The third generation of Maserati’s luxury sedan more than made up for the Quattroporte II. Alejandro De Tomaso—no fan of Citroën—discarded all Citroën technology used on the Quattroporte II. Mechanical parts came from the Kyalami, and the Quattroporte was again powered by a Maserati V8 engine and rear-wheel drive. The impressive body of the Quattroporte III was designed by Giugiaro and the steel body shells were built at the Innocenti plant near Milan, prior to assembly in Modena. When the car went on sale in 1979, it was an instant commercial success. In 1987, a restyled version called Quattroporte Royale offered an upgraded interior and more powerful 4.9-liter engine. Production of the Quattroporte III continued until 1990, with a total of 2,145 examples made.