9781422269664

ALFA ROMEO: A LEGACY FROM MILAN BENTLEY: THE BEST IN ITS CLASS MASERATI: ITALIAN STYLE AND PERFORMANCE PORSCHE: THE ULTIMATE SPEED MACHINE RANGE ROVER: THE ULTIMATE IN LUXURY ROLLS-ROYCE: INNOVATION AND ASPIRATION TESLA: THE FEELING IS ELECTRIC

Carlie Lawson

MASON CREST M I A M I

Mason Crest PO Box 221876, Hollywood, FL 33022 (866) MCP-BOOK (toll-free) • www.masoncrest.com

Copyright © 2024 by Mason Crest, an imprint of National Highlights, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Printed in the United States of America

First printing 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Series ISBN: 978-1-4222-4784-6 Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-4222-4851-5 Series ebook ISBN: 978-1-4222-7026-4 ebook ISBN: 978-1-4222-6966-4

Cataloging-in-Publication Data on file with the Library of Congress

Developed and Produced by Regency House Publishing Ltd. Cover and Interior Design by Torque Advertising+Design

Publisher’s Note: Websites listed in this book were active at the time of publication. The publisher is not responsible for websites that have changed their address or discontinued operation since the date of publication. The publisher reviews and updates the websites each time the book is reprinted.

QR CODES AND LINKS TO THIRD-PARTY CONTENT You may gain access to certain third-party content (“Third-Party Sites”) by scanning and using the QR Codes that appear in this publication (the “QR Codes”). We do not operate or control in any respect any information, products, or services on such Third-Party Sites linked to by us via the QR Codes included in this publication, and we assume no responsibility for any materials you may access using the QR Codes. Your use of the QR Codes may be subject to terms, limitations, or restrictions set forth in the applicable terms of use or otherwise established by the owners of the Third-Party Sites. Our linking to such Third-Party Sites via the QR Codes does not imply an endorsement or sponsorship of such Third-Party Sites or the information, products, or services offered on or through the Third-Party Sites, nor does it imply an endorsement or sponsorship of this publication by the owners of such Third-Party Sites.

CONTENTS

Introduction .....................................................................6 Chapter 1: The Racing Team is Established ....................15 Chapter 2: A Turbulent History of Ownership .................31 Chapter 3: Maserati Leaves Racing at the Height of Its ...... Dominance...................................................49 Chapter 4: Futuristic Cars That Inspire ...........................63 Series Glossary of Key Terms ..........................................92 Further Reading & Internet Resources.............................93 Index ..............................................................................94 Author’s Biography and Credits ......................................96 KEY ICONS TO LOOK FOR: Sidebars: This boxed material within the main text allows readers to build knowledge, gain insights, explore possibilities, and broaden their perspectives by weaving together additional information to provide realistic and holistic perspectives. Educational Videos: Readers can view videos by scanning our QR codes, providing them with additional educational content to supplement the text. Examples include news coverage, moments in history, speeches, iconic sports moments, and much more! Series Glossary of Key Terms: This back-of-the-book glossary contains terminology used throughout this series. Words found here increase the reader’s ability to read and comprehend higher-level books and articles in this field.

Before Maserati Cars Rock star Joe Walsh wrote the lyric, “My Maserati does one-eighty five / I lost my license, now I don’t drive.” The sassy sports cars inspired him with their speed and sleekness. Today, people think of Maserati as a major corporation turning out sports cars, and SUVs, and with a lengthy history of race car wins. But the venerable firm began as a shared hobby among five of six brothers in turn-of-the century Italy. As a competitor to Ferrari and Lamborghini, Maserati produced dream cars combining cutting-edge design and engineering for

Vintage Maserati and Ferrari Grand Prix Cars on the Mugello Circuit in Italy, at the Event of Ferrari Racing Days, in 2008.

6

Maserati: Italian Style and Performance

Brothers Ettore, Bindo, Ernesto, and Alfieri Maserati.

public sale since 1947. The company started in 1914 though, first manufacturing spark plugs for the military and then building racing cars for its auto racing team. Before we jump into their consumer vehicles, let’s explore the famous race car drivers, the Maserati brothers, three of whom rose to fame while still in their teens. The Maserati Brothers Siblings who are close in age often take up the same hobby, since they play together as children. Carlo Maserati’s parents, Rodolfo Maserati and Carolina Losi, gave him a younger brother when he turned two years old, and he and Bindo grew up sharing the same interests—overarchingly an interest in automobiles. Tinkering under the hood also interested their younger brother, Alfieri, who was born when Carlo turned six. Even two of the youngest brothers in the family, Ettore and Ernesto, also enjoyed the same love of cars

Introduction

7

Maserati racers and mechanics at the Coppa Tullio Leonardi, a nine-mile (14.4-km) hill-climb in Vermicino, Rocca di Papa south of Rome, on October 2, 1927. Alfieri Maserati is fourth from left.

