Almost everyone who is interested in cars has sooner or later dreamed of a Maserati (manufacturing country - Italy). This brand luxury cars evokes admiration and respect for its developers. About history trademark, about the country of origin of Maserati and about the latest line of these supercars, read in this article.
The beginning of the story
In the family of a simple railway driver, Rodolfo Maserati, six sons grew up - Carlo, Bindo, Alfieri, Mario, Ettore, Ernesto. All the boys, except Mario, were passionate about technology. But all the sons, one way or another, contributed to the development of the Maserati car brand; their country will be glorified precisely by these achievements.
It all started on December 14, 1914, when Alfieri registered the Officine Alfieri Maserati enterprise, which specialized in the production of engines and spare parts, and the assembly of cars. This family company had a registered address: Via de Pepoli, house number 1, in a prestigious area of Bologna (Italy), very close to the statue of Neptune, which will play a role in our history.
Official start
And although the company was doing well, the birth of the brand with its logo on the hood occurred on April 25, 1926. It was on this day that Alfiero, driving the first production car Maserati Gran Prix 1500, started in the Targa Florio race.
It was from this moment that the Maserati trident became a recognizable logo of the company. The trident itself is a reminder of the place where the family company was born and of the three founding brothers Alfieri, Ettore and Ernesto, and the colors red and blue coincide with the colors of the Bologna flag.
And already in 1927, another brother, Ernesto, became the Italian champion in a Tipo 26 car. After these high-profile victories, people started talking about the brand in Europe. The slogan “Luxury, sport and style in exclusive cars” became the motto of Maserati. The production of “civilian” sports cars was also established, which quickly became very popular.
And the brothers decided to focus on production only racing cars top class with super powerful motors. The record was not long in coming - in 1929, in a Maserati Tipo V4 racing car, the famous racer B. Borzaccini set a world speed record of 246 km/h.
The brothers are leaving
In 1932, Alfiero Maserati dies during an operation, and the company is headed by Ernesto. He designs the cars himself and drives them to race victories himself. His merit was the use of power brakes on racing cars.
But the world economy is experiencing a crisis, and in 1938 Maserati became part of the Orsi Gruppo. The company was partially moved to Modena (address: 322 viale Ciro Menotti), and the brothers continued to work in the company until the end of the Second World War.
In 1947, they left the company, leaving its name, and they themselves organized Officina Specializzata Costruzione Automobili Fratelli Maserati, specializing in racing cars mobile X.
Maserati continues to conquer the world
In 1939, the Maserati 8 CTF Boyle Special racing car (pictured above) rolled off the production line. He brought the company two of its most significant victories. The first took place on May 30, 1939 at the Indianapolis 500, where the famous racer Wilbur Shaw set a speed record of 185.131 km/h. The second victory took place on May 30, 1940 - the same driver at the same race set a new speed record of 183.911 km/h. And to this day, the only Italian brand that has won victories at the most prestigious Indianapolis race is Maserati. The country is very proud of this fact.
But the company focuses on “civilian” models. In 1947, at the Geneva Motor Show, the Maserati A6 1500, the first car of this brand for everyday use, enjoyed great success.
The racing love continues
At the first Formula 1 World Championship (1950) there was no Maserati team, but 7 out of 24 participants drove cars of this brand.
The racing Maserati A6 GCS appeared in 1953 with the outstanding racer Juan Manuel Fangio and engine designer Gioachino Colombo. Once again, Maserati leads the races in Italy.
And in 1957, using a Maserati 250F, Fangio won 4 out of 8 stages at the World Championship. And in the same year, two tragedies happened - at the Mille Miglia race (Italy), 11 people died as a result of a sports car accident, and a factory racer died in the accident.
The company announces the termination of participation in racing and reserves only the fulfillment of orders for sports cars from private pilots and the manufacture of engines for racing cars.
