The Maserati Indy was produced between 1969 and 1975 to replace the Mexico or, as stated by Maserati, to bridge the gap between the latter and the Ghibli. Vignale’s project (designed by Virginio Vario) won against other coachbuilders and was presented at the Geneva Motor Show in 1968. The wedged line embellished by pop-up headlights and wide windows immediately set itself apart from previous models, suddenly ageing the Mexico by at least a decade.

Indianapolis, then. Or rather: Indy. This was the name chosen to commemorate the victories at the International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race in 1939 and 1940. The engine also represented a step change in the Maserati production: a 4.2 L 260 hp V8 that pushed the Indy to an astonishing speed of 250 km/h. A thoroughbred sports car that, as befits the best Maserati tradition, boasted a lavish leather interior and could comfortably accommodate four people. After all, the competition had already probed the customers’ preferences for the segment of sports car with the equipment of a flagship model. For instance, Lamborghini’s extravagant Espada was already rather successful, despite its reliability issues.

Later, the Maserati Indy arrived in the USA. Starting from 1970, production was widened to include different engine capacities and ultimately amounted to about 1100 vehicles.