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All things 'Maserati'. News of forthcoming models, owner's cars, tips, 'Marque' reunions and the odd touch of humour! In fact anything of interest to the 'Maseratista'.

So if you have any news about Maseratis or have anything owners and enthusiasts should know, send details to enricomaserati@btinternet.com


Trident on the vintage sign
in the Giuseppe Candini workshop
 
You can click on some pictures for a better view!!

QUICK BROWSE - YOU ARE NOW ON PAGE 146
 
 
 
 
MASERATI QUATTROPORTE: ANOTHER MASTERPIECE
 

Maserati Quattroporte, the model which established the category of “Luxury Sports Saloons”, can be considered something of a Maserati masterpiece. After five years of success, with more than 15,000 cars delivered and 46 international awards, the Quattroporte is now being presented with a new look and new technical solutions.

The history of art is characterised by audacious artists who challenged pre-existing conventions. Similarly the Pininfarina design team, thanks to their unrivalled and skilful hands, created a fresher, more modern look for the Maserati Quattroporte, yet always mindful of the class, glamour and exclusivity which represent its inner essence.

The personality and glamour of the Maserati flagship are now represented by two products: the Quattroporte and the Quattroporte S.

The former is fitted with the familiar 4.2 litre 400 hp V8 engine, while the latter adopts the new 4.7 litre 430 hp V8 recently introduced on the GranTurismo S, with a different specification.

Both cars feature the 6-speed automatic transmission developed in association with ZF.

The main styling changes are to the most recognisable features.

First of all the front, where the new grille, with its vertical slats, is reminiscent of the GranTurismo. The front and rear light units are also updated, featuring LEDs.

On the side, the under-door moulding is more noticeable, with a line that runs into that of the new bumpers, which have a wider protective band and more pronounced rear styling.

The door mirrors are also new, with a more dynamic shape and a more streamlined mounting to the door.

The interior has a new centre console and the controls are grouped more closely together for even more convenient operation.

The car’s range of navigation systems is also fully updated, now comprising the New Maserati Multimedia System.

Two new shades of leather, Marrone Corniola (brown) and Sabbia (sand), replacing the beige which was previously in the range, debut on the Quattroporte S and Quattroporte respectively.

The new Quattroporte and Quattroporte S will be on sale in the UK from October.

 

The Maserati Quattroporte ...

... it just gets better and better!!
 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
From eBay in the USA
 

"Maseratisti,

I came across this interesting Maserati-related item on eBay.

The "Millenary" Maserati in rose gold was produced by famed Swiss watchmaker Audemars Piguet in a limited edition of only 450 pieces to celebrate Maserati's 90th anniversary in 2004.

The Maserati "Millenary" watch is equipped with an automatic AP Caliber 2329/2846 with 37 jewels, 28,800 vph, circular-grained bridges with Cotes de Geneve, hand-finished and decorated and has a power reserve of approximately 40 hours. Functions include hours, minutes, date, secondary time zone, day/night and power reserve indication.

The 18 carat Rose Gold, oval "Millenary" case measures 47 mm x 48 mm with a sapphire crystal, steel crown with logo, back secured with 6 screws, engraved with Maserati 90th Anniversary logo and is water-resistant to 20 metres.

Black Dial with white printed Arabic numerals, Maserati logo and gold hands with luminous coating.

Black leather stitched strap with a 18k Rose Gold Audemars Piguet deployant clasp with the AP logo.

Complete with original box and papers as well as an authentic Maserati model of the Tipo 61 'Birdcage'.

This watch is presently up for sale on eBay with a starting price of US $35,999.00 (approximately £18,246.74).

My thanks to 'topich' for granting me permission to publish these photos. CHECK IT OUT!

 

 

 
 

 

 
 

 

 
 

 

 
 

 

 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
From Henri in Peru
 

"Hi Enrico,

Thanks for writing. Sure, you can post the photos. My name is Henri Peter and I live in Lima, Peru.

I will try to find some more photos of my 50/T2/SS'Rospo' motorcycle. As you know, this bike has a dual-beam back-bone frame, wrap-around front mudguard and a megaphone exhaust pipe. The unusual 'back-bone' design of the 50/T2/SS gave rise to its nickname: 'Rospo' (toad).

I bought the bike from a recycling place where you can find all kinds of things. If I had not bought it, it would probably have been sold for its scrap value. It was in pretty bad shape, with parts missing, but the engine was fine. I think we have done a great job. The motorcycle looks beautiful. It starts at the first turn of the pedal.

The motorbike is in Peru but for U.S. customers, it can be delivered in Miami. The bike can be shipped worldwide. It is very light and can be sent by air cargo courier.

