Stellantis Yet Again Confirms That It's Not Selling Maserati
Red is a great color for many Italian cars, but the problem for Maserati is that it has been seeing the color more in its finances than on an exciting new car. Despite losing more than half its sales last year and seeing further declines this year, Maserati’s parent company, Stellantis, says it’s still devoted to the brand.
Maserati CEO Santo Ficili said, “Stellantis confirms its commitment towards Italy, its workers, and all its brands, including Maserati. The United States remain a strategic market for Maserati.” His confidence still needs to contend with reality. The storied Italian brand imports 100 percent of the vehicles it sells in the U.S., putting all of them in the crosshairs of recent tariff actions. Maserati also has to contend with trends impacting the auto industry as a whole, including shifting EV demand and softening buyer enthusiasm for expensive exotic cars.
Shaky performances have made many question Stellantis’ ownership of other brands, including Chrysler, Alfa Romeo, and Lancia. Former CEO Carlos Tavares blamed lousy marketing for the brand’s problems, saying that its issues were not related to the vehicles, but the automaker has acknowledged that people aren’t as hot on EVs as it had hoped, leading it to cancel an electric MC20 project.
Never say never with these sorts of things. In the past, company executives have been cautious but realistic when talking about Maserati, with the former CFO saying last year that the future could hold a new home for the brand, though Stellantis quickly backed away from those remarks. We'll note here that the brand does have a press conference planned at this week's New York Auto Show.
[Images: Maserati]
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Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.
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Stellantis is a terribly run automobile company. Selling Maserati or not is immaterial. They need the sell Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep back to Americans. If they don’t, these nameplates will be gone. The day that Fiat was allowed to buy Chrysler was a sad day. Americans don’t by any number Italian or French cars. History has proven this time and time again. Stellantis has no idea how to market an automobile in America let alone run an American car companies. This is a recipe for disaster and we’re watching it occur in front of her eyes right this minute. Our government needs to step in and resolve this before Chrysler and its cars are gone.
I would like to have a Maserati Super car MC20, I just hope they can increase the horses!
After all, it cannot beat a Corvette!
They also need to put a dealer in every city and decrease the cost or repairs and parts by 40%!