The Maserati Royal was a four-door front-engine vehicle produced from 1986 to 1990. The moniker is now also being used as a special trim package available on current Ghibli, Quattroporte, and Levante models.
Original Maserati Royal
It was a limited production run of a specialized variant of the Maserati Quattroporte, built to celebrate Maserati’s 60th anniversary as a car manufacturer. While 120 were slotted for production, only 53 units were produced by the end of the run. The 1986 Quattroporte Royal edition was an artistic endeavor from the car maker, looking to showcase its ability to provide an elegance and stunning vehicle that would put any viewer into a world of beauty. As part of the third generation Quattroporte, it was based on an all-steel unibody structure under the leadership of De Tomaso. Returning to the roots of the first-generation design, De Tomaso got rid of many features from the second-generation Quattroporte in favor of his De Tomaso Longchamp design instead. This built-to-order ultra-luxurious version featured an all-aluminum 4.9L V8 engine with four Weber carburetors. It also used higher compression than that found on other Quattroportes. It was capable of producing 296 horsepower (300 PS) at 5,600 RPM and 295 lb ft of torque. The top speed is reported to be 147 mph (230 km/h). The V8 engine was paired with a manual 5-speed ZF transmission. The interior featured leather upholstery on four electrically-adjustable seats, veneer trim throughout, tables coming out of the rear doors, and a restyled dashboard. A mini-bar-like refrigerator was placed inside of the vehicle for another step up in luxury. Most of the changes were the interior appointments and additional of regal touches, while the engine and overall mechanics remained nearly identical to other Quattroportes. This caused some people to wonder if the extreme price tag, nearly double the usual version, was truly worthwhile. Sometimes the exclusivity factor with a touch of history can go a long way, but the total of 53 units out of a planned 120 shows that maybe it didn’t go quite far enough. The collectors market has seen some Quattroportes going for around $50,000 to $60,000 in recent history, and one would think the Royal versions could catch substantially more. Only time will be able to tell what the world thinks of this piece of automotive history.
Current Royal Special Series
Paying homage to the original 1986 Maserati Quattroporte Royal, the car maker is bringing back the Royal name as a trim package on select special edition versions of the Ghibli, Quattroporte, and Levante. It is only available on the 6-cylinder versions of each car and expects to produce a total of 100 Royal Special Series units. The 3.0L V6 diesel option will have 271 horsepower, while the 3.0L gasoline option will put out 424 horsepower. No V8 options are planned. The blue and green paint options are making a comeback as Blu Royale and Verde Royale. Exterior modifications include anthracite-colored multi-spoke alloy wheels with silver brake calipers. The interior will match the GranLusso trim versions with tan or black-and-tan seats, and metal trim will be used throughout. Bowers and Wilkins premium sound system is standard, plus a Cold Weather Premium package with heated seats all around and a heated steering wheel. A driving assistance plus package, with adaptive cruise control, emergency braking, and blind-spot warning will be featured. While the 100-unit exclusivity brings something special to the table, the Royal name is a historical tradition for this Italian car maker. Although using it as a trim model causes a bit of confusion, there’s no doubt that the tribute to the 1986 version, which itself was a celebration of the brand’s deep car making history, is a nice touch to the current models.