Artisan hand-stitches a tan leather car seat in a workshop beside a blue grand tourer.

How Maserati Became an Italian Luxury Automaker

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At the Nürburgring in 1957, Juan Manuel Fangio stopped his Maserati 250F for fuel and tyres. He went on to win the German Grand Prix and took his fifth drivers’ world championship that season.

The title season was also the last for Maserati’s factory Grand Prix program. Owner Adolfo Orsi was pursuing a market for sports-touring cars amid financial pressure, as TIME reported at the time. With the 3500 GT, introduced in 1957, Maserati began building grand tourers in series.

A Quick Look at the History of Maserati

Company History Summary

Maserati grew from a mechanical workshop into a maker of racing cars and luxury road cars. The company survived judicial liquidation in 1975 through a takeover involving GEPI and Alejandro De Tomaso. Ownership later passed from Fiat to Ferrari and back to Fiat before Maserati became part of Stellantis in 2021.

Company Snapshot

Origins — Founded in Bologna, Italy, in 1914 by Alfieri Maserati and his brothers.

Original workshop — Officine Alfieri Maserati.

Registered office — Modena, Italy.

Industry — Luxury performance automobiles.

Parent group — Stellantis N.V.

Brand CEO as of November 2026 — Santo Ficili, who also leads Alfa Romeo.

From a Bologna Workshop to the Indianapolis 500

Alfieri Maserati and his brothers established their workshop in Bologna in 1914. Twelve years later, Alfieri drove the Tipo 26 to a class victory at the Targa Florio. Maserati identifies the Tipo 26 as the first car to carry the Trident and credits Mario Maserati, an artist in the family, with drawing the emblem inspired by Bologna’s Neptune fountain.

Adolfo Orsi took over the business in 1937. Under his ownership, operations moved from Bologna to Modena around the start of 1940, giving the company a new base on Viale Ciro Menotti. In the United States, Wilbur Shaw won the Indianapolis 500 in 1939 and 1940 in the Boyle Special, a Maserati 8CTF entered by the Boyle team.

The Road-Car Business Takes Shape

The Maserati brothers’ association with the company ended in 1947, the year Maserati introduced the A6 1500. The company identifies it as its first road car. Maserati cars continued to appear in competition after the factory ended its Grand Prix program.

In 1963 the Quattroporte broadened the road-car business. Buyers could now get Maserati performance in a four-door luxury sedan, a format the company would return to under later owners.

Citroën, Liquidation and the Biturbo

Maserati came under Citroën control in 1968. Citroën used a Maserati engine in its SM, while Maserati introduced the Bora in 1971 as its first mid-engined production road car.

In May 1975, Le Monde reported that Maserati had entered judicial liquidation and linked the proceeding to the end of Citroën SM production. The GEPI–De Tomaso takeover followed later that year.

Alejandro De Tomaso aimed to reach more buyers with the Biturbo, a performance coupé introduced in December 1981 at a more competitive price. Maserati describes the Biturbo as one of its best-selling models.

Fiat, Ferrari and the Move Into SUVs

Fiat acquired Maserati in 1993. Ferrari took a 50 percent stake in 1997 and acquired the remaining half in 1999. The Quattroporte was a prominent part of the renewed range under Ferrari. In its 2005 transfer announcement, Fiat reported that Maserati had sold 4,600 cars in 2004 and highlighted the sedan’s reception.

In February 2005, Fiat announced the transfer of Maserati back from Ferrari. Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, then chairman of both companies, said closer cooperation between Maserati and Alfa Romeo would strengthen Fiat’s sports-car portfolio. Maserati continued to develop its grand-touring range, introducing the GranTurismo at Geneva in 2007.

The Levante, unveiled at Geneva in 2016, took Maserati into the SUV market. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles reported about 42,000 Maserati shipments in 2016 and 51,000 in 2017, identifying the Levante as the main contributor to shipment growth in both years. Maserati shipments rose in China, Europe and North America in 2017.

By 2020 Maserati was investing in another part of the range. It unveiled the MC20 super sports car with the Nettuno V6, which Maserati said it developed and produced in Modena. The MC20 kept a specialist sports car in the portfolio as SUVs reached a wider market.

Maserati Under Stellantis

Maserati became part of Stellantis when Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Groupe PSA completed their merger in January 2021. The following year, Maserati unveiled the Grecale SUV. The company later reported bringing GranTurismo and GranCabrio production back to Modena in 2025, the same year it began producing the MCPURA there.

For 2025, Stellantis reported 7,900 consolidated Maserati shipments, down from 11,300 in 2024, and net revenues of €726 million, down from €1.04 billion. The adjusted operating loss narrowed from €260 million to €198 million. Stellantis attributed the shipment decline mainly to lower Grecale and Levante volumes and cited reduced inventories in North America and China as a factor in the decline in net revenues.

Stellantis changed its reporting in January 2026 and began including Maserati activity in the regions where its vehicles are sold. The group outlined plans for two E-segment vehicles in May. In July, Santo Ficili took over as Maserati brand CEO alongside his role leading Alfa Romeo.

By November 2026, the range still spanned two markets that had taken shape decades apart. Modena built grand tourers and specialist sports cars, while the Grecale continued the SUV business that began with the Levante.

Timeline

Key milestones in Maserati’s history, from its founding in Bologna to its place within Stellantis.

Timeline.

1914

Alfieri Maserati and his brothers establish their workshop in Bologna.

1926

Alfieri wins his class at the Targa Florio in the Tipo 26.

1937

Adolfo Orsi takes over the company.

1939–1940

Wilbur Shaw wins consecutive Indianapolis 500s in the Maserati-built Boyle Special. Maserati moves its operations to Modena around the same time.

1947

Maserati introduces the A6 1500 road car.

1957

Juan Manuel Fangio wins the Formula One drivers’ title with Maserati. The company introduces the 3500 GT.

1963

The Quattroporte brings a four-door luxury sedan to the Maserati range.

1968

Maserati passes into Citroën control.

1975

Maserati enters judicial liquidation and passes to GEPI and De Tomaso.

1981

Maserati introduces the Biturbo.

1993–2005

Fiat acquires Maserati in 1993. Ferrari takes a 50 percent stake in 1997 and full ownership in 1999. Maserati returns to Fiat in 2005.

2016

Maserati introduces the Levante, its first SUV.

2020

The MC20 debuts with the Nettuno V6.

2021–2022

Maserati becomes part of Stellantis in 2021 and introduces the Grecale in 2022.

2026

Stellantis shifts Maserati to regional reporting and appoints Santo Ficili as brand CEO.

FAQs

Question: Who owns Maserati today?

Answer: Maserati is part of Stellantis. Ferrari acquired full ownership in 1999, and Maserati returned to Fiat in 2005. The merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Groupe PSA brought the brand into Stellantis in 2021.

Question: Was Maserati founded in Bologna or Modena?

Answer: Maserati was founded in Bologna in 1914. The company relocated to Modena under Adolfo Orsi around the start of 1940. Maserati S.p.A. still lists its registered office in Modena.

Question: Can Maserati’s 2025 results be compared directly with Stellantis’s 2026 regional figures?

Answer: No. Starting in January 2026, Stellantis included Maserati activity in the regions where its vehicles are sold. Those totals combine multiple brands, while the 2025 figures cover Maserati as a separate reporting segment.

Further Reading

Sources