Maserati
Feature: Inside Maserati
August 1, 2005
THE PRESENT
Maserati celebrated its 90th anniversary and debuted four sexy and scintillating
new models in 2004: the beautifully sculpted, 395 hp fourth-generation
Quattroporte; a more aggressive, more powerful GranSport version of the Coupe; a
numbered, limited edition (180 copies, 90 for the U.S.) 90th Anniversary Spyder;
and a very limited edition (25 ’04s, 25 ’05s) road-going 623 hp supercar version
of the V-12—powered MC12 racer.; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
Giugiaro’s masterpiece for Maserati was the Ghibli, produced between 1967 and
1973 in both coupe and spyder form. (Click image to enlarge)
The historic Modena factory, an Italian national historic landmark, has been
transformed into the world’s most modern low-volume auto production complex,
boasting two state-of-the-art assembly lines–one for the Coupe, Spyder, and
GranSport, the other devoted to the new Quattroporte–while its original
architecture and character were cleverly preserved. Every Maserati engine is
individually tested, and every car gets a 60-mile road test followed by a
finishing process where every last detail is scrutinized in a clean-room
environment prior to shipment. Worldwide sales have grown steadily from just
over 600 cars in 1998 to 2,000 in 2000, 3,000 in 2002, and a strong, yet still
exclusive, 4,800 in 2004. And the Quattroporte has again become the car of
choice for Italy’s president and other government officials.; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
The famous series of “Birdcage” Maseratis debuted in 1959 with the front-engined
Type 60. Followed by the Type 61, both successful competitors were
ultimately replaced by the diabolical, rear-engined Type 63. (Click image to enlarge)
The powerful and sophisticated MC12 racers were surprisingly successful in their
late-2004 competition debut: The pair piloted by Andrea Bertolini/Mika Salo and
Johnny Herbert/Fabrizio De Simone finished second and third at the September 5,
2004, Imola round of the FIA GT championship. Two weeks later in Germany, the Bertolini/Salo car scored the marque’s first international victory since 1967,
and the season’s final race in China saw the MC12s take the checkered flag first
and second.; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
The MC12 is today’s state-of-the-art supercar. (Click image to enlarge)
Including the racing department, the company employs some 600 people and has
invested heavily in sales, service, parts, after-sale, and customer care. The
dealership network has been modernized and expanded worldwide to 280 showrooms
in 52 countries, including Hungary, Slovenia, China, and the Middle East.
Maserati North America, established in Englewood, N.J., in 2001, now has 50
retail outlets in the United States and Canada, including a new corporate
showroom shared with Ferrari at the corner of 55th Street and Park Avenue in
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The reincarnated Quattroporte. (Click image to enlarge)
An Officine Alfieri Maserati personalization program for the Quattroporte offers
owners the opportunity to choose from a wide variety of exterior and interior
colors and trims (more than 4 million combinations in all), plus a selection of
personalization options. They can schedule a guided tour of the production
complex, watch their cars being built, and take a one- or two-day Master
Maserati driving course on a nearby track. “When our clients buy a Maserati,”
company literature says, “they aren’t just acquiring an exceptional automobile,
they are also establishing a close personal relationship with the trident
marque."; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
A 2005 GranSport in action. (Click image to enlarge)
“Both marques [Ferrari and Maserati] are heading toward more customization and
personalization,” added former design chief Stephenson (who recently assumed
design responsibility for the Fiat and Lancia brands as well), “with the
customer having more control over making the car uniquely his. The name of our
game is exclusivity, offering the customer a very high-end product that is, at
the same time, a balanced package specifically tailored to him.”
Maserati North America
www.maseratiamerica.com
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