Maserati Royale Overview: Generations and Buying Guide
Overview of the Maserati Royale sedan (1987–1990): its single generation, 280–300 hp power range, and which version to look for on the used market.
The Maserati Royale is a rear-wheel-drive sedan produced from 1987 to 1990, offered with 280–300 hp and a manual gearbox. It suits buyers looking for a rare Italian luxury sedan from the late 1980s with classic V8 character and analog driving feel rather than a modern daily commuter.
Maserati Royale generations
1 generation (1987–1990)
The first and only generation of the Maserati Royale was built from 1987 to 1990 exclusively as a sedan. Power output ranges from 280 to 300 hp, and both of the two available modifications pair a manual transmission with rear-wheel drive. The notable version is the Maserati Royale 4.9 MT (1 generation), which uses a 4930 cc engine producing 300 hp and accelerates to 100 km/h in 6.5 seconds.
The lineup is deliberately narrow: two modifications, one body style, one transmission type, one drivetrain layout. That makes the Royale range easy to understand — the meaningful difference between versions comes down to the power figure, 280 hp versus 300 hp.
Which Maserati Royale to buy
- 4.9 MT (300 hp) (1 generation): the strongest version in the range with 300 hp from its 4930 cc engine, and the quickest on paper with a 6.5-second acceleration time.
On the used market, every Maserati Royale comes from the same short 1987–1990 production window, so there is no newer generation to hunt for — condition and history matter far more than model year. The single-generation, manual-only, rear-wheel-drive lineup also means parts and specifications are consistent across the whole range, which simplifies comparing candidate cars.
Summary
The Maserati Royale sedan occupies a narrow but clear niche: a 1987–1990 Italian luxury four-door with 280–300 hp, manual transmission, and rear-wheel drive across all versions. With only two modifications ever offered, the choice is straightforward. The Maserati Royale 4.9 MT (1 generation) stands out as the version to target: its 300 hp output tops the range, and the 6.5-second sprint makes it the most capable Royale by every number in the data. Buyers who find a well-documented example from this three-year run get the definitive form of the car, since no later generation ever replaced it.