Passion and Power: The Maserati Brand

Italian designers and motor engineers are considered some of the very best in the world, and none more so than those of the iconic Maserati brand. Synonymous with elegance, quality, style and performance, Maserati has captured the soul of quintessential Italian luxury for over a century. Envy Italy looks at the story behind Maserati

The story of a global manufacturing empire has surprisingly humble roots. In 1914 when the Maserati brothers founded the Officine Alfieri Maserati in the heart of Bologna, they could hardly have imagined the impact they would have on the world.

Alfieri, Ettore, Ernesto and Bindo were four brothers united by their unrelenting passion for cars and engines. Their vision, enthusiasm and expertise turned out to be the cornerstones of what would one day become a global brand, universally recognised as a symbol of motoring excellence. This is Maserati’s story.

History and heritage Officine Alfieri Maserati was founded on 1 December 1914 in Bologna, Italy and since then, Maserati has played a consistently leading role in the development of the sports car and its culture. More than a century of activity has brought about glorious achievements, both on the road and the track. However, the history of Maserati involves more than its glorious sporting achievements and the launch of great road cars. The company has also developed the industry as a whole over time, and its relocation from Bologna to the current site in Viale Ciro Menotti, Modena in 1940 is one of the main events in the company’s history. Today, the business is still managed from its historic

Maserati headquarters. Uniquely, Maserati has succeeded in embodying within its cars both heritage and innovation, memory and vision, the past and the future. Its heart may be in its Italian roots, but its eyes are firmly focused on the future. Today, Maserati pride is reflected in the values that define the marque.

The trident The trident, the symbol of a myth. The badge used on all racing cars in Maserati’s history has remained constant throughout the evolution of the brand and its style, technology and performance, accompanying all the victories and successes of Maserati cars. One figure of iconic importance in Maserati’s history has dominated Piazza Maggiore in Bologna since the sixteenth century. It was the city’s Fountain of Neptune that inspired the Maserati trident logo, symbolising both Bologna itself and the Maserati brand.

Around 1920, Maserati needed a logo that would ensure that its new car would stand out from the crowd. So, it was decided that Mario Maserati, a talented artist and the only Maserati brother not to be obsessed by engines, should be commissioned to design the company logo. Mario drew inspiration from Neptune’s statue in Piazza Maggiore, its trident symbolising strength and vigour. The red and

blue that accompany the design are the colours of the banner of the city of Bologna, where Officine Maserati was located at that time. Inseparably linked to the brand, the trident underlines the exclusive status of the firm’s cars and their identity as masterpieces of elegance, luxury and sports-car performance.

Style evolution Through the evolution of its designs, Maserati has led the way in automotive fashion, with unique cars, elegant yet athletic, always with highly distinctive lines. From the rounded, curving details of the early years, Maserati automobiles gradually evolved to become larger, longer and more streamlined. In the 1960s design evolved further, with clean lines, sinuous surfaces and a unique style recognisable all over the world. The shapes of the 1970s were more angular, as technological developments led to new aerodynamic solutions, flat lines and sharp edges. These forms evolved into the right-angled shapes of the 1980s and ’90s, which themselves opened the way for the sleek lines of today, more rounded but equally streamlined and eye-catching.

Over the years, Maserati has worked with many established engineers

and designers, such as Giugiaro, Zagato, Ramaciotti and Pininfarina. Having worked together on several projects, Maserati and Pininfarina have created some of the most popular designs and concept cars of all time, including the Birdcage 75th, heralded as one of the most iconic Maserati models in recent history.

An Italian icon More recently, following considerable investment in new production facilities, the company launched a striking four-door sports sedan and reintroduced the Ghibli name to a new generation of Maserati enthusiasts. Massively popular right from the start, the Ghibli ushered in the marque’s centenary year by achieving the company’s highest volume in sales to that date.

In October 2018 Maserati released a limited edition of the Ghibli Ribelle, with a small production of just 200 cars made for the EMEA markets. This distinct Maserati icon features a refined, sophisticated Nero Ribelle mica colour, which shows off the car’s unique design to exquisite effect. Harnessing the ongoing passion and impressive power that the Maserati brand represents worldwide, the Ghibli Ribelle’s super-sleek design once again embodies the essence of quality Italian design.