Maserati The Citroen Years 1968 - 1975

by Marc Sonnery, ISBN 9780957397804

The least documented era of Maserati s history, the Citroën period of ownership, is also the most misunderstood. Thanks to unprecedented access to Maserati in Modena and Citroën in Paris, this book contains a wealth of new and previously unpublished material. The era started with immense promise as the venerable Modenese firm, previously in dire financial straits, was modernized and reorganized, the clearest evidence being the replacement of obsolete models using old fashioned technology, firstly with the cutting-edge Bora, the most advanced and accomplished of all the first generation mid-engined cars, then with the Khamsin, the most sophisticated and competent front-engined car of the seventies, and lastly with the Merak, which afforded excellent handling and a beautiful shape to a whole new group of Maserati buyers. All these models are described here in detail, in addition to the Citroën SM, which prompted the French manufacturer to buy Maserati when seeking an engine for its flagship Grand Tourisme. Also covered are the stillborn Quattroporte II, the Bora Gp 4 racers, the Khamsin Spyder and the little known yet fascinating Ligier Maserati JS2 road and racing cars. Further insight into this period of Maserati history describes the engines themselves, including the special V8 which had been intended for the Quattroporte II after the initial V6, and the Citroën SM which was eventually fitted with this prototype engine. This is the definitive book on Maserati s years under Citroën ownership, an era dominated by the energy crisis, the introduction of speed limits, the quadrupling of fuel prices and political and social unrest, all of which formed a virtual tsunami which Maserati could not repel, leading to its closing and sale to de Tomaso with Italian government help.