Home Undercarriage Which country produces Maserati. Maserati: from creation to the present day. Video about the history of the Maserati brand

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Which country produces Maserati. Maserati: from creation to the present day. Video about the history of the Maserati brand

Maserati is a world renowned automotive company of Italian origin, founded in 1914. Currently, she specializes in the production of exclusive luxury cars. The headquarters of the company is located in the north-western part of Italy in Modena. Today the automobile brand is a part of a large transnational association "FIAT".

Starting the story of the origin of the Maserati brand, it is necessary to mention the founding family. In total, the Maserati family had six children. The youngest of them, Mario (Mario Maserati), devoted his whole life to art, the middle one, Carlo (Carlo Maserati), could not imagine his own existence without auto racing. The remaining four brothers - Alfieri Maserati, Ernesto Maserati, Bindo Maserati and Ettore Maserati - were employed in the automotive business, working for the small local firm Isotta-Fraschini in Bologna.

In 1914, Alfieri decided to start his own business and opened the first family workshop "Officine Alfieri Maserat", as the location of which was chosen the suburb of Bologna. The brothers, Bindo, Ettore and Ernesto, support his endeavor and soon join the family business. By joint efforts, purposeful and ambitious Italians manage to build the first signature sports car. It was equipped with a two-liter engine and had good technical characteristics for those times.

The workshop started to go uphill, and by 1926 Alfieri managed to conclude a rather lucrative contract with the large Italian company "Diato". With its funding, the brothers formally register their own car manufacturer, Maserati.

It was from this period that the mass production of various lines of cars equipped with four-, six-, eight- and sixteen-cylinder engines was being established.
In 1932, the main ideological inspirer of the brand, Alfieri Maserati, passed away, but the brothers continue the business he had begun.

The fate of the brand after the death of Alfieri

Unexpectedly heading the company, Bindo, Ettore and Ernesto were unable to continue their brother's endeavor, and a series of measures taken by them almost drove Maserati into crisis. In 1937, they decide to sell a controlling stake to the Orsi family.

The new owners are rapidly reorganizing production, as well as changing the location of the headquarters, moving it to the major business center of the country - Modena on Viale Ciro Menotti. Orsi's policy was aimed exclusively at the mass production of sports cars.

The Maserati brothers are not leaving the company completely, they only relieve themselves of leadership responsibilities and continue to work as design engineers, developers.

With the coming to power of the Orsi family, the Maserati team becomes an active participant in a variety of racing events and competitions. So, in 1940, she managed to win her first official victory at the races in Indianapolis (Indianapolis). It is noteworthy that it was in this fight that the brand managed to move such giants of the car market as Audi and Mercedes off the podium.

In the period from the early 1940s to the very end of World War II, the company, like many other automotive companies of that historical period, retrained as a supplier of military equipment for the Italian army. Maserati's key rival at the time was V16.

When all hostilities ceased and a peace agreement was signed, Maserati returned to business as usual and was actively involved in the development of a new series of racing cars from the A6 series. By this point, the contract with the Maserati brothers had also expired, and they had to leave the company.

Another change of power

At the end of the 60s of the last century, the company was waiting for big changes - so, in 1968, it once again changed its owner. Maserati began to be majority owned by the French-born car manufacturer Citroën.

The previous owner, Adolfo Orsi, however, was in no hurry to leave Maserati permanently, leaving the position of president of the company. And although nominally he was really considered as the head of the enterprise, the policy of the automobile brand has undergone dramatic changes. Firstly, cars began to be produced at an accelerated pace - up to two pieces within one day. Secondly, Citroen generously shared with Maserati its innovative technologies, as well as the accumulated experience, which made it possible to develop a unique car range, revolutionary for those years. One of the most significant inventions created in close cooperation of two world famous brands is the hydraulic suspension, which made a splash on the world market.

In the early 70s of the twentieth century, the range of "Maserati" was represented by extremely prestigious car models: "Merak", "Bora", "Khamsin" and "Quattroporte". That is why the oil crisis that broke out during this period caused irreparable damage to the financial well-being of the company. Expensive racing cars have dramatically lost their demand and could no longer pay off. Citroen quickly filed for bankruptcy and resold Maserati shares in 1964.

Alessandro de Tomaso - the new heart of the brand

In 1975, there was another change of leadership within the company. The popular race car driver and design engineer Alessandro de Tomaso bought out the bankrupt company, hoping to give it a "second wind". In general, the ideas of the Italian were realized - in 1976 the presentation of a completely new model range of the brand took place. Cars "Kyalami" and "Quattroporte III" were presented to the public, which made a splash among the masses.

