SEPTEMBER 21, 1998

Maserati targeting CART?

FERRARI bosses are aiming to rebuild Maserati and are planning to enter the US market in the year 2001 with a sporty range of cars aimed at those who cannot afford to buy a Ferrari. This will put the company into competition in America with Mercedes, BMW, Porsche and Jaguar.

Maserati is owned by Fiat - Ferrari's parent company - and is run by Ferrari's President Luca di Montezemolo and his chief executive Paolo Marinsek. Both companies will remain based in Modena and will have the same administration and factories which are capable of building bodywork for either marque. The engine departments will, however, remain separate.

Although Maserati has a strong history in Formula 1 we expect the company to launch an Indycar campaign of some sort as part of its plan, Maserati having scored Indianapolis 500 wins in 1939 and 1940. This will probably result in the transfer of some staff from Ferrari's racing department to Maserati.

At the announcement Ferrari boss Luca di Montezemolo said that in the long-term it will probably be best if both Ferrari and Maserati were floated away from the main Fiat company but said that there are currently no plans for that to happen.