Maserati

The 1926 Maserati Tipo 26, the first true Maserati.

1914, December 1: The Society Anonima Officine Alfieri Maserati, Bologna, created by the Maserati brothers.

1926, April 14: The first true Maserati, the Tipo 26 (right), was built; it won its class in the the Targa Florio.

1929: Baconin Borzacchini in a Maserati V4 powered by a 3961cc 16-cylinder engine of 280hp raised the 10km speed record to 246.069km/h.

1930: The `V4' won the Tripoli Grand Prix.

1931: A Grand Tourer with a Castagna body was shown at the Milan Motor Show.

1933: The Maserati 8C/8CM featured hydraulic brakes.

1934: Giuseppe Furmanik, in a Maserati, set a 1100cc speed record of 222km/h.

1938: Adolfo Orsi bought the company.

1939: The firm moved to Viale Ciro Menotti, Modena.

1939 and 1940: Wilbur Shaw in a Maserati 8CTF won the Indianapolis 500.

1947: The Tipo A6 road-going sports car was created, with a straight-6 1488cc engine. A new rival, Ferrari, challenged Maserati on the race track.

1953 Juan Manual Fangio in a Maserati A6GCM 2000 was runner up to Alberto Ascari in a Ferrari, in the World Drivers' Championship.

1954: The Maserati 250F Grand Prix car was launched. It had a 2.5-litre 6-cylinder engine and a transverse rear gearbox. Fangio won the the Argentine Grand Prix.

1957: Fangio won the World Championship in a 250F. The firm also won the constructors title; it then withdrew from motor racing.

1957 - 1964: Production of the 3500GT 2+2 sports coupe - 3486cc straight-6.

1961: The 3500GT got disc brakes and fuel injection.

1962: `Sebring' coupe vased on the 3500GT.

1963: Production of the Mistral, and the Quattroporte.

1966: A Maserati 3-litre V12 powered John Surtees' Cooper-Maserati F1 car.

1968: Citroen took a major stake in the company.

1971: The `Bora', a mid-engined grand tourer launched at Geneva.

1975: Alejandro De Tomaso's GEPI bought Maserati.

1976: New Quattroporte launched.

1981: The `BiTurbo' 2-litre V6 was launched - the closest thing ever to a "mass market" Maserati.

1993: Fiat bought Maserati.

1997, July: Fiat puts Maserati under Ferrari control.

www.4wdonline.com 2001 3200GT

1998: Quattroporte Evoluzione launched. 3200GT coupe (right) launched at the Paris Motor Show.

2001: 75th anniversary of the Tipo 26.

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Thanks to Maranello Imports Pty. Ltd.