Maserati Brothers History of the Brand

Using the tagline “Luxury, sports and style cast in exclusive cars”, Maserati continues the rich tradition of building fine, exotic, luxury sports cars that began in Bologna, Italy way back in 1914.

Forza Tuning and Performance, founded by the Exotic Car Doc, also maintains a full tradition of excellence in Maserati service and repair at their state-of-the-art facility in Clearwater, Florida. Nestled perfectly amid the beautiful sun-drenched beaches and palm trees of the Gulf Coast, Forza is your one-stop source for Maserati service, repair, high-performance modification and tuning. If you need factory scheduled maintenance, a tune up, a four-wheel alignment, brake service, engine repair, transmission replacement/repair, rear end repair/replacement, steering and suspension repair, driveshaft service/replacement, engine cooling system repair, heating and air conditioning repair/maintenance, an oil change, a transmission service/flush, wheel and tire rotation/replacement or virtually anything else, the Exotic Car Doc and his team of factory trained technicians can handle all your Maserati needs.

The Maserati brand can trace its roots all the way back to railroad worker Rodolfo Maserati and his wife Carolina Losi. The couple were blessed with seven children who inherited their father’s passion for tinkering with mechanical things. By the end of 1914, their passion had morphed into an automotive workshop in the city of Bologna. Societa Anonima Officine Alfieri Maserati was operational only five months when Italy was drawn into World War I. The Maserati brothers were confronted with more pressing problems.

With the “War to End All Wars” behind them, the Maserati brothers continue wrenching and racing automobiles; offering developmental strategy whenever possible. Brothers Alfieri, Bindo, and Ernesto take to building 2-liter Grand Prix racers for a firm called Diatto around 1920.

This is about the time that the widely recognized Trident logo was developed for the front of all Maserati automobiles. Located in Bologna’s Piazza Maggiore, the Fountain of Neptune is one of Italy’s most cherished national treasures and a popular tourist attraction. God of the Sea Neptune carries a Trident in his right hand in this historical sculpture. Since Neptune is known particularly for his strength and vigor, the Trident is the ideal symbol to represent Maserati vehicles. Mario Maserati began drawing a version of the Trident in 1926. These drawings inspired the Trident logo affixed to the front of every Maserati sports vehicle produced today.

By 1926 Diatto had exited the racing game and the Maserati brothers began to produce their own race cars. Alfieri Maserati won the 1926 Targa Florio in the Tipo 26. It bore the Trident logo, proudly. The brothers continued to produce race cars with four, six, eight and sixteen cylinders (dual eight-cylinder engines mounted parallel with one-another). In 1929, Borzacchini sets a new Class C World Record in the Maserati V4 with a speed of 246.069 mph.

Alfieri died in 1932 but his brothers, Bindo, Ernesto and Ettore kept churning out the race cars; winning many Grand Prix races for the glory of Italy. They continued in this vain until 1937 when Adolfo Orsi purchased Maserati from the brothers. Orsi is an entrepreneur from Modena, Italy. In 1939, Maserati makes the move from Bologna to Modena and Wilbur Shaw, at the wheel of an 8CTF wins the Indy 500.

• In 1940, Shaw wins the Indianapolis 500 (in the same car) a second time. A very important year in Maserati history, 1947 witnesses the introduction of the A6 1500. Designed by Pininfarina, this is the first Maserati ever slated as a daily driver instead of a race car. It is a huge success.

• In 1957, Juan Fangio wins the German Grand Prix at Nurburgring in a 250 F. This win ensures that Fangio will clench the Formula One World Championship – his fifth and Maserati’s second. The GT3500 is also unveiled at the 1957 Geneva Auto Show.

• The first Maserati Quattroporte is introduced at the 1963 Turin Motor Show and the first Ghibli is presented at the 1966 Turin Motor Show. The Quattroporte represents a new automobile category; the luxury sports sedan.

• Father and son, Adolfo and Omar Maserati step away from the company in 1971 citing a disconnect between their personal tastes and the actual automobiles being produced. The Bora (brainchild of Giorgetto Giugiaro) is introduced at the Geneva Motor Show.

• Beautiful and powerful, the Maserati Biturbo is revealed in 1980. The President of Italy also selects the Quattroporte as his Presidential limousine.

• In 1993 the Trident is introduced to the prancing horse of the Ferrari brand and the longtime Italian rivals become partners. In 1998, the 3200 GT coupe is unveiled at the Paris Motor Show. It was designed by Giugiaro and equipped with a Ferrari engine. This platform would yield the Maserati Spyder, the car that brought Maserati triumphantly back to the U.S.

• The fifth generation Quattroporte is unveiled at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show. It is the first Maserati designed by Pininfarina in fifty-years. The Grand Turismo, a beautifully exotic touring machine, is introduced during the 2007 Geneva Motor Show.

• 2014 marks the Centennial Anniversary of Maserati. Now under the Fiat-Chrysler Group, Maserati continues to produce innovative new vehicles like the Levante SUV.