One hundred years ago, a fine young Italian gentleman by the name of Alfieri Maserati opened a humble workshop in Bologna. From these oily foundations grew countless cars that carried his name; a name that would come to represent performance, style and finesse. That name is, of course, Maserati and this year is the Italian automaker’s 100th birthday. Fear not, we’ll hold off the history lecture for now and instead take a look at the top ten cars that made Maserati what it is today.
1933 8CM,
After some time, Maserati eventually established itself with the production of one of its first Formula 1 cars in 1933, the 8CM. In the hands of legendary racing driver Tazio Nuvolari, the 8CM won on it’s debut at the Belgium Grand Prix and launched Maserati onto the motor racing stage.
1954 250F,
With the Second World War halting Maserati’s production of racing machines, the Italian’s came back to bite in the 1950s with a series of beautifully crafted and engineered cars. The most notable was the 250F of which, Sir Stirling Moss would later declare to be ‘the finest front-engined Formula 1 car he’d ever driven.’ At the hands of Moss and Argentinian ace Juan Manuel Fangio, the car enjoyed a seven-year career in which it would become known as the racing car of choice for gentleman drivers.
1954 A6 GCS BERLINETTA,
A car needing no introduction is the achingly beautiful A6GCS 53 Berlinetta. Revealed the world at the 1954 Turin motor show, the car, styled by Pininfarina, was originally designed as a hardtop racer. With only four examples making it off the production line, the A6 GCS Berlinetta is one of the most coveted automotive antiques in the world.
1959 TIPO 61 BIRDCAGE,
By the end of the 1950s, Maserati was a well-established name in the world of motorsport. The Tipo 61 Birdcage was developed with endurance racing in mind and gets its ‘birdcage’ name from its complex chassis, which features over 200 tubular steel sections. With a 2.9-litre engine producing 250hp and an overall weight of 600kg, it’s no surprise that the car went on to win the Nurburgring 1000 Kilometers for two years running.
1963 QUATTROPORTE,
By the early Sixties Maserati was looking for a change of direction. As the first Italian brand to make an entrance into the luxury limousine market, it needed something special and the Quattroporte was the answer. This four-door sedan offerd comfort and performance without compromise and the name has stayed in production to this day. Revealed at the 1963 Turin motor show, the Quattroporte sported a V8 capable of delivering 260hp and a top speed of over 140mph.
1971 BORA,
From 1970, Maserati came under French ownership by Citroen. Looking to make an immediate impact, the new powers decided to commission a two-seater production car with a centrally mounted engine. The result was the wedge shaped Maserati Bora, which first broke cover at the Geneva motor show in 1971.
1981 BITURBO,
After a brief spell under Citroen ownership, Maserati changed hands yet again in 1976 and fell under the control of Argentine-born Alejandro de Tomaso. Eager to put his stamp on the brand, he planned a sports car that would offer the prestige of the Maserati badge but at a more affordable price and with this, the Biturbo was born. Although not well received by the world’s motoring press, the Biturbo sold over 40,000 units and brought the brand to a wider audience.
1998 3200GT,
For Maserati, the 1990s brought about more change and uncertainty as the brand exchanged hands for the third time in 25 years and moved under the watchful eye of Fiat. With substantial investment behind it, Maserati began something of a new chapter when the brand launched the 3200 GT in 1998. The two-door coupe was powered by a 3.2-Litre twin-turbocharged V8, which delivered 370hp and a top speed of 177mph.
2004 MC12,
After 37 years off the racing track, Maserati decided to don its racing gloves once again in 2004 and marked its return with the monstrous MC12. To enable Maserati to take part in the FIA GT Championship, the Italian manufacturer had to build 25 road going cars, all of which had sold to private owners before the car had been launched.
2014 ALFIERI CONCEPT,
Appropriately named after the father of Maserati, the Alfieri concept was revealed at the 2014 Geneva motor show to celebrate Maserati’s centenary. Taking styling cues from the 1954 A6 GCS, the Alfieri concept offers a glimpse of what the future holds for the brand while its name harks back to the automaker’s humble beginnings in a workshop in Bologna.
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