Maserati Quattroporte II (AM123) photos

The second-generation Maserati Quattroporte, codenamed Tipo AM123, debuted at the Paris Motor Show in October 1974 during Citroën's ownership of the Italian marque. Arriving amid the global oil crisis, it represented a radical departure from its V8-powered rear-wheel-drive predecessor. The AM123 was engineered on an extended front-wheel-drive architecture derived from the Citroën SM, complete with Citroën's high-pressure hydropneumatic self-leveling suspension, power steering, and disc braking system. The angular four-door coachwork was designed by Marcello Gandini at Bertone. Power came from a mid-mounted 3.0-liter all-alloy V6 engine (Tipo C114) producing 210 hp, mated to a 5-speed manual transaxle. Although a larger 3.2-liter version was prototyped, the financial collapse of Citroën in 1975 and the subsequent takeover of Maserati by Alejandro de Tomaso abruptly halted regular production plans. Because of homologation hurdles and high complexity, the AM123 never reached high-volume sales and was primarily delivered to select clients in Europe and the Middle East, with only 13 production chassis built through 1978.