Who Builds Maserati? The Brand's Ownership and Manufacturing Explained
Maserati is one of the oldest names in performance motoring, but its ownership history is complicated — and its current manufacturing setup is worth understanding before you buy. The short answer: Maserati is an Italian brand currently owned by Stellantis, one of the world's largest automotive conglomerates. But that one-line answer leaves out a lot of context that matters to buyers.
The Origins of Maserati
Maserati was founded in Bologna, Italy, in 1914 by the Maserati brothers — primarily Alfieri, Ettore, and Ernesto. The company built racing cars first, road cars second. The trident logo, now synonymous with the brand, is drawn from the Neptune fountain in Bologna's Piazza Maggiore.
From the start, Maserati operated as a relatively small, specialized manufacturer. It was never a mass-market brand, and that identity has followed it through every ownership change since.
Maserati's Ownership Timeline
Understanding who built Maserati at any given moment requires knowing who owned it:
| Era | Owner |
|---|---|
| 1914–1937 | Maserati family |
| 1937–1968 | Adolfo Orsi (Italian industrialist) |
| 1968–1975 | Citroën (French automaker) |
| 1975–1993 | Alejandro de Tomaso |
| 1993–2014 | Fiat (later Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) |
| 2014–2021 | FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) |
| 2021–present | Stellantis |
Fiat's acquisition in 1993 was arguably the most consequential for the modern brand. It gave Maserati access to serious engineering resources and helped stabilize production after years of financial instability under de Tomaso. When FCA merged with PSA Group to form Stellantis in 2021, Maserati came along as part of the portfolio.
Who Actually Makes Maserati Vehicles Today?
🔧 Maserati vehicles are designed, engineered, and assembled in Italy — primarily at facilities in Modena and Turin (Mirafiori). Modena has been the spiritual home of Maserati production for decades and remains central to the brand's identity.
That said, Stellantis provides significant platform, component, and technology support. Several modern Maserati models share architecture or powertrains with other Stellantis vehicles. The Ghibli and Quattroporte, for example, have used engines developed in partnership with Ferrari (under a previous arrangement now concluded) and more recently turbocharged inline-six and V8 engines tied to other development programs within the group.
The Maserati Grecale, launched in 2022, shares its platform with the Alfa Romeo Stelvio — both Stellantis brands, both built on the Giorgio architecture. This kind of platform sharing is standard practice across the global auto industry. It reduces development costs while allowing individual brands to differentiate through tuning, styling, and features.
What Stellantis Ownership Means in Practice
Stellantis is the parent company of more than a dozen brands, including Jeep, Ram, Dodge, Chrysler, Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Peugeot, Citroën, Opel, and others. Maserati operates as a distinct premium brand within that group — not a mainstream volume brand.
For buyers, Stellantis ownership has a few practical implications:
- Parts sourcing: Some components may be shared across Stellantis vehicles, which can affect parts availability and repair costs depending on what needs fixing.
- Dealer network: Maserati maintains its own dealership network separate from mainstream Stellantis brands, though corporate infrastructure is shared behind the scenes.
- Technology: Infotainment, driver assistance systems, and electrical architecture may draw from Stellantis platforms, which can affect software updates and feature availability by model year.
- Service: Maserati requires specialized service at authorized dealers or qualified independent shops. The brand's complexity and premium positioning mean repair costs can vary significantly from standard domestic or Japanese vehicles.
Maserati's Current Lineup and Where It's Headed
🇮🇹 As of the mid-2020s, Maserati's lineup includes the Ghibli, Quattroporte, Levante, Grecale, and the GranTurismo — which returned with both a traditional combustion engine and a fully electric version called the GranTurismo Folgore. The GranCabrio is also in production.
Maserati has announced intentions to electrify its entire lineup over time, which puts it on a parallel track with broader Stellantis electrification goals. The timeline and execution of that shift will vary by model, market, and regulatory environment.
The Variables That Matter to Buyers
If you're researching Maserati as part of a purchase decision, a few things shape what ownership actually looks like:
- Model year: Engineering, reliability profiles, and platform sharing vary significantly across generations. A 2012 Quattroporte and a 2024 Grecale are very different ownership propositions.
- Powertrain choice: Combustion, hybrid, and fully electric variants carry different maintenance needs, parts ecosystems, and long-term cost structures.
- Your location: Dealer proximity, independent shop familiarity with the brand, and parts availability differ considerably by region.
- New vs. used: A pre-owned Maserati outside warranty coverage introduces different risk and cost considerations than a new purchase.
The brand's identity — Italian design, performance focus, relatively low production volumes — has remained consistent across ownership changes. But what that means for day-to-day ownership depends heavily on which model, which year, and where you plan to have it serviced.
