Models
Maserati names and winds: Ghibli, Mistral, Khamsin, Bora and Levante
Many Maserati names are winds. The habit began with the Mistral in 1963 and continued with the Ghibli of Libya, the Bora of the Adriatic, the Khamsin of Egypt and the Mediterranean Levante of 2016.
By the My Hangar editorsPublished 5 min read
Key takeaways
- The Mistral, shown at the Turin Motor Show in November 1963, was the first Maserati named after a wind.
- Ghibli is a hot, dry desert wind of Libya, and Maserati has used the name on three different cars.
- Bora is a cold wind of the northern Adriatic, and the Bora of 1971 was the first mid-engined Maserati road car.
- Khamsin comes from the Arabic for fifty, after the fifty days this hot Egyptian wind was said to blow.
- Levante is an easterly wind of the western Mediterranean, and the Levante of 2016 was Maserati's first SUV.
Many Maserati models are named after winds. The habit began with the Mistral in 1963, named after the cold wind of southern France, and continued with the Ghibli (Libya), Bora (Adriatic) and Khamsin (Egypt). Later cars kept it going, among them the Shamal of 1989 and the Levante of 2016. Not every Maserati follows it: the Merak is a star, and Sebring and Indy are racetracks.
Why are Maseratis named after winds?
It began with one suggestion in 1963. Motor Web Museum dates the tradition to the Mistral, and RM Sotheby's says that name was meant to suggest speed. It was never a fixed rule: Motor Web Museum notes that the trend faded after a few years before returning, and other names ran alongside it.
| Name | First shown | Wind | Where it blows | Character |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mistral | Turin, November 1963 | Mistral | Southern France, Rhône delta | Cold, dry, strong |
| Ghibli | Turin, 1966 | Ghibli | Libya | Hot, dry, dusty |
| Bora | Geneva, March 1971 | Bora | Northern Adriatic, Trieste | Cold |
| Khamsin | Turin, November 1972 | Khamsin | Egypt, Red Sea | Hot, dry, dusty |
| Levante | Geneva, March 2016 | Levante | Spain, southern France, Gibraltar | Easterly |
The wind details follow the UK Met Office's guide to local winds, which covers Ghibli under the wider scirocco family.
What does Mistral mean, and who chose it?
The mistral is a northerly or north-westerly wind that is at its strongest around the Rhône delta and on the coasts of Languedoc and Provence. The Met Office traces the word to the Latin for "master wind". Colonel John Simone proposed it for the car, though sources describe him differently: RM Sotheby's calls him the French importer, while Motor Web Museum calls him a business partner of the importer, Jean Thépenier.
Pietro Frua styled the car, and Maggiora of Turin built the bodies. It was also the last Maserati road car with the twin-cam straight-six descended from racing, in 3.5, 3.7 and 4.0-litre sizes. Production figures vary by source, from 828 to 844 coupés and from 120 to 124 Spyders.
What is a Ghibli?
A hot, dry wind of the Libyan desert. The first car to carry the name was styled by Giorgetto Giugiaro at Ghia, in just three months according to Classic & Sports Car, and it was launched at Turin in 1966 with a 4.7-litre V8.
Maserati has since reused the name twice. A twin-turbo V6 coupé ran from 1992 to 1998, and a four-door saloon was presented in Shanghai on 19 April 2013. For the original, production counts run from 1,274 in Classic & Sports Car to 1,295 on Wikipedia.
Where does the Bora blow?
Along the northern Adriatic, around the coasts of Italy, Slovenia and Croatia, mostly in winter and spring. The Met Office links the name to the Greek for "north wind", and Wikipedia calls it the wind of Trieste.
The car was a turning point. Developed under Citroën's ownership, it was the first Maserati road car with its engine in the middle. Giugiaro, now at his own Italdesign, beat Frua to the job according to Evo, and the car appeared in final form at Geneva in March 1971. Wikipedia counts 564 built: 289 with the 4.7-litre V8 and 275 with the 4.9.
What does Khamsin mean?
It comes from the Arabic for "fifty". The Met Office explains that the hot, dry, dusty wind over Egypt takes its name from the fifty days it was said to blow, most often between April and June.
The car replaced the Ghibli as Maserati's V8 grand tourer. Marcello Gandini drew it at Bertone, and it first appeared on the Bertone stand at Turin in November 1972, with regular production starting in 1974. Its 4.9-litre V8 sat far back behind the front axle. Build numbers again depend on the source, from 421 in Classic & Sports Car to 435 on Wikipedia.
What is the Levante wind?
An easterly wind that runs through the Strait of Gibraltar, also felt along the coasts of Spain and southern France. Its name means "rising", as the Met Office notes.
The Levante was the first SUV in Maserati's history, unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show on 1 March 2016 and built at Mirafiori in Turin.
Which Maserati names are not winds?
Several famous ones. The Merak of 1972 takes its name from a star in Ursa Major, even though Motor Web Museum lists it among the winds. Motor Web Museum groups Sebring, Mexico, Indy and Kyalami as racetrack names suggested by Adolfo Orsi Jr, and Quattroporte simply means "four doors" in Italian.
Later wind names include the Shamal of 1989, after a hot summer wind over Mesopotamia, and the Grecale, after the Mediterranean gregale.
Can you tell your winds from your racetracks? Find out in the My Hangar Maserati quiz, place each car on the Maserati timeline, or read how the firm began in the Maserati brothers' Bologna workshop.
FAQ
Which was the first Maserati named after a wind?
The Mistral, shown at the Turin Motor Show in November 1963. It took its name from the cold wind of southern France.
What does Ghibli mean?
Ghibli is the Libyan name for a hot, dry desert wind. Maserati has used it on three different cars: a V8 coupé from the 1960s, a V6 coupé from the 1990s and a saloon from 2013.
What does Levante mean on a Maserati?
It is an easterly wind of the western Mediterranean, passing through the Strait of Gibraltar. The word means "rising". The Levante of 2016 was Maserati's first SUV.
Is the Maserati Merak named after a wind?
No. The Merak is named after a star in the constellation Ursa Major, although it is sometimes listed with the wind names.
Sources
- Winds of the world, Met Office
- The Maserati cars named after the winds, Motor Web Museum
- 1965 Maserati Mistral 3.5 Spyder by Frua, RM Sotheby's
- Maserati Bora review, Evo
- The holy trinity of Maserati V8 GTs, Classic & Sports Car
- Maserati Levante at Geneva, Autoblog
- Maserati Mistral, Wikipedia
- Maserati Ghibli, Wikipedia
- Maserati Bora, Wikipedia
- Maserati Khamsin, Wikipedia
- Maserati Merak, Wikipedia
- Maserati Shamal, Wikipedia
- Maserati Grecale, Wikipedia
Every figure here was checked against at least two independent sources, listed at the end.
