Maserati: An Italian Car Manufacturer
Maserati is an Italian car manufacturer established on December 1, 1914 in Bolonga. The headquarters is now at Modena, the company started when the three of the Maserati brothers namely Alferi, Bindo and Ernesto built a two leter engine for Diatto. The company then suspended the production of race cars, this led to the creation of the first Maserati and the foundation of the Maserati marque.
The first race which one of the first Maseratis won was the Targa Florio in 1926 and were driven by Alferi himself. After this success, they began making more powerful race cars with engines ranging from two cylinder engine to the wopping sixteen cylinder beast of an engine.
The Maserati emblem which was a trident was believed to be designed by Mario who was an artist. When Alferi Maserati died in 1932, Bindo, Ernesto and Ettore kept on running the company and made even more race winning cars.
The remaining Maserati brothers, in 1937 sold their shares to the Adolfo Orsi family who then shifted the headquarters to Modena. But the Maserati brothers were still involved in the company as engineers and made even more race winners. Maserati cars continued to win races even when they were against other German race car giants like Mercades and Auto union.
During World War II, Maserati stopped making cars and helped to manufacture weapons to help the Italian war effort. Maserati also tried to design and built a car for Benito Mussolini but they failed and the plans were scraped.
When the war ended, they got back to making racing cars. At this time key people joined in the Maserati team like former Fiat, Alfa Romeo and Ferrari engineer Alberto Massimino whose experience would be crucial for the team. They then focused on the best engines and chassis. This project also saw the last of Maserati brothers working in the company as their ten year contract came to an end. This team worked on many projects the 4CLT, the A6 series, the 8CLT and the A6GCM which made the company even more famous.
Maserati was not only making race cars but it was making race winners. With the famous Argentinean race car driver Juan-Manuel Fangio driving a Maserati won many races like the worldchampionship in 1957 wiyh the Maserati 250F alongside Louis Chiron and a few other members of the racing team. Other racing projects in the 1950s include the 200S, 300S, 350S, 450S which was followed by the famous Tipo 61 in 1961.
1997 saw Maserati retire from factory racing because of the Guidizzolo accident but they still make racing cars. During this time, Maserati became more and more involved in making cars for civilians and coupes this saw the advent of four door cars like the Spider and the Quattroporpe. It also saw the Ghibli which was a coupe’.
In 1968 when Maserati was taken over by Citroen, which was a French car manufacturer, new cars began to roll out of the factory which ware made with the expertise and the engine of Maserati and the hydraulic technology of Citroen and the car made was the Citroen SM.
At this time Maserati began making cars like the Maserati Bora which was the first mass produced Maserati in 1971, other similar models soon followed.
The 1980s saw Maserati making a large number of front engine rear wheel drive two door coupe like the Maserati Biturbo and many other cars with the same engine as the Biturbo. These cars were cheaper but performance was very good.
When Fiat who took over Maserati sold 50% shares to Ferrari, Ferrari took the initiative and turned Maserati Into its Luxury division and set up new factories and plants.
- Damechwa Lyngdoh Mawnai
Tags: cars, maserati, maserati cars
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