Mistral

With the Mistral, Maserati established the tradition of naming its Gran Turismo cars after famous winds (the Ghibli, Bora, Khamsin, Karif, Shamal and Levante would follow). The Mistral shared its mechanical features with the Sebring, but its two-seater fastback body designed by Pietro Frua had a much more modern appearance compared to the more traditionally styled 2+2 Sebring. A first prototype of the Mistral was presented at the Turin Motor Show in the autumn of 1963, but production did not start until 1964. Available with Maserati’s race-bred inline-6 engine, it could be specified in 3.5-liter, 3.7-liter and, later, 4.0-liter displacement. All cars were fitted with mechanical fuel injection from Lucas. The body was steel, but the doors, hood and rear window frame were made from aluminum to reduce weight.