In the early 1980s, Tomaso released the "Biturbo" supercar model, which was cheaper than other cars in the brand. It was developed on the basis of the "V6" engine, equipped with a dual turbocharging system, and also had a power of 180 hp.

"Biturbo" became a real sensation, literally forcing people to rethink and re-evaluate their relationship to supercars. The car had a completely classic appearance, but its internal contents mesmerized with its casual luxury. The commercial success of this car was ensured by its compactness and economy, because it was precisely these two properties that the Italian motorist of the crisis period of the eighties so needed.

Maserati in the 1990s

In the spring of 1993, the automaker was again sold. This time it came under the leadership of the large Italian concern "FIAT", a new historical era for "Maserati" began.

In 1999, the first car from the 3200 GT line rolled off the assembly line. It was a coupe with two doors, which was equipped with a three-liter engine of the "V8" generation, turbocharging, and its power reached 370 liters. with. The car easily accelerated to 285 km / h.
Also, in 1999, another company specializing in the production of luxury cars, Ferrari, gained full control over the brand. After this transaction, Maserati's spheres of influence began to expand rapidly - the construction of new factories, the opening of representative offices around the world.

Maserati today

Maserati today is not just a world renowned automotive company; it is a symbol of luxury and prestige. Cars of this brand are not just means of transportation, but real works of art, on the creation of which the best designers and designers of our time worked.

In 2011, the brand demonstrated the first-ever concept car of the Kubang model, and in 2016 the serial production of the Levante crossovers was launched.

Today the company has representative offices in more than 60 countries of the world, and the number of employees exceeds a thousand people.

Among the manufactured models, the following can be distinguished:

"Ghibli III";
"GranCabrio";
"GranTurismo";
Levante;
Quattroporte.

Under the name "Quattroporte", the brand produces sports four-door luxury sedans. Today, there are six generations of this model.

First generation - from 1963 to 1970;

For the first time cars of this model range were presented at the international motor show, held in Turin (Torino), in 1963. They were designed by the legendary automotive designer of the time, Pietro Frua. It is noteworthy that it was with this model that the mass production of sedans from Maserati began.

The first copies of the car had a V8 generation engine, the volume of which reached 4.1 liters. They could reach speeds of up to 250 km / h.
The main advantage of this model was not at all technical characteristics, but its appearance. Quattroporte was distinguished by an unusually expensive and sophisticated design, which could reflect the status of its owner as accurately as possible.

Second generation - from 1974 to 1978;

The models of this generation were significantly different from their predecessors. This was due to the fact that the development of cars at that time was carried out in conjunction with the concern "Citroen".

So, sedans have significantly increased in length - now they reached 5200 mm. The wheelbase has also been increased to 3,070 mm.
The cars were produced on the basis of "Citroen SM" and turned out to be retrained in front-wheel drive.

Third generation - from 1976 to 1990;
Fourth generation - from 1994 to 2000;
Fifth generation - from 2003 to 2013;
Sixth generation - from 2013 to the present.

The Levante range is literally a new word in the Maserati automotive world. These cars are unique off-road crossovers that perfectly combine both impeccable Italian style and breathtaking sports spirit.

The luxury SUV is powered by an innovative new generation V6 petrol engine; its volume reaches 3 liters. Also, the car has a dual turbocharging system, it differs in relatively economical fuel consumption.

As for the interior decoration of the car, it is a real personification of luxury and presentability. The salon is finished with first-class quality materials - the finest leather, natural delicate silk and expensive wood.

Maserati GranTurismo

The official presentation of cars of this model range took place in the spring of 2007 during the Geneva Motor Show.

The car has a four-liter engine of the Ferrari V8 generation, which is capable of reaching a power of 298 kW. Also, it is equipped with a six-speed automatic transmission.

The car offers four seats (one of which is for the driver's seat). A convertible version of the model has been on sale since 2009.

The Ghibli III is a premium sedan. She first went on sale in mid-2013. All of its production is concentrated in the brand's original car factory located in Grugliasco. In total, up to twenty thousand cars belonging to this model range roll off the assembly line per year.

The starting price for the model is from 65,000 euros.

Among the technical characteristics of the car are: three-liter diesel and six-cylinder gasoline engines; eight-speed automatic transmission; front suspension; multi-link anti-roll bar.

The official presentation of the model took place at the Shanghai Motor Show in 2013.

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The Italian company was founded in 1914 in Bologna by six Maserati brothers. It was a family business developing ignition systems and automotive engines. However, the start time was not quite right: Europe was going through the First World War. Until the early 20s, production had to be directed to the country's military needs.