and mechanical work as their older brothers, although their births came in Carlo’s teen years. Only Mario, born between Ettore and Ernesto, turned to a different hobby—art. With an age spread of 17 years between the eldest and youngest brothers, the five Maserati brothers shared in common a surname and a true love for automobiles. Their company thrived due to familial bonds, work ethic, and engineering brilliance. When Alfieri formed his business, he turned to his brother Mario to design the logo that the business continues to use today. The famed trident homages Mario Maserati’s love of Neptune. From Hobbyist Mechanics to Engineers Rodolfo, a railroad machinist, passed his love of engineering to his boys. His eldest son, Carlo, studied engine design independently

8

Maserati: Italian Style and Performance

while attending high school, and landing his first job in 1899 with Marquis Michele Carcano di Anzano del Parcos, a bicycle manufacturer in Affori, about 52 miles north of his birthplace in Voghera. The 18-year-old Carlo developed a one-cylinder internal combustion engine that allowed his employer to modify its bicycles by motorizing them. The ingenious inventor used a leather strap in the transmission design. Carlo’s Racing Career The sporty Carlo wasn’t content to merely build the engines; he wanted to race the motorbikes, too. His employer agreed, and Carlo

Bicycle pioneer Michele Carcano (left), woman, and engineer Carlo Maserati (right), showing various motorized equipment (probably Maserati’s inventions).

Introduction

9

The Maserati brothers cycling. From left: Ettore, Bindo, and Ernesto in 1940.

went to work racking up race wins for the company. The eldest Maserati brother quickly won the Brescia-Orzinuovi in 1899 and both the Brescia-Cremona-Mantua-Verona-Brescia race and the Padova-Bovolenta competition in 1900. With a big brother who quickly rose to fame as a motorbike racer, the younger Maserati brothers aspired to similar feats. In 1901, automotive firm Fiat enticed Carlo to come work for them as a test driver. He remained there until 1903, when Isotta Fraschini followed suit, hiring him away from Fiat by offering him a better position as both a test driver and mechanic. This position let him apply his inventive engineering ideas to cars.

10

Maserati: Italian Style and Performance

Big brother Carlo used his growing influence to obtain a job for another inventive engineer—younger brother Alfieri Maserati, who joined the firm in 1903. The eldest Maserati brother had continued racing, and bicycle manufacturer Bianchi hired him away from Fraschini in 1907 to work in its motorcycle division. Bianchi wisely also placed him on its automotive racing team, where he raced in the ninth Coppa Florio and the Kaiserpreis.

Ernesto Maserati (left) with the 1932 Maserati 4CM s/n 1120 owned by Giuseppe Furmanik, who had used this car to set various land speed records since 1932.

Introduction

11

Alfieri Maserati at the Grand Prix in Monza, 1930. He became fourth in a “voiturette” class with a 1.1-liter straight-8 Maserati 26C.

12

Maserati: Italian Style and Performance

A Maserati Family Tragedy Once again, a company lured Carlo away—the Junior automobile firm hired him to head its company in 1908. By then, he had developed a persistent cough after exposure to the bacteria that causes tuberculosis. The once-fatal disease degenerated his health as it eroded his lungs; scientists developed the vaccine for tuberculosis in 1921. Before his death in 1910, he used his leadership position to give another inventive engineer his first major position, hiring younger brother Ettore Maserati. In his short 30 years of life, Carlo Maserati inspired four of his five younger brothers to follow him into engineering, and a generation of Italians in motorcycle and auto racing. Leading the way in the design of both motorcycles and cars, he gave two of his brothers their professional start and set the stage for the family’s foray into automotive design.

Introduction

13

Team leader and mechanic Ernesto Maserati (behind, to the left), drivers Luigi Fagioli (left), and Amadeo Ruggeri (right), with an 8C 2800 in 1932.

14

Maserati: Italian Style and Performance

THE RACING TEAM IS ESTABLISHED Losing their eldest brother left the remaining Maserati boys determined to carry on his dreams. Because five of the brothers had shared an interest in mechanics and engineering, the surviving four joined forces, led by middle brother Alfieri, the first whom Carlo had helped obtain his professional start. Rather than changing jobs, Alfieri remained at Isotta Fraschini and worked his way up at the firm. He found a place for himself on its racing team. Like his older brother, he excelled at both engineering and racing. Alfieri also developed a talent for public relations, which helped him build a reputation in automotive engineering. Officine Alfieri Maserati SA By 1914, four years after the death of his oldest brother, Alfieri, 27, had saved the funds to found his automotive company—Officine Alfieri Maserati SA. Partnering with Ettore, 20, and Ernesto, 16, the brothers began their auto company in Bologna, Italy, in December of that year.

The Racing Team is Established

15

Brother Mario used his artistic talents to create the company’s trident emblem, using as his inspiration the trident that Neptune brandishes on a statue in Bologna’s Piazza Maggiore. The design of its logo became Mario’s sole contribution to the family business, since he had already established himself as an artist. A World at War The year of the venture’s founding coincided with the outbreak of World War I, and the two oldest brothers entered the Italian military to help defend their country. This left the youngest brother, Ernesto, to manage the company alone in its earliest years. The small firm located at Via de ’Pepoli 1A delayed automotive production, instead

Enjoy the excitement of these bullet like Maserati racing vehicles which reached speeds up to 154 mph.

16

Maserati: Italian Style and Performance