The-one-and-only Maserati Simún concept car by Giorgetto Giugiaro

ONE-OFF - As quoted from Club Maserati Australia, the Maserati Simún (its name derived from a strong wind in Saudi Arabia called Simún) was a concept styled by Giorgetto Giugiaro when he worked for Ghia in the late 1960s as a replacement for the Sebring, a new 2+2. It never made it to production as another vehicle was chosen, ie the Indy developed by Vignale. In fact this was the last car that Giugiaro designed under the Ghia banner, he left soon after to create his-owned firm ItalDesign.

The Maserati Simún was a concept styled by Giorgetto Giugiaro when he worked for Ghia in the late 1960s as a replacement for the Sebring. (Picture from: ClubMaseratiAustralia)

It was presented at the 1968 Turin Motor Show on the Ghia stand presumably to encourage buyers to influence Maserati to take this design over the Vignale one. However, Vignale had form as they had created the Sebring, so the Simún could have been a test to see what Giugiaro could come up with, considering he had also designed the first Ghibli.

Inside the cabin of the Maserati Simún, there were four seats, with a 2 + 2 configuration of pure luxury. (Picture from: Carrozzieri-Italiani)

The Sebring was powered by an inline six of 3.5 or 4 litres, depending on where in its life the car was built, however the Indy and the Simún used the tried and tested 4.2 litre V8 pushing out 256 hp and this engine was also seen in the earlier Mexico and Quattroporte I cars.

The Maserati Simún's styling showed hints of later cars like the Bora and Merak come to mind. (Picture from: Carrozzieri-Italiani)

The styling showed hints of later cars like the Bora and Merak come to mind. To us the concept car also has a hint of Matra-Simca Bagheera as well. As the Bagheera started development in 1970, it is quite possible that the French designers were influenced by Ghia’s earlier work.

Only one Simún was ever built and it is now in the Maserati Museum in Modena run by the Panini family who saved the cars during the transition between De Tomaso and Fiat ownership. Some pictures show an orange car, however we though that it was resprayed at some point in its life having been modified as it was a test car after all. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | CLUBMASERATIAUSTRALIA | CARROZZIERI-ITALIANI ]

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