When such a need disappeared, the ambitious Maserati brothers managed to return again to cars and their beloved racing sport. The first model, the Maserati Gran Prix 1500, was completed right in front of the Sicilian Targa Florio competition. The head of the family company Alfieri Maserati sat behind the wheel of a sports car with the smallest engine displacement (1.5 liters) and deftly bypassed his rivals, despite a ruptured radiator hose. After the triumph in the Targa Florio, the car became a real sensation in the world of motorsport.

When the brothers faced the question of the company's logo, it was decided to make an emblem in the form of a trident of the sea god Neptune, whose sculpture still adorns the square of Bologna.

In 1937, the company became the property of the Orsi family, which moved its headquarters to Modena, where it is now located. The Maserati brothers continued to work for the company, but already as engineers on the basis of a ten-year contract.

During World War II, Maserati made an unsuccessful attempt to develop a V16 car for Benito Mussolini, but Ferdinand Porsche of Volkswagen was ahead of him.

After the signing of the peace agreement, the Italian company again began to produce cars of the A6 series and continued its participation in racing. In the 1950s, the famous Argentinian Juan Manuel Fangio was the pilot of Maserati sports cars, who in 1957 managed to bring victory in the Formula 1 world championship in a Maserati 250F car. Among the successful models were also Maserati Birdcage, Maserati 200S, 300S, 350S, 450S.

After an accident at the Mille Miglia races, the Italian company stopped taking part in the competition, but began to build custom-made racing cars for everyone who wants to compete in the arena on their own behalf. Since then, Maserati's main focus has been on the design of vehicles for public roads.

Big changes happened to the company in 1968 after its sale to the French concern Citroen for one billion lire. Despite the retention of the nominal presidency for Adolfo Orsi, Maserati's policy became completely different: the pace of production accelerated to two cars a day, the technologies of the two companies were combined, and the cars began to be installed with hydraulic suspension.

The 70s Maserati lineup included such prestigious models as the Maserati Quattroporte sedan, Maserati Merak coupe, Maserati Bora and Maserati Khamsin. But the oil crisis of those years forced the concern to reduce the volume of transactions and the subsequent transfer of Maserati into the hands of the famous racer and engineer Alessandro de Tomaso, who became its owner in 1975.

Under Tomaso's leadership, a new Maserati lineup has emerged with cars such as the Maserati Kyalami and the Quattroporte III. But the real sensation was the release of a relatively inexpensive Maserati Biturbo with a two-liter "six" under the hood of 180 horsepower. The small displacement of the engine significantly reduced the transport tax, which mercilessly hit the pockets of even the wealthiest people in Italy. The economic crisis, the high cost of gasoline - all this made the production of huge, gluttonous supercars unprofitable. The compact, lightweight and economical coupe with a miniature interior made of leather and wood was a huge success in the world of the auto business and immediately began to overgrow with various modifications.

At the end of the 80s, the Italian company presented the new Maserati Shamal coupe, the design of which was developed by the famous stylist Marcello Gandini, who left his autograph on the body in the form of a special shape of the cutout of the rear wheel arch.

In May 1993, the Italian brand was in the possession of the FIAT concern, which made a lot of investments in it and to some extent "revived" Maserati, as many believe. A new chapter in the brand's history began with the Maserati 3200 GT two-door coupe with a 3.2-liter V8 engine producing 370 horsepower.

In 1997, 50 percent of Maserati's shares were transferred to Ferrari, which is also part of FIAT. Full control of "Ferrari" over "Maserati" was obtained two years later.

Among the company's latest developments is the Maserati Kubang crossover, first introduced in 2011.

Maserati range

Now the model range of Maserati, which are available for sale from Russian dealers, consists of the executive class sedans Maserati Quattroporte (which means “four doors” in Italian) of the fifth and sixth generation in various modifications. In addition, the line of luxury cars includes the Maserati GranTurismo coupe and the GranCabrio convertible.

Maserati cost

The cost of Maserati varies from five to seven million rubles. The most expensive option is the Maserati GranCabrio with a 4.7-liter 440 horsepower engine that reaches hundreds of kilometers per hour in just 5.3 seconds. The cost of such a machine in the basic configuration is more than seven million.

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Maserati is an Italian car company. Produces comfortable sports cars with high dynamic performance. In 1995, the FIAT concern took over 90% of Maseratti's shares, and in 1997 there was a merger of Maseratti and Ferrari, which has been owned by FIAT since 1969. The design of the latest Maserati models is noticeably stylized after the Infiniti models. Although who is "spying" on whom is still a question. Moreover, considering that Maserati is the oldest world brand, while Infiniti is a relatively young car brand (created in 1989). ...

