Pick of the Day: 1970 Maserati Ghibli

There are certain things that are typically associated with vehicles from different parts of the world. German cars are renowned for their engineering. Japanese cars have a reputation for reliability. If you overhear someone talking about Italian cars, there’s a good chance you’ll catch the word “beautiful.” There are good reasons for those associations—just look at our Pick of the Day and try to take your eyes off of it. You can find this 1970 Maserati Ghibli listed on ClassicCars.com by a dealer in Farmingdale, New York.

When Maserati started developing a new GT car in 1966, it turned to Ghia of Turin for the design. As fate would have it, the job was assigned to a young Giorgetto Giugiaro, who had already penned the lines for another Italian looker, the Iso Grifo. Giugiaro would go on to co-found Italdesign in 1968 and later design the S1 Lotus Esprit and DMC DeLorean, among many others.

Named after a powerful North African wind, the Ghibli was a swirl of decisions that resulted in what many consider Giugiaro’s best design. Maserati fitted the 4.7-liter V8 from the Mexico with dry-sump lubrication, which allowed Giugiaro to lower the Ghibli’s hood. A noticeably reclined windshield connects with a fast roofline that slopes down toward triangular rear pillars, which became visual signatures of later Maserati vehicles. When you look at the Ghibli’s profile, you see a graceful flow because, as Maserati puts it, “there was no distinction between the car’s body and the passenger compartment; they were neither separate nor overlapping, rather they were joined together as a single surface,” forming one beautiful piece of rolling art. One glance at the Ghibli inspires daydreams of driving briskly along the sun-soaked Mediterranean coast wearing Persol shades and bespoke Italian tailoring.

Nearly 60 years after it left Maserati’s factory, the Ghibli continues to stun. Though powered by its original 330-horsepower V8, the aluminum body lost its original light blue hue and has been repainted in the current metallic burgundy, which pairs perfectly with the well preserved ivory white leather interior. It’s not immediately obvious, but that wood shift knob is part of another major change from stock. According to the selling dealer, “Originally ordered as a U.S.-spec car with a rare automatic transmission, this Ghibli was converted early in its life to a desirable 5-speed ZF manual gearbox, complete with correct linkage and pedals.”

While this 1970 Maserati Ghibli may not be entirely original, it was modified for the better. Most importantly, it didn’t lose its innate beauty. You can enjoy this gorgeous sight and time behind its wood-rimmed wheel every day for $149,900.

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