The bike is very nicely restored. Logically there are some parts that aren't original, such as the pedals and the handlebars, but overall it is a very well done restoration.

The chasis number is XFF1456X, and the engine number is XFF7082X.

I want US $16,000 if sold to the U.S and worldwide. I know these 50/T2/SS motorcycles sell for as much as EURO 25,000 in Europe, so I think my price is fair.

I don't think I took any photos of it before the restoration. I know I should have but alas, I didn't.

I am a painter, a professional artist by profession and I sell all my paintings in the U.S., but motorcycle restoration is my hobby. A hobby that costs me a lot of money.

How did I start restoring motorcycles? It's a chain of events. I always loved motorcycles, and I still do. I have about 20 motorcycles right now. Anyway, always loved them and rode them. About 5 years ago I bought a Norton 500 and took it to be restored.

I have a compulsion to create or restore things, that is why I am a painter. But it does not stop there. I've built myself already 3 houses, I am always seeing what to restore or fix in them.

My mind which is very good at creating and painting, is nil when it comes to mechanical or technical thinking. That side of my brain has not evolved. Well, the restoration job did not satisfy me, so i took it somewhere else. As these people also failed, I decided to do it myself.

So I got to know a chap who liked old bikes and was without a job, and we set up a small private workshop. We got a mechanic and began restoring the Norton. I direct and do all the design job in hwt is frames and bodies. Then started collecting more motorcycles and we have been at it for the last 2 years. I've restored several bikes for myself and a couple for my brother.

Now, that I've been paying for all this, I need to recoup some of the money, so I have now started selling some of the motorcycles. I do this for the fun of seeing something created but not for the ownership, if you understand me?

I hope I haven't bored you. I will send you the remainer of the photos later today.

Sincerely,

Henri."

Watch this motorcycle at www.youtube.com

 
My 1960 Maserati Tipo 50/T2/SS - Super Sport
 

 

 
 

 

 
 

 

 
 

 
 

 
 
My Paintings
 

"Bear Run" - SOLD

"Sunface and Friend" - SOLD
 

"Purr...." - SOLD

"Winter Ghost" - SOLD
 
www.henripeter.com

www.motorcycleoverhauling.com
 
 
 
 
 
From Roger in the UK
 

"Enrico,

I thought you might be interested in this item of Maserati memorabilia which I acquired recently.

It is an address book, thought to have been produced at some time in the 1980s.

There are 71 pages of text and photos covering Maserati’s racing history from 1926 to 1971, followed by 52 pages for addresses.

It is nicely hard bound in red cloth with the trident embossed in gold on the front cover. About 8 inches square. Text is all in Italian.

Best regard,

Roger."

 

 

 
 

Alberto Ascari, winner of the 1947 Circuito di Modena,
driving a Maserati A6 T.I.

 
 

Paul Pietsch in a Maserati Tipo 4CLT tackles
a difficult bend at the Friburg Hill Climb in 1950

 
 
 
 
 
 
From Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera in Italy
 

Carrozzeria Touring's Bellagio Fastback to hit the road in 2009!

Displayed as a concept at the Concorso d’Eleganza di Villa d’Este at the end of April, the Carrozzeria Touring designed Bellagio Fastback will now go into limited production. Carrozzeria Touring have decided to produce a special limited series of 25 examples. At a price of around EURO 200,000, each car will be personalised to the client's individual taste. Production should start during the first quarter of 2009.

 

 

 
 

 

 
 

Images courtesy of Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera s.r.l

 
 
 
 
 
From Enrico in the UK
 

"Maseratisti,

Now I am sure that you are all aware that the Maserati factory is sited at 322, Viale Ciro Menotti, Modena, Italy. But have you ever wondered what or who Ciro Menotti was?

I searched through the net and the best answer I could come up with was this, my translation of the Italian text I found courtesy of www.wikipedia.it.

It's a fascinating story!

Enrico."

Ciro Menotti at the scaffoldCiro Menotti (1798-1831) - Italian Patriot

Ciro Menotti was born in Migliarina, near Carpi, then part of the Duchy of Modena and Reggio.

A member of the Carboneria from 1817, he was a fervent democrat and patriot. The ‘Carbonari’, founded in early 19th-century Italy, were groups of secret revolutionary societies. Their goals were patriotic and liberal, and they played an important role in the ‘Risorgimento’ and the early years of Italian nationalism. From 1820 he held meetings with French intellectuals, with the goal of liberating Modena from Austrian oppression.

Initially, Duke Francis IV declared support for Menotti's aims, prompted by the possibility of becoming king of a future unified Northern Italy. Menotti organised a revolt in Modena for February 3, 1831, but in an abrupt about-turn, the Duke withdrew his support, and summoned the help of Austria and its allies from his voluntary exile in Mantua.