In 1933, Maserati was the first racing car in Europe to use the hydraulic brake booster. In addition, the engineers of this company created excellent engines that continued to win even after Maserati left the sport. Powered by a Maserati V-12 engine, the Mini Cooper racing car has won two world championships in a row - Mexico in 1966 and South Africa in 1967.

The whole story of Maserati

Maserati is an Italian car company. Produces comfortable sports cars with high dynamic performance. Part of FIAT. Each of the Maserati brothers - Carlo, Bindo, Alfieri, Mario, Ettore and Ernesto - contributed in one way or another to the development of the company that still bears their name. Carlo, the eldest of the brothers, was the first in the family to start working on cars. It was he who created the first Maserati, equipped with a single-cylinder engine and a very simple chassis. But illness and the ensuing death of 29-year-old Carlo Maserati interrupted work. On December 14, 1914, Alfieri Maserati founded Officine Alfieri Maserati. The main activities of the new enterprise were the development and production of cars, engines and spark plugs. The company was based in Bologna, where a sculpture of Neptune, by Giambologna, is installed in the main city square. Inspired by this work, Mario Maserati designed the company's trademark - a trident, which served as an omen of the future of the company of the Maserati brothers. In 1925, Alfieri, Ernesto and Bindo, commissioned by the major Italian manufacturer and automaker Diatto, created a two-liter engine, which was equipped with a rather successful Grand Prix racing car. But the birth of Maserati, as a company and brand known to the whole world, took place on April 25, 1926, at the start of the Targa Florio races. At these competitions, the third of the Maserati brothers, Alfieri, presented and piloted the first production car, the Maserati Gran Prix 1500, bearing the trident sign on its hood. In 1927 Ernesto became the champion of Italy in Tipo 26. After several high-profile victories, the whole of Europe learned about the company. And from that moment on, the brothers decided to specialize in the production of exclusively racing cars. The collective genius of the Maserati brothers was focused on creating super-powerful motors. In 1929, the racer Bakonin Borzaccini installed a new Tipo V4
speed record at a distance of 10 km - 246 km / h.

From 1932 to 1939, after the death of Alfieri, all cars were created by the younger Maserati - Ernesto. During this period, he himself designed all the engines and himself led his cars to victory in races several times. In 1933 Ernesto Maserati was the first in Europe to use hydraulic brake booster in racing cars. From 1938 to 1939, Maserati became part of the Orsi Gruppo. In 1939 the Orsi family
moved the company from Bologna to Modenugda and is located to this day. In 1939 and 1940, the American Wilbur Shaw in a Maserati 8CTF (under the name Boyle Specials), having won the Indianapolis 500, helped Masеrati go down in the history of legendary American racing. The Maserati 8CTF, powered by the magnificent 8-cylinder 8CTF engines, are the only Italian cars to win these races in their history.

After the war, the remaining Maserati brothers left the company, which left their name and organized their own company OSCA (Officina Specializzata Costruzione Automobili Fratelli Maserati) in their native Bologna. The new company began producing racing cars, but the previous success and
her cars were not popular. In 1947, the presentation of the first car of the GT class - A6 1500 with a body designed by Pininfarina took place. The racing version of the A6GCS, driven by Alberto Ascari, won several races in Modena and represented a force to be reckoned with in the Mille Milia and Targa Florio races. The road version of this car was produced in small series and was equipped with an almost racing chassis and a lightweight 6-cylinder engine with a volume of 2 liters, which had, first, 1 camshaft and 1 plug per cylinder, and then 2 camshafts and 2 plugs per cylinder. All these cars were, so to speak, "hand made" works of authorship, were produced very
in small series and there were practically no two similar models among them.

In 1954, the single Maserati 250F won the Formula 1 race in Argentina. In 1957, equipped with a powerful and reliable 6-cylinder engine, the 250F helped the famous Fangio win his fifth world title and the last title for Maserati. In the same year, Maserati officially announced its retirement from racing and transferred racing technology to production road cars. At the same time, in 1957, the company's best-selling Maserati 3500GT, the first serial road model, was presented. It was equipped with a 6-cylinder twin cam engine (2 overhead camshafts) with a displacement of 3.5 liters. The body was created by the Milan firm Touring. The 3500 series also had its own highlight - the Spyder coupe from the Vignale body shop. According to designers and automotive historians, this model, released in a circulation of only 242
copy, the most graceful of the Maserati cars. In 1961, the car was equipped with a Lucas mechanical fuel injection system, which allowed the company to add the letters GTI to the 3500 name. Thus, the 3500GT became the first Italian car to be equipped with a fuel injection system. Production of the 3500GT was discontinued in 1964 after about 2,000 vehicles were produced.

