Maserati Quattroporte III

See also: Maserati Quattroporte

Considered a "business man's Maserati," the Quattroporte III was launched by newly empowered Maserati chief Alejandro de Tomaso and his design staff in 1976. To compete with other marques like Mercedes-Benz and BMW, it was important to de Tomaso that there be an Italian vehicle of like production and style.

The Quattroporte III (AM 130) was powered by a 4.2 liter V8 @ 90° (255 bhp @ 6000 rpm). Also available was a 4.9 liter V8 (280 bhp @ 5800 rpm). One distinguishing characteristic of the vehicle was its lavish interior. The car was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro of coachbuilder ItalDesign. The production figures for the Quattroporte are as follows:

• There were 1876 Quattroporte III's produced between 1979 and 1988.
• There were 1821 standard 4portes manufactured between 1979 and 1984.
• The remaining 55 cars were all Royales and were manufactured between late 1984 and 1988. These were the US$80,000 cars that were built to order only.

The Quattroporte III marked the last of the hand-built Italian cars for specialized markets. All exterior joints and seams were filled to give a seamless appearance.

The Quattroporte III remained in production until 1983.