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Founded in 1914 in Bologna, Italy, Maserati is a world-renowned car manufacturer. Producing just 75,000 cars a year, Maserati focuses on building luxury and luxury-sports vehicles. The company is named after the surname of its founding brothers, who comprised the trio of Ernesto, Alfieri, and Ettore Maserati. Maserati was established the same year that the first World War began and, at its inception, produced spark plugs for airplanes. Notable Maserati models include the Maserati Alfieri, the Quattroporte, and the GranTurismo.

The company’s emblem is the trident, Neptune’s three-spiked spear located in Bologna depicting power and vigour, a fitting representation of Maserati’s cars. Though Maserati was originally founded in Bologna, its headquarters transferred to Modena once the company’s control fell to the Orsi family in 1940. Since then, its headquarters have remained in the city. About three decades later, the company’s control was shifted to Citroen. Maserati soon fell into financial troubles owing to the oil crisis of the 1970s; after a troubling two decades, the company fell under the ownership of Fiat in 1993. Today, Maserati remains under Fiat’s ownership and represents its luxury brand.

Maserati originally focused on building motor-racing cars. Its founding brothers would manufacture racing cars for Diatto to participate in the Grand Prix. Soon after, in the early 1950s, it combined speed and luxury to build its first grand tourer car, the 3500 GT. The car was notable for its power and performance and gave rise to its successor, the V8-engined 5000 GT. Around the same time, Maserati produced the racing car 450S, which was meant to compete in the World Sportscar Championship. The car helped Maserati in achieving second place at the tournament, losing out only to the Italian manufacturer Ferrari.

Today, Maserati has cemented its position as one of the world’s premier sports and luxury-sports (grand tourer) cars. Its cars feature intense power coupled with luxurious comfort. The GranTurismo, for instance, boasts a 560-horsepower, V8 engine. The Quattroporte features the same specifications, but, unlike the GranTurismo coupe, is a four-door saloon. Throughout its history, Maserati's cars have regularly featured in racing tournaments, including the Formula One, and in touring car racing. Presently, the Italian manufacturer remains a favourite of car enthusiasts and motor racing fans alike.