At the turn of the 50s and 60s, the production of the Maserati 5000 GT, a car that revived the luxurious pre-war tradition of building a car “to order”, began. Maserati supplied the engine and chassis, and the car bodies were “sewn” by Allemano, Michelotti, Bertone. In 1963, another project was born on the drawing boards of the Vignale company, designed to replace the outdated by that time Touring design body. The new car, named the Sebring, after Maserati's North American racing victories, had a well-tuned and reliable engine in a modern and aggressive body. The release of its 2 main versions with a 6-cylinder engine with a volume of 3.7 liters. and 4.0 liters. lasted until 1969.

1963 saw another turnaround in Maserati's history that set the brand apart from the rest of the automakers. The world was presented with expensive high-speed sedans Mistral and Quattroporte. In Great Britain, the new Quattroporte (translated from Italian means "four-door"),
possessed not only a luxurious interior, but also excellent dynamics and handling, it was more expensive than a Rolls Royce. Quattroporte became the first representative model of the company. It was powered by a 4.2 liter version of the V8 engine first found in the 5000 GT. For those looking for the luxury of a Quattroporte but with a sportier body, Maserati has released the Mexico model.

The year 1966 was marked for the company by the release of the Ghibli coupe, the body for which was created in the studio of the young Giorgetto Giugiaro, who was still working at Ghia at that time. This car became a real sensation of its time and served as the hallmark of Maserati in the turbulent 60s.
Despite Maserati's retirement from racing, its engines and cars continued to win races. Powered by a Maserati V-12, the 300 Cooper has won 2 consecutive World Championships - Mexico 1966 and South Africa 1967.

In 1968, Maserati acquired a French partner - Citroen (it can be called a partner at a stretch, since the French bought up a controlling stake in an Italian company that was in a difficult position). At the same time, the Indy 2 + 2 model premiered and production of the new V6 engine began. In 1971, the Bora was born - the company's first GT car with a mid-engined engine. From this car, a new concept for Maserati models began to emerge. From now on, the company begins to make not just super-fast cars. She gives her travel models more comfort and luxury. The following year, the Maserati Merak premiered, which the Italians endowed with a V6 engine developed for the Citroen SM. Merak has become a worthy competitor to its classmates Ferrari 308 GT4 and Lamborghini Uracco. In 1976, the Merak SS appeared, equipped with a new modified 3-liter V6 version and a more elegant Bora dashboard.

At the end of the Citroen era in Maserati history, the Ghibli was replaced in 1973 by a new model - Khamsin, equipped with a body designed by Bertone. The car had a front 4.9 liter V8 engine and a remarkable design.

The short alliance with Citroen fell apart in 1975 and Maserati took over the famous Alejandro De Tomaso, who, deciding to refresh the Maserati range, created the Kyalami project. The car was produced in 2 versions - 4.2 liters. with a manual transmission and 4.9 liters. with a gun. In 1976, Maserati renews its marketing strategy and decides to explore a new niche. To this end, the company enters into competition with Mercedes and BMW and produces the first executive class car in its history - the Quattroporte III with a body from Giugiaro. In 1981, De Tomaso changes his strategy. The solution was the Biturbo, a two-door sedan powered by a new 6-cylinder 2-liter twin-turbo engine with 180 hp. All this was packed in a small but luxurious body. A hit in Italy, Biturbo entered the world stage in 1986. Export versions were equipped with a modified 2.5-liter V6. 1989 saw the release of Shamal, the last representative of the De Tomaso era in the fate of Maserati,
equipped with a new 3200cc Biturbo 8-cylinder engine that gave this monster 325 hp. Soon the Karif came out as a real sports car. Fitting a reliable 2.8 V6 to the Biturbo chassis, they have the fastest car in the Biturbo series. And by removing the roof on the Spyder, Maserati engineers turned it into a real rocket.

From 1993 to 1995, the Italian giant Fiat Auto SpA bought 90% of Maserati's shares and in 1996, under his tutelage, the premiere of the new Quattroporte IV Evoluzione - the Maserati of our time took place.In 1995, under the patronage of Fiat, a series of races for the Ghibli Open Cup were held. To that
event and the release of the road version known as the Ghibli Cup was timed. With just a 2-liter engine, these cars have a breathtaking 330 hp. - no production car, including the Mclaren F1, has such an efficiency per 1 liter of fuel.