Dancing with Citroen
The company already had car bestsellers - Maserati 3500GT, Maserati Sebring and Quattroporte, Maserati Mistral and Maserati Ghibli. But all of them were not released in large series. To develop mass appeal in 1968, Maserati entered into an agreement with by Citroen: industrial and marketing policy remain in second place, and Adolfo Orsi remained president of the Italian office.
Successful Maserati projects of this period are Indy 2+2, Merak, Khamsin, Bora.
World crisis
The beginning of the 70s of the last century was marked by a global crisis in the oil market. Citroen declared bankruptcy and joined the PSA Peugeot Citroen group. Maserati was also declared bankrupt when liquidation began in 1975. The company was rescued by the Italian government, and management was given to GEPI ( State Institute development and assistance to industrial enterprises).
The new owner of the Maserati in 1975 was the famous Formula 1 racer Alejandro De Tomaso. And the company began to revive. In 1976, the flagship sedan Quattroporte III and sports coupe Maserati Kyalami.
Tomaso began mass production of cars in 1981 with the Maserati Biturbo two-door sedan model. Until 1993, 37 thousand cars were produced in various modifications.
Dancing with FIAT
The success of the brand was noticed by competitors. And so it happened that by 1995, 95% of the company's shares belonged to FIAT Auto SpA. A reorganization was carried out, and Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, who was also the executive director of Ferrari, a structural division of FIAT Auto SpA, became the head of Maserati. And by 1999, Ferrari received 100% of Maserati shares.
The Modena plant underwent a $12 million upgrade, and the collaboration's product, the Maserati 3200GT (pictured above), was unveiled at the 1998 Paris Motor Show.
Since 2003, Maserati has again collaborated with the Pininfarina body shop, and in 2004 the brand returned to racing with the Maserati MC12 team and car.
And again a change of owner
In 2005, FIAT Group buys the company from Ferrari and transfers it to management Alfa Romeo.
In 2007, a real masterpiece appears at the Geneva Motor Show - a two-door Maserati coupe. GranTurismo. The revived Maserati Ghibli sedan (2012) was presented in Shanghai, and the sixth generation Quattroporte was presented in Detroit.
By the way, Maserati Quattroporte No. 1 acquired ex-president Italy's Carlo Azeglio, and Maserati Quattroporte No. 2 belongs to a man who definitely knows a lot about pleasure and excess luxury, Silvia Berlusconi.
Latest line
The development of Maserati cars, whose country of origin is Italy, does not stand still and continues to amaze car enthusiasts.
New items from the manufacturer Maserati (country Italy) this year are magnificent, sophisticated cars:
The future is near
The Maserati brand, whose country honors the people who made it famous, is named after Alfieri Maserati, the man who was one of the founders of this amazing brand.
The Maserati Alfieri is a sports coupe inspired by the famous Maserati A6 GCS, which rolled off the production line in 1954. But the Maserati of tomorrow is all about perfectly balanced proportions and innovative technologies.
If sporting excitement and racing drive combined with unprecedented luxury and comfort are important to you, wait until the end of 2018. And this sports car with a 4.7 liter engine and 460 horses under the hood can be yours.
Excursion for the lucky ones
The car manufacturer Maserati and the country of Italy provide for happy customers there are enough of these cars unusual gift. Each buyer can order it at will. This is a tour of the plant in Madena, where today two models are produced - the Maserati Quattroporte and the Maserati GranTurismo.
This is a whole Maserati country, which has an area of 40 thousand square meters. Here you can see assembly lines and the entire production process of these cars.
Well, if you wish, you can be given your Maserati in the country of origin. And all this will be organized in the showroom of the plant in Modena.
And finally
The most famous car of this brand and the dream of all collectors is the Maserati 5000GT by Shah of Persia. By the way, out of 34 cars of this model, none are identical. And the car, custom-made for the Sheikh of Iran, has an aluminum Touring body, the interior is trimmed with gold and precious woods.
And here interesting fact. In 1978, Italian President Sandro Pertini traveled to official car Maserati Quattroporte Royale. And during an official visit to Maranello, he approached presidential motorcade Enzo Ferrari did not come out, emphasizing the irreconcilable enmity with Maserati. It’s strange how fate plays with us - after all, Enzo’s brainchild later became the main manufacturer of Maserati cars.
