Maserati Prepping for a Year of Centenary Celebration

If things continue as they are, Maserati’sMaseratiItaly, 1914 > present62 models
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centenary in 2014 may coincide with its greatest year of sales ever. Before it gets to its birthday, Maserati will hold a yearlong birthday celebration running from December 2013, to the brand’s official centenary celebration on December 14, 2014.

Alfieri, Ettore, and Ernesto Maserati founded the company in Bologna, Italy, on December 1, 1914, and officially opened on December 14. Mario Maserati created the company’s logo, which was inspired by the Neptune fountain in the center of Bologna. The three brothers were already mechanics, and all of them had previous amateur auto racing experience. Bindo Maserati joined the company when Alfieri died in 1932.

Until 1926, the company operated as a race shop by preparing and maintaining other drivers’ cars. It created its first self-built car, the Tipo 26Maserati Tipo 26BItaly, 1927 > present1 photo
, in 1926 and won its class in the 1926 Targa Florio. The company really began proving itself on the racetrack in the late 30s when it took consecutive overall victories in the Targa Florio from 1937 to 1940. It also won the Indianapolis 500 in 1939 and 1940.

The company’s first passenger car did not come until 1947 with the A6 Grand TourerMaserati A6-1500Italy, 1947 > present1 photo
.

On Friday, December 6, Maserati will release a book looking back at the last 100 years.

In celebration, Maserati will hold events in all of its major markets in 2014. The biggest event is planned to be the Maserati gathering in Modena, Italy, from September 19 to 21, 2014. Maserati says that it already has 250 cars coming, and there could be even more.

There will also be an exhibit of classic Maserati race and road cars at the Museo Casa Enzo Ferrari in the second half of 2014.

All of Maserati’s cars in 2014 will carry a new Centennial Logo. It is a black logo with the Maserati trident embossed in chrome with the years “1914,” “2014” and “100” also embossed in chrome.

Maserati has already reached a new sales record with 23,000 cars ordered through November of this year, and that is without a full year of sales for the new QuattroporteMaserati Quattroporte Gen.6Italy, 2013 > present26 versions
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or GhibliMaserati Ghibli (modern)Italy, 2013 > present16 versions
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