It appeared in 1971 with a 351 Cleveland Ford V8 and a low, wedge-shaped body designed by Ghia's Tom Tjaarda.
The second production run, known as the Series 2 and totaling around 4,000 bikes, used a De Tomaso-designed rectangular taillight/reflector and modified rear guard.
It featured the addition of "over 40" new cars (now 165+) including Auto Union, Bugatti, and De Tomaso vehicles.
A "Minidue" had been rumored for some time, but most were expecting the fitment of a Moto Guzzi 650 cc V-twin engine, since Moto Guzzi was another company owned by de Tomaso at the time.
De Tomaso had Pietro Frua take Tom Tjaarda's design of the De Tomaso Longchamp (itself inspired by the Mercedes 450SLC) and modify the front and rear end to create a distinctive Maserati feel for the new car.