In its time, the II became a symbol of elegance and style, of which only 2,141 came off the assembly line. It was these cars that appeared in all Italian films.
And the brand itself remains one of the most prestigious in the automotive world. It combines its own special style, filled with traditions of success and excellence, imbued with sophistication and the latest technology.
Official website: www.maserati.com
Headquarters: Italy
There were six brothers in the Maserati family: Alfieri, Bindo, Carlo, Ettore, Ernesto, Marco. The latter devoted himself to art. Carlo began a successful career as a car and motorcycle racer, but died in 1910. Alfieri and Bindo worked for the automobile company Isotta-Fraschini. In 1914, Alfieri decided to open his own workshop in the vicinity of Bologna. He was soon joined by three younger brothers.
During the First World War, four brothers organized a company producing spark plugs. In the early 20s, Ernesto took part in races in a car of his own construction, the 4-cylinder engine of which they made from half of an Isotta-Fraschini aircraft engine. Then Maserati continued to improve it and participated in races with the financial support of the Diatto company. In 1925, the brothers built two more cars for Grand Prix racing. Having not achieved much success, they disappointed the management of Diatto, who decided to stop funding their work. The brothers bought their cars and, having reduced the engine displacement to 1.5 liters, announced the creation of their own racing cars, which they called “Maserati-26”. They chose the coat of arms of Bologna - the trident - as their emblem. The first success came already in 1926, when Alfieri Maserati won the Florio Cup.
This victory created a good reputation for the company, and Maserati began to assemble a variety of racing cars equipped with 4-, 6-, 8- and even 16-cylinder engines with a displacement of 1088 to 4995 cm3. The V16 engine was assembled from two in-line 8-cylinder engines of the “26B” model with two crankshafts in a single crankcase, connected by a gear transmission. In the 30s, the production of passenger cars and sports cars began for wide sale, which were equipped with derated and simplified engines from racing cars.
Alfieri's death in 1932 was a heavy blow for Maserati. After 5 years, management passed to entrepreneurs Omer and Adolfo Orsi, who relied only on racing cars. The Maserati brothers continued to work at their company, but did not receive complete freedom of action. In 1941, the production workshops were moved to Modena, the hometown of the new owners. In 1947, when the 10-year contract with Orsi expired, the brothers finally gained independence and founded OSCA. In the last months of work at Maserati, taking the racing “6SM” as a basis, they developed a sports car model “A-6G” with 1.5-2 liter engines, which became the basis for future cars.
In the post-war years, Maserati continued to produce mainly racing cars, the most famous of which was the 250F, designed in 1953 by engineer Gioacchino Colombo. Until 1958, he successfully participated in Formula 1 competitions. He was glorified by such famous athletes as Moss, Hawthorn and Fangio. 
In 1958, Omer Orsi decided to leave big-time motorsport and limit production to 3500GT sports cars with 6-cylinder engines with a displacement of 3485 cm3. However, Maserati continued to build special ones for a number of years. sports models series “200” (1994 cm3) and “300” (2890 cm3), which successfully performed in the races.
In 1959, the sports Maserati-SOOOGT appeared with a 350 hp engine, which allowed it to reach speeds of up to 274 km/h. It was followed in 1963 by the first 4-door luxury sedan, the Quattroporte. In 1963-1964, the sports Mistral and Sebring were released with 6-cylinder engines with a displacement of 3.5-4 liters. Soon the Mistral was replaced by the Ghibli with a 5-liter V8 engine that allowed it to reach a speed of 280 km/h.
