Rodolfo and Carolina Losi had seven sons. Five--Carlo, Bindo, Alfieri, Ettore, and Ernesto--were active in auto sport or manufacturing in the early 1900s. After years of racing and tuning cars for Isotta Fraschini and Diatto, Alfieri produced the first all-Maserati car--the Tipo 26--in 1926. Alfieri drove that car to a win in its class in its first race.
1929 saw the V4 debut at the Italian Grand Prix. Powered by a 16-cylinder engine, the car set a world speed record at 152.9 mph. Alfieri died in early 1932, and brothers Bindo, Ettore, and Ernesto took over running the racing activities.
Gino Rovere invested a significant sum in 1936 and appointed Nino Farina as Chairman. The three brothers sold their company shares to Adolfo Orsi's family in Modena a year later. They... View more remained with the company as chief engineers until 1948.
Maserati won the Indianapolis 500 in 1939 and 1940, making it the only Italian company to ever win that race. Several Grand Prix titles were won around the world in the mid '50s. Juan Manuel Fangio drove the company to an F1 World Title in 1957 in the 250F race car. The Tipo 61, or more commonly the Birdcage, was built from 1959 through 1961 and raced successfully for many years after.
The introduction of the 3500 GT in 1958 signaled a significant shift in Maserati philosophy. Production cars became the primary goal, with racing operations moving to the background. Maserati's first four door sedan--the Quattroporte--debuted in 1963.
Citro‰n purchased the Orsi family shares in the company in 1968, with Adolfo Orsi remaining the Honorary Chairman. Production increased as the first mass-produced mid-engine Maserati debuted--the Bora. Technology and expertise was swapped between companies; particularly Maserati engines for the Citro‰n SM and Citro‰n hydraulics in Maserati models. Even the addition of the Merak and Khamsin models weren't enough to save the parent company. Citro‰n declared bankruptcy in 1974.
Alejandro de Tomaso bought the beleaguered maker through his control of the Benelli motorcycle company in mid-1975. By the next year, the company had recovered enough to produce a new model, the Kyalami. The Quattroporte III followed shortly in 1979.
Maserati's play at becoming a volume manufacturer was met with a pair of black eyes. The Biturbo debuted in 1984, and despite problems with rust and fuel lines bursting into flames over the turbochargers, it remained in the lineup until '94. The Chrysler TC by Maserati, a rebadged Chrysler LeBaron, spurred from the friendship of de Tomaso and Lee Iacocca.
Fiat purchased the entire share capital of Maserati in 1993, which transferred the shares to Ferrari in 1997, becoming the luxury segment. Maserati returned to the U.S. market for the first time since the early '90s in 2002. A successful return to racing was made a year later with the MC12.
Maserati was split off from Ferrari and teamed with Alfa Romeo in 2005, allowing the brands to collaborate technically and commercially. In the second quarter of 2007, Maserati made a profit for Fiat for the first time. Three models currently make up the Maserati line-up and all share the same platform- the Quattroporte V, GranTurismo, and GranCabrio. View less