In 1997, Maserati merged with Ferrari (in fact, the management of the company passed to Ferrari). Since November 1997, to improve the quality and reliability of the Maserati range, the production of the Ghibli and Quattroporte has been suspended at the Modena factories for a year. The nearly $ 11.5 million modernization of the assembly plant was successfully completed in the fall of 1998 with the release of the new Maserati 3200 GT.
The new Spyder GT model came out in 2002. Maserati's current marketing strategy envisions a shift towards comfortable sports
cars with spectacular appearance and high speed characteristics.
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The history of the company consists of a number of revolutions. During 80 years the company was "noted" in the segment sports and road cars, visited the same niche with Mercedes and BMW, became related and "divorced" Citroen. As for technical innovations, they are innumerable in the history of the company.

Name Maserati causes different e associations among historians, specialists and fans of this brand. Who will remember the first Mille Milia, Targa Florio, Brescia, where Alfieri and Ernesto Maserati appear before us as creators and drivers of some of the best racing cars of that time. The legendary Nuvolari was the first to finish in the cars of the Maserati brothers. The Tipo 250F models and their successors, created by Maserati, are associated with the golden age of Formula 1. For others, Maserati's names are the outstanding GT cars of the 60s and 80s. Yes, they were exotic, but still much more practical than their crowned Ferrari rivals.

To others, the names are the standout GT cars of the 60s and 80s - yes, they were exotic, but still far more practical than their crowned Ferrari rivals.

For others, it is a symbol of prestige and power, embodied in the luxurious modern models Quattroporte, Ghibli, 3200GT.

The family of Rodolfo and Carolina Maserati (née Loza) was quite large - they gave birth to 7 Maserati brothers - Carlo (1881), Bindo (1883), Alfieri (1885) (he died in childhood and his name passed to the next child in the family) - Alfieri (1887), Mario (1890), Ettore (1894) and Ernesto (1898). Each of the brothers, in one way or another, contributed to the development of the company, which still bears their name.

Carlo, the eldest of the brothers, was the first in the family to start working on cars. It was he who created the first Maserati car, equipped with a single-cylinder engine and a very simple chassis. Carlo worked as a manager at Junior. In addition to cars, he was engaged in the development and creation of aircraft engines.

One of Carlo's hobbies was auto racing. In 1907, at Cappo Florio, he played for the Bianchi team. During the race, he was greatly annoyed by the low-voltage interrupter of the ignition system, which had to be changed several times on the go. And yet, despite this, he was able to finish seventh. After this incident, Carlo began replacing the low-voltage ignition system with a high-voltage one on his cars, effectively solving the problem.

Soon Carlo Maserati left with Junior and acquired a small factory that had previously been producing drugs. Here, Carlo, together with Ettore, organized a production for the modification of ignition systems - at the request of customers, they replaced low-voltage ignition systems with high-voltage ones on their cars. At the same time, Carlo was working on a project for a radial aircraft engine. But illness and the ensuing death of 29-year-old Carlo Maserati interrupted work.

December 14, 1914 Alfieri Maserati founded Officine Alfieri Maserati, focusing on the development and production of cars, engines and spark plugs. The company was located in Bologna, where a sculpture of Neptune, by Giambologna, is installed in the main city square. Inspired by this work, Mario Maserati developed the company's trademark - a trident, which served as a sign of the future of the company of the Maserati brothers.

The soul of the whole business - Alfieri, worked at the same time as a designer at Diatto, which produced cars of its own design and licensed by Bugatti.

After a break in work caused by World War 1, the four Maserati again took up the preparation of cars. The brothers created cars and racing cars for customers and took part in the races themselves.

The first engine , which was a truly original Maserati design, was a 6300 cm3 engine mounted on an Isotta Fraschini chassis.

In 1925 Alfieri, Ernesto and Bindo, commissioned by the major Italian manufacturer and automaker Diatto, created a two-liter engine, which was equipped with a rather successful Grand Prix racing car.

But the birth of Maserati, as a company and a brand known to the whole world, took place on April 25, 1926, at the start of the Targa Florio races. At these competitions, the third of the Maserati brothers, Alfieri, presented and piloted the first production car, the Maserati Gran Prix 1500, which carried the trident sign on its hood.

The design of the engine, for its time, was very progressive - 8 cylinders in a row, with a volume of only 1500 cm3, but with a powerful compressor, increasing the engine power to 130 hp.

Some believe that the first Maserati copied a lot of the Diatto racing car, but it should not be forgotten that the cars of this company owe a lot to the Maserati brothers.

Alfieri raced brilliantly and became the first in the class, beating the cars of other competitors equipped with engines of much larger volume. And this despite the fact that he had to stop once through a break in the radiator hose!