In 1968, Citroen acquired the rights to own Maserati for 1 billion lire. From that moment on, an average of 2 cars per day were assembled at the Modem plant for several years. The main fruit of the collaboration is the luxurious Citroen SM coupe with a 2.7-liter V6 engine. After Citroen found itself in a crisis situation and decided to close the Maserati plant, the famous designer Alejandro De Tomaso intervened and bought the company. In the 70s, the Maserati program consisted of well-known and prestigious models: the Merak coupe with a V6 engine with a displacement of 2965 cm3, the Bora with a V8 engine of 4719 cm3, the Khamsin with a V8 engine of 4930 cm3, as well as luxury sedan Quattroporte also has a V8 engine of 4236 cm3.
Despite the most extensive program in the history of the company, Maserati's position was constantly deteriorating. On the initiative of de Tomaso, in 1982, a new, relatively cheap Biturbo model with a V6 engine equipped with a turbocharger was created. At the same time, a new Quattroporte version was offered with a 4930 cm3 V8 engine. Since 1988, Maserati has supplied 4-cylinder engines with a displacement of 2.2 liters to equip the American Chrysler-TS.
Biturbo cars were produced in coupe, convertible, and 4-door sedan bodies and were equipped with 2.0- and 2.5-liter V6 turbocharged engines with a capacity of 190-205 hp. In 1987, a more powerful 2.8-liter engine appeared. On the basis of the Biturbo, in 1989, the Shamal sports coupe was developed with a 32-valve V6 engine with a displacement of 3.2 liters and a power of 326 hp. In 1992, it was followed by the new Ghibli coupe with a 2.0-liter engine producing 305 hp, which, together with the fourth generation of the Cuttroporte sedan, represents today the Maserati program.
In May 1993, Maserati became the property of FIAT, and since 1997 it has been led by the board of Ferrari, which leads to a gradual unification of the designs of both companies.
Slogan: Excellence Through Passion
The most famous Italian manufacturer of sports cars. This brand is one of the legendary ones and is associated exclusively with luxury and prosperity.
Your name Maserati received the name of its creators - the Maserati brothers. There were six of them - Alfieri, Bindo, Mario, Ernesto, Ettore, and Carlo. They lived at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries in the Italian city of Bologna. All except Mario were passionate technology enthusiasts, connected to one degree or another with the design of cars. However, the artist Mario left an equally bright mark on the history of the future company - it was he who drew the famous trident logo. According to the official legend, he borrowed the trident from the statue of Neptune, which to this day stands in one of the squares of Bologna. However, there is an unofficial legend according to which the trident symbolizes the three brothers who founded the company - Alfieri, Ettore and Ernesto (Bindo joined later, after Alferi's death in 1932); There is a grain of truth in this, but still such a theory seems clearly far-fetched.
The fate of each of the brothers (except Mario, perhaps) deserves a separate book. All of them left a very bright mark on the development of automobiles, worked in fairly high positions in well-known companies in those years, and successfully participated in auto racing. Unfortunately, Carlo did not live to see the birth Maserati in our usual role, having died in 1910 from tuberculosis.
And in 1914, Alfieri (who is often called Carlo's spiritual heir) founded a small company producing car engines, which he named Società Anonima Officine Alfieri Maserati. It is on its basis that the legendary company will be born in the future.
Official date of birth Maserati is considered to be April 25, 1926, when the Tipo 26 car, designed by the brothers, with a trident on the hood, took part in the Targa Florio car race. Alferi himself was driving it. The subsequent successful performances of this miracle prompted the brothers to take a closer look at the production of sports cars. Which is what they did, and quite successfully. Cars Maserati They shone in auto racing, they set speed records, and the brand gained fans.
In 1937, the company was bought by the Orsi family. The company moves to Modena, where its headquarters are still located today. The Maserati brothers remained in Bologna and worked for the company as chief engineers until 1948. Later they founded new company - O.S.C.A., which produced racing cars and did not achieve any noticeable success.
Cars Maserati were, in fact, the only ones who could challenge cars on the race track Mercedes- the famous German automaker in those years was generously sponsored by the Nazi government, which only wanted to win and did not skimp on funds. But, thanks to trident cars, this was not always possible.
