1980 Maserati Kyalami 4.9L Coupe

The Tipo 129 Kyalami, built between 1976 and 1983 in small numbers, is the ideal GT car - handsome, if somewhat restrained styling by Frua clothing a robust chassis and powered by the classic Maserati quad-cam V8 in either 4.2 or 4.9-litre guise. The model debuted at the 1976 Geneva Salon and was named after the South African race track where Pedro Rodriguez had won the Grand Prix in 1967 driving a Cooper-Maserati. Unusually, the Kyalami was offered with an automatic transmission as standard, with the ZF five-speeder an option, underscoring the relaxed nature of the model. Although based to some extent on the De Tomaso Longchamp, considerable changes were made to both the styling - with Frua improving on Tom Tjaarda's already elegant lines - and under the bonnet, where a lot of work went into housing the Italian running gear. Inside, the Kyalami abounds in luxury features with opulent leather hides, full instrumentation and usable rear seats. According to factory records, as few as 210 Kyalamis were built during the eight years of production and today few survive in as good condition as the vehicle on offer here.