The Brothers and Others — Part 2

Maserati went through several highs and a lot of lows in the hands of various owners until Fiat acquired it in 1993 and, paradoxically, sold half of it to long-time rival and stablemate Ferrari, whose boss Luca Cordero di Montezemolo’s magic touch put the company back on its feet again. Not only did new, high-quality models begin to appear, but Maserati started winning races again.

For 23 years the Maserati brothers had lurched along without the business acumen their company so badly needed. Alfieri was a gifted designer and innovator, but he died under the knife in a hospital in 1932. His youngest brother, Ernesto, took over as chief designer and proved the equal of Alfieri, creating cars—and often driving them—that won Grands Prix and other major races. It was a life of highs and lows, though. Maserati built 16 cars in 1934 and 17 in 1935, but orders plummeted to nine in 1936.