During World War II, factories Maserati switched to the production of products for the front - engines and spare parts. After the end of the war, it was quite easy to return to previous products. Cars Maserati shined again on the race tracks.
In 1968 the company was acquired by Citroën. At the same time, members of the Orsi family remained on the board. The French were interested, first of all, in the technical developments of the Italians. But also to abandon Maserati they did not - in the next five years many luxury models appeared that were extremely popular. The company developed smoothly until the oil crisis struck in 1973, completely ruining all plans. Guzzling sports cars were hit first and hardest. In 1975 Maserati was declared bankrupt. By that time Citroën already included PSA Peugeot Citroën and the new management decided to liquidate Italian company.
Maserati was saved thanks to pressure from trade unions and government agencies. By saving the company, they pursued the goal of preserving jobs for the people working there. In 1975 Maserati bought by the famous Argentine racer Alejandro de Tomaso, also known as the founder of the company De Tomaso Modena SpA. He continued producing sports cars. But these were no longer monsters, devouring tens of liters for every hundred kilometers, but small nimble models capable of developing high speeds. The Biturbo model became especially famous, remaining in production in various variations until the end of the 20th century. De Tomaso's actions helped the company stay afloat. However, not everyone accepted Maserati in a new role.
In 1993, the company changed ownership again. This time it is acquired by an Italian concern Fiat Auto. New owner invested huge sums in development Maserati, for which a renaissance has now begun. A complete reorganization took place, which only benefited the company.
But the change of owners did not end there either - in July 1997 Fiat sold 50% of Maserati shares to its longtime competitor - Ferrari, which is part of the financial manufacturing enterprise FIAT Group. And since 1999, Ferrari completely took over Maserati. And she almost brought her to bankruptcy again.
So in 2005 the long-suffering Maserati changed owner again. This time she got control Alfa Romeo, which is also part of FIAT Group. Under the management of this company, things became more successful - for the first time in many years, Maserati began to make a profit.
Brand Maserati
unique from birth.
It turned out to have six founders with the surname Maserati. This is how many children the farmer Rudolfo Maserati had.
Five of his sons devoted their whole lives to cars, the sixth son Mario became an artist and painted famous emblem companies in the form of a trident.
The eldest son Carlo made a successful career as a racing driver, but died early.
After his death, the third son, Alfieri, became the head of the family.
Under his leadership, the Officine Alfieri Maserati company was founded in Bologna in 1914.
Before the war, the company was never able to find its niche and was interrupted by random orders; during the war, it generally produced only candles for military equipment. But in the mid-20s the company managed to take off. The catalyst for her activity was auto racing. In 1926, Alfieri Maserati managed to win several races in the Gran Prix 1500, and a year later Ernesto Maserati in the Tipo 26 became the championItaly.
After these successes, people started talking about Maserati seriously, and the company itself focused on producing racing cars. Maserati cars and engines became trendsetters in many racing series for a whole decade. The brothers were especially successful with the 16-cylinder V5 engine, which had an unimaginable power for the early 30s - 360 hp.
In 1932, the company suffered a serious loss - Alfieri Maserati died. Production management passed to the youngest of the brothers, Ernesto. He was a good engineer (under his leadership several successful engines were developed, as well as an advanced power-assisted brake system), but he turned out to be a poor businessman. As a result, in 1938, Maserati was forced to sell their business to another “family contract” - the Orsi brothers. According to the terms of the contract, the founders remained with the company as hired engineers for 10 years. When the contract ended, Bindo, Ettore and Ernesto Maserati founded a new company O.S.C.A., but this project was a failure.
Maserati
The new owners moved production to their native Modena and continued producing racing cars. In the post-war period, Maserati became a regular in a variety of racing series, including the one that appeared at that time . In the most prestigious class of motor racing, the Maserati factory team twice led its drivers to world championship titles, and many teams bought engines from Maserati. In 1957, Maserati decided to close their team. However, the company did not leave racing completely - Maserati supplied engines for other racing teams for a long time.
