home option is deprecated for the family of bloginfo() functions. Use the url option instead. in /var/www/vhosts/quattro-porte.com/httpdocs/wp-includes/functions.php on line 3321At the beginning of the 60′s, Maserati started development of a new kind of car: a 4-door sportscar in line with the newly introduced Facel Vega Excellence and Lagonda Rapide. There was a new market for this type of automobiles because of the rise of motorways throughout Europe. The Quattroporte is acknowledged as the first car specifically designed for autobahn usage. The speed came from a new Maserati 4100 cc powerplant (a detuned race-engine) and Frua designed the handsome and sleek body. The Quattroporte I was launched at the 1963 Turin Motorshow and Maserati claimed a top speed of 230 kilometers per hour, a huge acchievement in that year for such a car.
Technical specification Maserati Quattroporte I Series 1:
Lamborghini never really considered a 4-door car, but focused on fast sportscars and 2+2 sportscars such as the 400 GT 2+2 and the Espada. Based on a Espada S2 from 1970 (serial number 8224), Pietro Frua designed the first and only 4 door sports saloon for Lamborghini (except for the recently launched Estoque Concept in 2008). The spectacular car was launched on the 57. Salone internazionale dell´Automobile in Turin as the Frua Faena or Lamborghini 400 GT2 Espada 4P. It’s a stunning looking car with a lot of details of the donor car Espada, such as the rear side and interior. The front of the Faena is however completely new and pretty modern for it’s time with with twin headlights each mounted in a pop-up unit. Why the car wasn’t a success isn’t clear. Probably because it didn’t fit in Lamborghini’s strategy (same as for the Ferrari Pinin 2 years later). Pietro Frua was a bit disappointed because he wanted to build this beautiful four door car in smaller numbers for special clients. It remained at only one prototype car as seen on the picture here.
Technical specification Lamborghini Faena:
Technical specification Maserati Quattroporte I Series 2:
Karim Aga Kahn was a regular client of Maserati ordering both regular Maseratis and also a bunch of special versions. In 1971 he ordered a new Maserati 4-door sport saloon custom build by Carrozzeria Frua. The car was built on the platform of the Maserati Indy and featured in the 002 car the 4,7 Liter engine and in the 004 Aga Kahn car the massive 4,9 Liter engine. The first car was introduced on the 1971 Paris Motor Show and again in 1972 Geneva Motor Show. As said one car was created for and delivered to the Aga Khan in 1974 and the other Frua II was delivered to the Spanish Royal Family.
Although the Frua Quattroporte II received an official Maserati chassis code (AM 121) and looked a million Dollars, it never made the production stage. Pietro Frua hoped it would be the successor of his own Quattroporte I, but Citroen took over Maserati in the mid 70′s and had their own ideas of how the Quattroporte II should look.
Technical specification Maserati Quattroporte II by Frua: