But we went on a shakedown drive so he could explain, using gestures, what I needed to know. Leaving his workshop behind in a 30-year-old, freshly restored Maserati was one of the more exhilarating and terrifying moments of my car life.”
“We then spent the next week driving the Italian and French coasts before we left the car to get transported back to the States. It was a special way to start my relationship with the car, being so close to the place of its origin.”
“It’s a magnificent grand touring car. The twin-turbo V8 has plenty of power, and the Koni adjustable suspension, controlled from the center console, was really ahead of its time. You can feel the car get more responsive in corners as you select the sportier setting and then relax for the jaunts on the highway when you soften it up. While it won’t break any top-speed records, the Maserati has more than enough torque to satisfy the butt dyno, its place as a driver’s car is well-earned.”
“Because we picked the car up in the middle of summer, I made sure the air conditioning worked. Thank goodness it blew cold all week. However, when the car got home to Washington, I needed to put another 500 miles on it before I could finish the break-in and turn up the boost. So, a couple round trips to Yakima were in order. Unfortunately, when I went to turn on the heat, it wasn’t cooperating, so we had some very chilly November drives back and forth over the mountains. All in the name of more boost!”
Ben is an active collector, and his plans for the car are up in the air. “While nothing is forever,” he says, “this car is at home in my collection. I intend to keep it on the road as long as possible. Breaking necks in the school pickup/drop-off line and getting takeout is where I will likely spend most of my time with it.” The Maserati seems well entrenched in the Abrams family, and we would not be surprised to see it at local weekend car gatherings. The Maserati will be easy to spot but this rare Italian is also worth a closer look as the car radiates a casual, nonchalant elegance that Italians call “sprezzatura”.
