The Maserati brothers—Alfieri, Bindo, Carlo, Ettore, and Ernesto—were involved with automobiles from the beginning of the 20th century. Alfieri, Bindo, and Ernesto initially built 2-litre Grand Prix cars for Diatto. After Diatto suspended the production of race cars in 1926, the brothers founded the Maserati marque. One of the first Maseratis, driven by Alfieri, won the 1926 Targa Florio. Maserati began making race cars with 4, 6, 8, and 16 cylinders.
The company's trident logo was designed by Mario Maserati, the only brother who chose an artistic career over racing. It is based on Neptune's trident of the Fountain of Neptune in Bologna's Piazza Maggiore. In 1920, one of the brothers used this symbol at the suggestion of family friend Marquis Diego de Sterlich, as Neptune represents strength and vigour.
In 1937, the remaining Maserati brothers sold their shares in the company to the Adolfo Orsi family. In 1940, the headquarters were moved to the Orsi family's home town of Modena. The brothers continued in engineering roles with the company for a 10-year contract period.
Racing successes continued during this era, including back-to-back wins in 1939 and 1940 at the Indianapolis 500. Wilbur Shaw won both races driving a Maserati 8CTF named the 'Boyle Special', making Maserati the only Italian manufacturer ever to achieve this. During World War II, the company produced components for the Italian war effort and attempted to construct a V16 town car for Benito Mussolini, though the project failed.
Following the war, the Maserati A6 series performed well in racing. Key engineers including Alberto Massimino, Giulio Alfieri, Vittorio Bellentani, and Gioacchino Colombo joined the team. In the 1950s, Argentinian driver Juan-Manuel Fangio achieved numerous victories for Maserati, including winning the Formula One World Championship in 1957 in the 250F.
Other racing projects in the 1950s included the Maserati 200S, 300S, 350S, and 450S, followed in 1961 by the Maserati Birdcage Tipo 61. Maserati retired from factory racing participation following the Guidizzolo tragedy during the 1957 Mille Miglia, shifting focus toward road-going grand tourers.
The 1957 3500 GT was the marque's first ground-up grand tourer design and first series-produced car. Chief engineer Giulio Alfieri adapted the 3.5-litre inline six from the 350S into a road engine. The success of this model, with over 2,200 units made, was critical to Maserati's survival.
The 3500 GT provided the underpinnings for the V8-engined 5000 GT, which was created for the Shah of Persia using a racing engine from the 450S. In 1963, Maserati launched its first saloon, the Quattroporte, featuring a 4.2-litre DOHC V8 that served as the forefather of all Maserati V8s until 1990. The Ghia-designed Ghibli followed in 1967.
In 1968, Maserati was taken over by Citroën. While Adolfo Orsi remained nominal president, the company was controlled by its new owner. The relationship began with a joint venture for Maserati to design and manufacture a V6 engine for Citroën's flagship SM.
During this period, Maserati incorporated Citroën's technology, particularly in hydraulics. New models included the 1969 Indy and the 1971 Bora, which was Maserati's first series production mid-engine model and the first with four-wheel independent suspension. The Bora was followed by the V6-powered Merak and the Bertone-designed Khamsin.
The 1973 oil crisis caused demand for fuel-hungry sports cars to shrink. Maserati was heavily affected, as domestic sales in Italy tumbled. In May 1975, Citroën abruptly announced that Maserati had been put into liquidation. Following mobilization by trade unions and local politicians, an agreement was reached in August 1975.
Ownership passed from Citroën to the Italian state-owned holding company GEPI and Alejandro de Tomaso, an Argentinian industrialist and former racing driver. De Tomaso became president and CEO, dismissing longtime Chief Engineer Giulio Alfieri on his first day. New models under De Tomaso, such as the Kyalami and the Quattroporte III, shared underpinnings with De Tomaso's own cars.
In the 1980s, Maserati focused on the Biturbo, a compact front-engine, rear-drive coupé. Its twin-turbocharged V6 was the first of its kind for a production car. The Biturbo platform was extremely successful, selling 40,000 units and serving as the basis for every new Maserati launched up to the 1990s.
In December 1989, the Fiat Group entered Maserati's history. Initially, Fiat Auto owned 49% of the newly created Maserati S.p.A., while De Tomaso controlled 51%. On 19 May 1993, Alejandro De Tomaso sold his remaining 51% stake to Fiat, making it the sole owner and ending the pre-Fiat era of independent or joint-venture management.