Maserati Quattroporte (1974)

The second series of the Maserati Quattroporte was built in 1974 and 1975, during the period when Maserati belonged to the French group Citroën, and it remains the only front-wheel-drive Maserati. Also called the Quattroporte II and derived from the project AM 123, it was first shown on 3 October 1974 at the Paris motor show as a concept car. Bertone designed the body at Citroën's request in a plain style of straight, parallel lines, with a large rear hatch, and the engineers took many parts from the Citroën SM, including the hydropneumatic suspension, the power steering and the electronic climate control. The engine was a 3.0 litre V6 of 2,965 cc with 210 horsepower, a development of the V6 that Maserati had sold to Citroën for the SM. Because Peugeot took control of Citroën in 1974 and judged the car unprofitable, production ended in early 1975 after only thirteen cars, six built to Citroën's standards and seven completed later by the new owner De Tomaso, and only five are thought to survive.