Maserati Shamal for sale
3 cars in stock right now, inspected in the European country where they are located, priced landed at a US port with the import paperwork done.
The Maserati Shamal (1990–1996) is the last and hardest of the Biturbo family: a 3.2-litre twin-turbo V8 of 326 hp, a Getrag six-speed manual, adaptive damping, and a Marcello Gandini body with his signature cut rear arch. About 369 were built. Maserati withdrew from the United States in 1991 and never sold it there.
Why Americans want it
It is a Gandini design with a twin-turbo V8 and a manual gearbox, built in smaller numbers than most supercars of its decade, and it still costs less than the Ferraris it was aimed at. Americans know the Biturbo badly and the Shamal not at all.
What the US never got
- The model: Maserati left the US market in 1991; the Shamal was sold in Europe and Japan.
- The 3.2 V8 biturbo of 326 hp, Maserati’s own design, not shared with the later Ghibli six.
- The Getrag six-speed manual in this car.
Eligible years (25-year rule)
Every Shamal is eligible now. Production ran from 1990 to 1996.
What to look for
- The engine: twin turbos, belt-driven cams and a complex cooling system. A documented belt and turbo history decides the price.
- Electronics: the adaptive dampers, the Koni control unit and the dashboard electronics are Shamal-specific and nearly unobtainable. Test everything.
- Interior: the leather, the Gandini dash and the clock are expensive and model-specific.
- Rust: less of a problem than on early Biturbos, but check the sills and the boot floor.
- Provenance: with 369 cars, every one is known. Buy a car with its history traceable and a specialist who has seen it.
Typical landed price
Europe: roughly €99,000–€165,000 depending on mileage, colour and documentation. Landed at Newark or Baltimore with duty at the rate in effect on entry: roughly $152,500–$249,500.
Registration notes
- California: built after 1967, gasoline; CARB lab certification applies, not guaranteed.
- Fuel: gasoline.
- Title: 17-character VIN. US title from Salvage Motors LLC. A US decoder will not return a Shamal; the DMV works from the CBP package.
Our take
At this price level the inspection matters more than the car. The engine is rebuildable and the electronics are not, so condition of the Shamal-specific systems is what we check first.
FAQ
Was the Maserati Shamal sold in the United States?
No. Maserati withdrew from the US market in 1991 and the Shamal was sold in Europe and Japan only.
How many were built?
About 369 between 1990 and 1996, which makes it one of the rarest Maseratis of the period.
What is the biggest risk?
The Shamal-specific electronics — adaptive damping and dashboard systems — which are effectively unobtainable new. The engine, by contrast, can be rebuilt.