Pick Of The Day: 1968 Maserati Ghibli Ss

Certain vehicles can inspire vivid fantasies. A “Square Body” Chevrolet K20 leads to visions of driving down dirt roads with your special person riding next to you on the bench seat. Italian cars, particularly those from the 1960s, can make a thoroughly all-American person daydream about wearing tailored clothes, drinking espresso, and smoking cigarettes. That’s especially true of our Pick of the Day. You can find this 1968 Maserati Ghibli SS listed on ClassicCars.com by a dealer in Huntington Station, New York. It comes with factory books, tools, records, authentication from the Maserati Classiche Program, and more.

Former “Top Gear” host Jeremy Clarkson somewhat jokingly associated Jaguars with cads and scoundrels. On the other hand, a sleek and sexy car like the Maserati Ghibli is a rolling representations of 1960s Italian playboys. When you can finally stop staring at its crisp, graceful Giugiaro-penned lines, you immediately picture yourself wearing dark sunglasses and zooming through the streets of Rome. As eternally stylish as the Ghibli may be, its production run spanned only five years (1967-72) and resulted in just 1,204 cars: 779 Ghibli and 425 Ghibli SS models (although Maserati’s own totals vary depending on which one of its reference materials you consult).

This particular Ghibli is somewhat a hybrid of the two basic models with an interesting history. According to the selling dealer, who purchased the car in 2021, “It was first delivered new to Rolma Automobili S.r.l. of Milano, Italy. Early history remains unknown until early 2020. At that time, it was imported to the United States. A cosmetic restoration was performed to include a bare metal repaint in its original Verde Gemma, the windshield trim, rear window trim and bumpers were re-chromed, various lights and trim work replaced as well as all weather-stripping.”

In addition, the interior was fitted with fresh Senape leather and Beige carpeting. A subsequent owner added the Ghibli to his or her collection in North Carolina before trading back to the dealer, who adds, “Under its most recent ownership the air conditioning system has been serviced and all dash lighting is now utilizing LED bulbs.”

So why is this Ghibli a hybrid? The regular Ghibli came equipped with an AM115 4.7-liter DOHC V-8 that was good for 330 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and a top speed of 164 mph. The SS had the larger AM115/49 4.9-liter V-8, which produced 335 horses at 5,500 revs and enabled a top speed of 177. The car you see here is an SS, but its engine was replaced with the 4.7-liter powerplant from the regular Ghibli.

However, this Italian 2+2 still has a five-speed manual gearbox and looks that make you want to drive it as you glide through la dolce vita. To get started on making your fantasy a reality, contact the dealer for the price of this 1968 Maserati Ghibli SS.

Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com