In 1927 Ernesto on Tipo 26 becomes champion of Italy.

After the Tipo 26 by the Maserati brothers brought them some glorious victories, Maserati was talked about throughout Europe, and the brothers decided to reorient production exclusively towards racing cars. Currently, there are only 4 car manufacturers in the world that owe their birth exclusively to racing. These are Maserati, Ferrari, Lotus and McLaren, with Maserati being the oldest of them all.

The family genius in engine development was also confirmed in the design of the 16-cylinder V4 and V5, which were based on two independent in-line 8-cylinder engines with a common crankcase. The V5 had a displacement of 4906 cm3 and an amazing power for the beginning of the 30s - 360 hp.

In 1929 year, the racer Bakonin Borzachini on a Tipo V4 set a new speed record at a distance of 10 km - 246 km / h.

In 1930 year the same Borzacchini on Tipo V4 won the Tripoli Grand Prix.

1932 to 1939, after the death of Alfieri, all cars were created by the younger Maserati - Ernesto. During this period, he himself designed all the engines and himself led his cars to victory in races several times.

In 1933 Ernesto Maserati was the first in Europe to use hydraulic brake booster in racing cars.

In the same year, driving the Tipo 8CM, Giuseppe Campari won the French Grand Prix, and Tazio Nuvolari won the Belgian and Nice Grand Prix.

1934 the year was marked by another speed record for Maserati - Giuseppe Furmanik in a Tipo 4CM sets a speed record in the 1100 class - 222 km / h.

In 1938 - 1939 years Maserati became part of the Orsi Gruppo.

In 1939 and 1940 years, American Wilbur Shaw in a Maserati 8CTF (under the name Boyle Specials), having won the Indianapolis 500, helped Masеrati go down in the history of legendary American racing. The Maserati 8CTF, powered by the magnificent 8-cylinder 8CTF engines, are the only Italian cars to have won these races in their history.

In 1940 year the company was transferred to Modena, where it is to this day. After the war, the remaining Maserati brothers left the company, which left their name and organized their own company OSCA (Officina Specializzata Costruzione Automobili Fratelli Maserati) in their native Bologna.

The new company started producing racing cars, but its cars did not have the previous success and popularity, and the victory of Stirling Moss and Billy Lloyd was the victory of Stirling Moss and Billy Lloyd piloting 1500 OSCA Sport at the 1954 Sebrinza races.

As for the brand, the second wave of its success came in the 50s. In 1954, the Maserati 250F became the winner of the Formula 1 stage in Argentina. In 1957, with the same car, Juan Fangio won the last racing title for Maserati. However, sporting success was no longer in line with the commercial interests of the owners of Maserati from the Orsi Gruppo company. Therefore, Maserati announced its retirement from racing and changed its specialization: it transferred racing technology to production road cars.

Then in 1957 year, the company's bestseller, the Maserati 3500GT, was presented, the first serial road model. It was equipped with a 6-cylinder twin cam engine (2 overhead camshafts) with a displacement of 3.5 liters. The body was created by the Milan firm Touring. The 3500 series also had its own highlight - the Spyder coupe from the Vignale body shop. Designers and automotive historians consider this model, produced in a circulation of only 242 pieces, to be the most elegant of all Maserati cars. In 1961, the car was equipped with a Lucas mechanical fuel injection system, which allowed the company to add the letters GTI to the 3500 name.

Thus, the 3500GT became the first Italian car to be equipped with a fuel injection system. Production of the 3500GT was discontinued in 1964 after about 2,000 vehicles were produced. In the 60s, Giorgetto Giugiaro first had a hand in Maserati cars. This designer is today a trendsetter in automotive fashion, at the same time he belonged to the category of "promising". The Ghibli coupe became a sensation and served as the hallmark of Maserati in the difficult 1960s for the automotive business. At one time, the Ghibli was the main competitor to Ferrari Daytona.

In 1963 year in the history of Maserati there was another turn that set the brand apart from other automakers. The world was presented with expensive high-speed sedans Mistral and Quattroporte. In the UK, the new Quattroporte (Italian for "four-door"), which had not only a luxurious interior, but also excellent dynamics and handling, cost more than a Rolls Royce. In the same year, another project was born on the drawing boards of the Vignale firm. Named the Sebring, after Maserati's North American racing victories, the new car had a well-tuned and reliable engine in a modern and aggressive body. Release of 2 main versions with a 6-cylinder engine with a volume of 3.7 liters. and 4.0 liters. lasted until 1969.

