The Magic of Maserati
Of ell the exciting, glamourous and historic Italian sports car brands, this nameplate may embody the most grace.
By Matt Stone, Photography courtesy Maserati Spa
Think sleek, sexy bodylines. A supple, leather-lined interior. The glint of gleaming chrome metal trim. The sonorous rip of a high-winding thoroughbred powerplant, and a lyrical name ending in “I,” and the first great Italian marques that come to mind may be Ferrari or Lamborghini. And true enough, they qualify. But as an elite, boutique, carmaking enterprise, Maserati is older than both of them, and remains at the heart of Italy’s exotic carmaking mecca, which — along with the aforementioned — also includes Alfa Romeo, Pagani, DeTomaso, Lancia, and others.
Five of the six original Maserati brothers contributed to the company’s birth and its establishment as one of the world’s great sport/luxury automobile manufacturers. The company, founded in Bologna, originally produced automotive components, such as spark plugs and batteries, plus motorcycles. Born in 1914, and firmly entrenched, primarily as a racecar builder by the onset of World War II, Maserati moved to nearby Modena.
While most Maseratis are fast and sporty, the marque ultimately focuses on the conception and production of elegant grand touring machines; cars intended to convey an elite ownership quickly and safely with elegance and in style. They are by intent less extreme than the products of the other Italian exotic carmakers, and quite often owned by celebrities and bloodlined royalty. One particularly rare and exclusive model, the Maserati 5000GT, has been referred to as a “king among cars, and a car of kings” as many have been owned by kings, princes and shahs.
Noted Maserati enthusiast and collector Doug Magnon was born and raised in Riverside, Calif., in the heart of West Coast road racing. “My father grew up here hot rodding and motorcycling with Dan Gurney and Skip Hudson, before they set off on their professional racing careers,” Magnon recalls. “Later, I grew up with the families that ran Riverside International Raceway, the Richters and the Hords. It was a car crazy era and I dreamed of someday having a collection of sports cars.
“Had I been able to build a collection of the cars I wanted in my 20s, it would probably have been a mix of my favorites growing up: Porsches, Ferraris, Jaguars, et cetera. I knew of Maseratis then, but wasn’t really familiar with the marque. By my mid-30s, I was finally able to start into a collection, and discovered my tastes had changed. I am not the flashy type, so edgy Lamborghinis and gold chains are not my style. A friend recommended I consider Maseratis. What I discovered really appealed. Of all the exotics of Modena, Italy, Maserati embraces elegant understatement.”
Maserati’s three-pronged spear logo has led to the nickname “Trident.” Magnon eventually learned that Maseratis often were more expensive and better equipped than their Modenese competition and often sold to a higher level of clientele. He was intrigued by its history, and as his collection grew, he realized that building a vertical representation of production Maseratis was something unique. Says Magnon, “There are many Ferrari collectors out there, but it is rare to find a collection of the Tridents.”
New Today, A Classic Tomorrow
Not interested in collecting an older Maserati, but fancy a new one? Modena, Italy’s oldest exotic luxury carmaker currently produces a tasty buffet of exciting models, based on two platforms. If you need a large, comfortable, decidedly Italian luxury sport sedan, consider one of the company’s Quattroporte (meaning, literally, four port or four door) models. If you need seating for four but two doors are enough, and you desire a coupe or a convertible, the company has just released two new models worthy of your test drive and consideration.
One is the GranTurismo MC, which stands for Grand Touring, Maserati Corse. Its handbuilt, symphonic sounding, 4.7-liter V-8 spools out 444 horsepower, and is backed by a high-tech, smooth yet responsive six-speed automatic transmission. The elegant coupe body, designed by renowned Pininfarina of Turin, is muscular yet beautiful from any angle. The cabin is wrapped in an enticing combination of supple leather, plus carbon fiber and Alcantara suede trim. The GranTurismo MC embodies a hightech cocktail of the latest active and passive safety features with superb electronic and infotainment systems.
Desire one of the world’s most elegant tanning booths? Consider the GranTurismo Convertible Sport, nearly identical mechanically to the MCcoupe mentioned above, but with a fully automatic folding cloth convertible top. Learn more at maserati.us.
[...] The Magic of Maserati Of all the exciting,glamourous and historic Italian sports car brands, this nameplate may embody the most grace . By Matt Stone [...]
[...] The Magic of Maserati Of all the exciting,glamourous and historic Italian sports car brands, this nameplate may embody the most grace . By Matt Stone [...]