Named to celebrate Maserati's two victories at the Indy 500, the Maserati Indy (Tipo 116) first appeared in 1968, at the Salone dell'automobile di Torino as a prototype by Carrozzeria Vignale

Vignale

Vignale was an Italian automobile coachbuilder company. Carrozzeria Alfredo Vignale was established in 1948 at Via Cigliano, Turin by Alfredo Vignale in Grugliasco, near Turin ....

 that was to replace the ageing Mexico

Maserati Mexico

The Vignale Maserati Mexico body was first used on a 5000GT chassis which an important Mexican customer had shipped to Italy for repair after crashing it. Thereafter the model became known as the Mexico. By coincidence, the Cooper-Maserati win in the Mexican Grand Prix occurred the following year...

 and Quattroporte.

The production model was launched by Maserati at the Geneva Motor Show the following March. In 1969, the Indy was offered only with a 4.2 Litre V8. For the 1970-1972 model years, the Indy started sporting a 4.7 Litre engine alongside the 4.2. In 1971, Maserati added the Ghibli SS

Maserati Ghibli

The Maserati Ghibli is a Gran Turismo car produced by Italian manufacturer Maserati in two generations: first from 1966–73, and again as the Maserati Ghibli II from 1992–97.- Ghibli I :...

's 4.9 Litre V8 to the range, albeit downrated to 320 bhp compared to the Ghibli's 335 bhp and from 1973–1974, both the 4.2 and 4.7 Litre engines were supplanted by the 4.9.