Already the first production road model - the 3500GT - became a bestseller. The 3.5 liter DOHC engine and elegant Touring bodywork made this model a serious commercial success. In 1961 it was modernized and received mechanical system Lucas fuel injection. The 3500 GT was the first fuel-injected car in Italy! In just 7 years, 2,000 cars were produced and sold. A very decent figure for a supercar.
In the mid-60s, Maserati introduced the 5000 GT. It was more expensive, but much more luxurious than its predecessor. With this model, Maserati switched to piece orders. A universal chassis was manufactured, after which it was sent to various body shops, where the new owners customized the car to suit themselves. There were no two identical 5000GTs in nature. Apart from everything else, the 5000 GT drove well. The injection 5-liter engine accelerated the car to a speed of 280 km/h...
Maserati
currently 2017-19
The Maserati GranTurismo, which celebrated its tenth anniversary this spring, has been updated for the 2018 model year. A restyled version of the grand tourer was presented in New York.
Luxurious dThe two-door received a new radiator grille in the style of the Alfieri concept, which, in combination with new, lower air ducts, made it possible to reduce the coefficient aerodynamic drag from 0.33 to 0.32. The rear bumper has also been redesigned.
The interior has new leather and Alcantara trim options, a multimedia system with an 8.4-inch touchscreen that supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and Harman Kardon Premium Sound acoustics. remained the same - a 4.7-liter naturally aspirated V8 with 460 hp. and 520 Nm production .
The history of the company consists of a number of revolutions. During 80 years old the company has made its mark in the segment sports and road cars , visited the same niche with Mercedes and BMW, became related and “divorced” from Citroen. As for technical innovations, there are countless of them in the history of the company.
Name Maserati causes different 
e associations among historians, specialists and lovers of this brand. Who will remember the first Mille Milia, Targa Florio, Brescia, where Alfieri and Ernesto Maserati appear before us as the creators and drivers of some of the best racing cars of that time. The legendary Nuvolari finished first in the cars of the Maserati brothers more than once. The Tipo 250F and its successors, created by Maserati, are associated with the golden age of Formula 1. For others, the Maserati name is outstanding cars GT class of the 60s and 80s. Yes, they were exotic, but still much more practical than their crowned Ferrari competitors.
For others, the names represent the standout GT cars of the 60s and 80s. Yes, they were exotic, but they were still much more practical than their crowned Ferrari rivals.
For others, it is a symbol of prestige and power, embodied in 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 on 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 the Junior company. In addition to cars, he was involved in the development and creation of aircraft engines.
One of Carlo's hobbies was auto racing. In 1907, at Cappo Florio, he competed for the Bianchi team. During the race, he was greatly annoyed by the low-voltage ignition switch, which had to be changed several times while driving. And yet, despite this, he was able to finish seventh. After this incident, Carlo began replacing the low-voltage ignition system in his cars with a high-voltage one, which effectively solved the problem.
Soon Carlo Maserati left Junior and acquired a small factory that had previously produced medicines. Here Carlo, together with Ettore, organized a production for modifying ignition systems - according to customer orders, they replaced low-voltage ignition systems on their cars with high-voltage ones. At the same time, Carlo was working on a project for a radial aircraft engine. But illness and the subsequent death of 29-year-old Carlo Maserati interrupted the work.
December 14, 1914 Alfieri Maserati founded the company Officine Alfieri Maserati. The main activities of the new company were the development and production of cars, engines and spark plugs. The company was located in Bologna, where in the main city square there is a sculpture of Neptune, the work of Giambologna. Inspired by this work, Mario Maserati developed the company's logo - the trident, which served as a sign of the future of the Maserati brothers' company.
The soul of the whole business is Alfieri, who simultaneously worked as a designer at the Diatto company, which produced cars of its own design and under license from Bugatti.
After a break in work caused by World War I, the four Maseratis again began preparing cars. The brothers created cars and racing cars based on customer orders and took part in the races themselves.
The first engine , which was a truly original Maserati design, was the 6300 cm3 engine mounted on an Isotta Fraschini chassis.
