Once confined to the realm of the exotic, Maseratis are becoming more commonplace – thanks in no small part to the broader appeal of new models like the Ghibli sedan and Levante crossover. So what’s an owner of Modena’s finest to do to make his or her ride stand out from the crowd? Why, cover it in velvet, of course!
Pictured here is a Ghibli covered in black velvet. The fuzzy fabric is offset by satin gold trim, but the rest of the brightwork – including the grille, window frames, and wheels – appear to have been blacked out.
Italian plates aside, the picture – judging by the livery of the police car in the background – appears to have been taken in neighboring Monaco.
Now this isn’t the first high-end European automobile we’ve seen following this emerging trend. We’ve observed the same treatment applied to a Ferrari 599, a Porsche Panamera and a Rolls-Royce Phantom DHC, among others.
The missus tells this writer that, in fashion terms, velvet is very much “in” this season (from what she’s seen on Pinterest, at least). But when it comes to automobiles, the velour wrap is still something of a rarity compared with relatively more common matte or chrome treatments.
Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing, of course, is entirely a subjective matter of taste. We just wouldn’t recommend leaving it out in the rain.
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