Menotti was arrested and after a summary prosecution, condemned to death by hanging. The sentence was carried out in the Citadel of Modena.

Subsequently, Menotti became the idealized figure of a patriotic martyr of the Italian ‘Risorgimento’ ("The Resurgence"); the political and social movement whose aims were the unification of the different states of the Italian peninsula into the single nation of Italy.

Duke Francis IV of Hapsburg-EsteModena was at that time governed by Duke Francis IV of Hapsburg-Este, Archduke of Austria. He considered the Duchy of Modena too small for his ambitions. He developed diplomatic relationships with several small European states and presided over a flamboyant court as if he were a great monarch. This explained his interest in the revolutionary movement growing in Italy; on the one hand he feared them, hardly ever acted against them. On the other, he flattered them, in the hope of taking advantage of their actions to fulfill his own personal ambitions.

When approached by Menotti, Francis IV didn't oppose the revolutionary plan: it could be that there had been firm agreements made between the two via another liberal, public notary Enrico Misley, a frequent visitor to the Duke's Court.

No one understood why Francis IV, who knew Menotti very well, didn't have him arrested immediately, as he had done back in 1820 with forty-seven Carbonari, who were tried and found guilty, and like the cleric Don Giuseppe Andreoli, condemned to death.

In January 1831, Menotti had organized an uprising down to the last detail, seeking out the popular support and approval of the newly found liberal groups who were emerging throughout the Italian Peninsula. On 3rd February 1831, after having collected an arsenal, Menotti assembled a group of forty fellow conspirators at his house, a short distance from the Grand Duke's palace, in order to organize the revolt.

The Duke, however, with an abrupt about-turn, surely imposed by the Austrian government, decided to withdraw his support for the Menottian cause and called for assistance to restore the Holy Alliance. Historians have speculated on the reason for the Duke's double-cross: many think that the hierarchy of the Hapsburg-Este family understood that the plans for a Northern Italian kingdom were just an ideal. Some support the theory that Francisco was jealous of Menotti's charisma, others still believe that the Duke feared losing many of his privileges following a revolution.

The Duke surrounded Menotti’s house with his guards, and following several shots, the plotters tried to escape. Some succeeded, others didn’t and during this, Menotti, who tried to escape by jumping from a window into the garden at the rear of the house, was injured, captured and then imprisoned. In the meantime, however, the uprising had already begun mostly in the area around Bologna. The Duke immediately sent a note to the Governor of Reggio: "On this night, a terrible conspiracy has broken out against me. Send me the hangman." He then thought it best to escape to Mantua, then part of the Austrian Dominions in Italy, taking Menotti along with him. Some also said that the Duke had assured Menotti many times that his life was safe, but this has not been verified. The revolt having failed, on the 9th of March a reassured Duke returned to Modena, taking the prisoner Menotti with him.

Two months after the trial, that concluded with the death sentence by hanging, other plotters; namely Luigi Adams, Giuseppe Brevini and Antonio Giacomozzi, were at first condemned to death, but the punishment was subsequently commuted to a twelve year prison sentence by Francis IV.

On 28th February 1831 an attempt to free Menotti failed. In spite of the numerous petitions from many quarters, asking for the death sentence to be commuted, the Duke was unmoved and the sentence was carried out in the Citadel, together with that of Vincenzo Borelli, who was also part of the group arrested on the night of 3rd February and condemned to death. Menotti passed the night on the eve of his execution with a priest to whom he gave the noblest of letters to be delivered to his wife. A letter which would be confiscated by the guards, and not given to his widow until 1848.

In order to avoid any public disorder, the announcement of Menotti’s death sentence came following his execution.

Giuseppe Garibaldi, the military and political leader, named one of his children Menotti after him.

Visitors to Modena's main square, the Piazza Ducale, will no doubt have seen the statue erected in his memory.

 
 
From Roger in the UK
 

Re: Ciro Menotti

"Enrico,

Some photos you might be interested in, taken when I went on the Modena Valley tour in November 2004.

Ciro Menotti’s statue is to be found outside the Palazzo Ducale (Duke's Palace) in Modena, and the street name sign is to be found just opposite the Maserati factory.

Sorry the photo quality is none too good!

Best regards,

Roger."

 

 

 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
From Mike in the UK
 

Maserati Ghibli Race Car

High Race Specification with all the right bits.

The car has been raced outside of Europe, but will be eligible for all Period Events.

 

 

 
 

 

 
 

 

 
 

 

 
 

 

 
 

 

 
 

 

 
 

 

 
 

 

 
 

 
 

£48,000 delivered - Fuller details from Mike at www.mikeabbasclassiccars.co.uk

 
 
 
 

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