In 1968 year a controlling stake in Maserati was bought by the French Citroen. The most notable result of the partnership between the French and Italians was the Indy model (1104 copies were produced), more than the alliance of the two car companies, which lasted until 1975, did not show itself in anything. In 1971, the Bora was born, the first GT car with a mid-engined engine. From this car, a new concept for Maserati models began to emerge. From now on, the company begins to make not just super-fast cars. She gives her travel models more comfort and luxury.

Short alliance with Citroen , which had lost interest in sports cars, disbanded in 1975 and Maserati took over the famous Alejandro De Tomaso. He, deciding to refresh the Maserati lineup, created the Kyalami project. The car was produced in 2 versions - 4.2 liters. with a manual transmission and 4.9 liters. with a gun.

In 1976 year Maserati renews its marketing strategy and decides to develop a new niche. To this end, the company enters into competition with Mercedes and BMW and produces the first executive class car in its history - the Quattroporte III with a body from Giugiaro. Behind the calm appearance of this model was a real devil. Part of De Tomaso's original plan was to create cars with stylish yet discreet looks. Owners of the third generation Quattroporte could enjoy dynamics and luxury without drawing too much attention. And this concept turned out to be successful, the Quattroporte did not leave the assembly line for 14 years.

However, despite the success of the new model, the company's business was in dire straits. De Tomaso, realizing that the era of supercars, gasoline eaters, has come to an end, decides on "another small revolution." Maserati launches the Biturbo two-door sedan, powered by a new 180 hp 6-cylinder engine. with. The "heart" was packed in a small but luxurious body. Having become a real hit in Italy, in 1986 Biturbo achieved notable success on the world stage. 1989 saw the release of Shamal, the last representative of the De Tomaso era in the fate of Maserati, equipped with a new 3200cc Biturbo 8-cylinder engine that gave this monster 325 hp. with. Soon the Karif came out - a real sports car.

Fitting a reliable 2.8 V6 on a Biturbo chassis, they got the fastest car in the Biturbo series. And by removing the roof on the Spyder, Maserati engineers turned it into a real rocket. From 1993 to 1995, the Italian giant Fiat Auto SpA bought 90% of Maserati's shares and in 1996, under his tutelage, the premiere of the new Quattroporte IV Evoluzione - the Maserati of our time took place. Taking an interest in the dynamic company, from 1993 to 1995, the Italian giant Fiat Auto SpA bought 90% of Maserati's shares.

When asked how Maserati and Ferarri will coexist in the same concern, Ferrari President Luca Di Montezemolo replied: “Ferrari is the embodiment of exceptional performance and excellent handling. These are cars for drivers. Maserati should be chic and aggressive, classic cars of the Gran Turismo class. " In 1996, under his tutelage, the premiere of the new Quattroporte IV Evoluzione - the Maserati of our time took place.

In 1995 year, under the patronage of Fiat, a series of races for the Ghibli Open Cup were held. The release of the road version known as the Ghibli Cup was timed to this event. These cars have only a 2-liter engine and have a breathtaking 330 hp. with. - No production car, including the Mclaren F1, has such an efficiency per 1 liter of fuel. In 1997, Maserati merged with Ferrari (in fact, the management of the company passed to Ferrari). Since November 1997, in order to improve the quality and reliability of the Maserati range, the production of the Ghibli and Quattroporte has been suspended at the Modena factories for a year. The nearly $ 11.5 million modernization of the assembly plant was successfully completed in the fall of 1998 with the release of the new Maserati 3200 GT. And in 2002, the new Spyder GT model was released.

The current marketing strategy plans a transition to the production of comfortable sports cars with a spectacular appearance and high speed characteristics. Today, the company's lineup includes two cars that fully meet these requirements - the Maserati 3200GT and the Maserati Spyder. Under the hoods of Italian cars, multi-liter high-powered V-engines are returning again. This policy promises to be successful: in 2001, 1,852 Maserati were sold in the world, and last year, already 3485. Among the exclusive sports brands, this is the second result (Ferrari is in the first place).

Maserati Factory Tour in Modena

Maserati has been based in Modena since 1940. Now it is one of the most modern and high-tech automotive factories in Italy. The modern production facility is built around a historic red brick building. The territory of the plant is over 40,000 sq. M. The main products are the Maserati Quattroporte, a four-door sports sedan and the Maserati GranTurismo, a four-seat coupe.

Maserati invites owners and buyers of the company's vehicles on a guided tour of the Modena plant. The excursion includes a visit to the assembly lines and other departments of the plant, inspection and study of the process of production and assembly of cars.

The business visit can be timed to coincide with the issuance of a new car to the owner in a spectacular showroom. Just contact your local dealer and they will arrange your trip at a time that suits you.