Maserati Independent Service

The Trident of Bologna

On 14 December 1914 the brothers Alfieri, Ettore, Ernesto and Bindo Maserati founded Officine Alfieri Maserati in Bologna — a name that would stand for success, power and prestige on the racing circuits for decades. Their first car, the Tipo 26 of 1926, carried a trident emblem inspired by Bologna's famous statue of Neptune and took a class win on its debut at the Targa Florio, with Alfieri himself at the wheel.

Victories followed at the Tripoli Grand Prix and the Mille Miglia in 1929, the same year a V16-engined Maserati set a world speed record near Cremona that stood for eight years. Alfieri Maserati died in 1932 at just 44; Nuvolari raced for the marque in 1933, and an 8CTF won the Indianapolis 500 with Wilbur Shaw at the wheel. In 1939 the company was bought by the Orsi family and moved to its long-time home on Viale Ciro Menotti in Modena.

After the war Maserati built its first road car, the A6, and in 1957 Juan Manuel Fangio took the Formula 1 world championship in the 250F — the marque's greatest single-seater triumph. At the end of that same season Maserati withdrew from building racing cars to concentrate on road models, creating the Grand Tourer tradition with the 3500 GT and successors such as the Sebring, Quattroporte, Mistral, Mexico, Ghibli and Indy.

Ownership passed to Citroen in 1968 — an era that produced the mid-engined Bora and Merak — then to Alejandro De Tomaso in 1976 and to Fiat in 1993. Ferrari took a half share in 1997 and full control at the end of 1999, an alliance that produced the acclaimed 3200 GT and a striking revival in the marque's fortunes.