9781422269664

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.

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