In 1925 Alfieri, Ernesto and Bindo, commissioned by the large Italian manufacturer and automaker Diatto, created a two-liter engine that was equipped with a fairly successful Grand Prix racing car.
But the birth of Maserati, as a company and brand known throughout the world, occurred on April 25, 1926, at the start of the Targa Florio race. At these competitions, the third of the Maserati brothers, Alfieri, presented and piloted the first production car, the Maserati Gran Prix 1500, which bore the trident badge on its hood.
The engine design, for its time, was very progressive - 8 cylinders in a row, with a volume of only 1500 cm3, but with a powerful compressor that increased engine power to 130 hp.
Some believe that the first Maserati copied the Diatto racing car in many ways, but we should not forget that the cars of this company owe a lot to the Maserati brothers.
Alfieri raced brilliantly and became first in class, beating other competitors' cars equipped with much larger engines. And this despite the fact that he had to stop once due to a broken radiator hose!
In 1927 Ernesto becomes a Tipo 26 champion of Italy.
After the Tipo 26 of the Maserati brothers brought them several brilliant victories, the Maserati company began to be talked about throughout Europe. From that moment on, the brothers decided to reorient production exclusively to the production of racing cars. Currently, there are only 4 automakers in the world that owe their birth exclusively to racing. These are Maserati, Ferrari, Lotus and McLaren, with Maserati being the oldest of all.
The family genius in creating engines was also confirmed in the designs of the 16-cylinder V4 and V5, which were created on the basis of two in-line independent 8-cylinder engines with a common crankcase. The V5 had a displacement of 4906 cm3 and an amazing power for the early 30s - 360 hp.
In 1929 In 2018, racer Bakonin Borzachchini on a Tipo V4 set a new speed record over a distance of 10 km - 246 km/h.
In 1930 The same Borzacchini won the Tripoli Grand Prix in a Tipo V4.
From 1932 to 1939, after the death of Alfieri, all cars were created by the younger Maserati - Ernesto. During this period, he designed all the engines himself and drove his cars to victory in races several times.
In 1933 Ernesto Maserati was the first in Europe to use power brakes on racing cars.
In the same year, driving a 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 on Tipo 4CM sets a speed record in the 1100 class - 222 km/h
In 1938 - 1939 Maserati became part of the Orsi Gruppo.
In 1939 and 1940 years, American Wilbur Shaw driving a Maserati 8CTF (under the name Boyle Specials), winning the Indianapolis 500, helped Maserati enter the history of legendary American racing. Maserati 8CTF, equipped with excellent 8-cylinder 8CTF engines, became the only Italian cars to win this race in its entire history.
In 1940 In the same year the company was transferred to Modena, where it remains to this day. After the war, the remaining Maserati brothers left the company, to which they 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 its cars did not have the same success and popularity and their highest achievement was the victory of Stirling Moss and Billy Lloyd piloting the 1500 OSCA Sport at the 1954 Sebrinza race.
As for the brand, the second wave of its success occurred in the 50s. In 1954, the Maserati 250F won the Formula 1 round in Argentina. In 1957, with the same car, Juan Fangio won the last racing title for Maserati. However, sporting success no longer corresponded to the commercial interests of Maserati owners from the Orsi Gruppo company. Therefore, Maserati announced its retirement from racing and changed its specialization: it moved racing technology for production road cars. 
Then in 1957 The company's bestseller, the Maserati 3500GT, was introduced in 2010 - the first production 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 Milanese company Touring. The 3500 series also had its own highlight - the Spyder coupe from the Vignale body shop. Limited to just 242 units, this model is considered by designers and automotive historians to be the most elegant Maserati yet. 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. The 3500GT ceased production in 1964 after around 2,000 cars had been produced. In the 60s, Giorgetto Giugiaro first put his hand to Maserati cars. This designer is a trendsetter today car fashion, at the same time he belonged to the category of “promising”. The Ghibli coupe became a real sensation and served as Maserati's calling card during the difficult 1960s for the automobile business. At one time, the Ghibli was the main competitor to the Ferrari Daytona.
