Maserati started as a family business and has all along been a true reflection of the elegant Italian brands. Over the years, Maserati has been among the top car manufacturers as far as style and quality are concerned. Some of the things that have always defined Maserati are the flawless body designs and elegant interiors. Although Maserati has seen six different owners since inception, it has managed to stay at the pinnacle of graceful car designs and exquisite Italian engineering. Below are interesting points that walk you through the story of Maserati.

1)     The early days

Maserati was first registered in December 1914 and it was the brainchild of Officine Alfieri Maserati, who, together with his other five brothers, Carlo, Bindo, Ettore, Mario and Ernesto, were able to build the first Maserati car in 1926. The company was initially based in Bologna, and even its logo was inspired by the trident logo of the statue of Neptune that is in Bologna. However, due to financial constraints and the fact that the Maserati brothers were not very good businessmen, they ended up selling their shares in the company to the Aldofo Orsi family who later took full ownership of the company. In 1941 the Orsi family moved the company’s headquarters and manufacturing plant from Bologna to Modena and the Maserati brothers ended up working as company employees in Modena. Finally, in 1947, the Maserati brothers left Modena to start a new company called OSKA but this venture wasn’t very successful.

2)     The racing days

The Maserati brothers were all about racing and their vision was to build racing cars only. It took over three decades since the inception of Maserati for the first road car to be built. The first road car was called the A6 and it was powered by a six-cylinder engine. During its early days, Maserati made a name for itself by a winning a good number of races and most notably competing with Ferrari and dominating the formula one in the 1950s.

3)     Maserati-Ferrari rivalry

Modena is known as the city of supercars and interestingly this is where both Maserati and Ferrari are currently based. Early in the days, the Maserati-Ferrari rivalry started when Maserati moved from Bologna to Modena. There was stiff competition between these two automakers which spread from the factories to the racing track and even to local entertainment spots and homes of workers. People working at Maserati and Ferrari never saw eye to eye and this rivalry reached its peak when in 1978, Enzo Ferrari refused to welcome the then-president of Italy Sandro Pertini into his factory when he was on a tour of Modena. The simple reason for this was because Pertini was riding in a Maserati! Nonetheless, currently, there is no real rivalry between the two companies as they are both owned by the Fiat Group.

4)     A prestigious brand

Maserati has always been a prestigious brand for those top ranking people in the world who can afford the kind of luxury that it offers. Since 1978, when President Sandro Pertini chose a Maserati Quattroporte Royale as his official presidential car, Maserati cars have been bought by many famous people cementing their known high status in society. Maserati is synonymous with athletes, royalty and artists. The car never disappoints in terms of elegance and excellent performance. Though after the exit of the Maserati brother the automaker concentrated on road cars, the automaker still has an eye for racing and development of the Alfieri concept car in the 2014 Geneva auto show is a confirmation that the automaker is still committed to racing.