In 1963 year, another turn took place in the history of Maserati, which set the brand apart from other automakers. Expensive high-speed sedans Mistral and Quattroporte were presented to the world. In the UK, the new Quattroporte (translated from Italian as “four-door”), which not only had luxurious salon, 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 Vignale. New car named Sebring, in honor of Maserati's victories in North American racing, had a streamlined and reliable engine in a modern and aggressive body. Release of 2 main versions with a 6-cylinder 3.7 liter engine. and 4.0 l. continued until 1969.
In 1968 bought a controlling stake in Maserati French Citroen. The most notable result of the partnership between the French and Italians was the Indy model (1,104 copies were produced), more than an alliance of the two automobile companies, which lasted until 1975, did not show itself in any way. In 1971, the Bora was born - the company's first GT car with a mid-engine. From this car began to emerge new concept Maserati models. From now on, the company begins to make not just super-fast cars. She gives her road models more comfort and luxury.
Short-lived alliance with Citroen , which had lost interest in sports cars, disbanded in 1975 and Maserati was taken under the wing of the famous Alejandro De Tomaso. Having decided to refresh the Maserati lineup, he created the Kyalami project. The car was produced in 2 versions - 4.2 liters. With manual transmission and 4.9 l. with a machine gun.
In 1976 Maserati updates its marketing strategy and decides to develop a new niche. To do this, the company enters into competition with Mercedes and BMW and produces the first car in its history. executive class— Quattroporte III with a body from Giugiaro. Behind the calm appearance of this model hid a real devil. Part of De Tomaso's original plan was to create cars with a stylish yet discreet appearance. Owners of the third generation Quattroporte could enjoy performance and luxury without attracting too much attention. And such a concept turned out to be successful; 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 gas-guzzling supercars has come to an end, decides on “another small revolution.” Maserati launches the Biturbo two-door sedan, equipped with a new 6-cylinder engine producing 180 hp. 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. Shamal was released in 1989. last representative era of De Tomaso in the destiny of Maserati, equipped with a new 8-cylinder Biturbo engine with a volume of 3200 cm3, which gave this monster a power of 325 hp. With. Soon the Karif came out - a real sports car.
By installing a reliable 2.8 V6 on the Biturbo chassis, they got fast car in the Biturbo series. And by removing the roof in the Spyder version, Maserati engineers turned it into a real rocket. From 1993 to 1995, the Italian giant Fiat Auto SpA bought 90% of Maserati shares and in 1996, under its tutelage, the premiere of the new Quattroporte IV Evoluzione took place - the Maserati of our time. Having become interested in the dynamic company, from 1993 to 1995 the Italian giant Fiat Auto SpA bought 90% of Maserati shares.
When asked how Maserati and Ferarri would 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"Gran Turismo" class. In 1996, already under his tutelage, the premiere of the new Quattroporte IV Evoluzione took place - the Maserati of our time.
In 1995 year, under the patronage of Fiat, a series of races for the Ghibli Open Cup was held. The release was timed to coincide with this event. road version known as the Ghibli Cup. These cars have only a 2-liter engine and produce a breathtaking power of 330 hp. With. — No production car, including the Mclaren F1, has such a return on 1 liter of fuel. In 1997, Maserati merged with Ferrari (in fact, management of the company passed to Ferrari). Since November 1997, to improve the quality and reliability of the model range of Maserati, the Modena plants suspended production of the Ghibli and Quattroporte for a year. The modernization of the assembly plant, which cost almost $11.5 million, was successfully completed in the fall of 1998 with the release of the new Maserati 3200 GT. And in 2002 it came out new model Spyder GT.
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. Multi-liter, highly-powered V-twin engines are returning under the hoods of Italian cars. This policy promises to be successful: in 2001, 1,852 Maseratis were sold worldwide, and last year there were already 3,485. Among the exclusive sports brands This is the second result (Ferrari is in first place).
Read more...
