crankandpiston go for a nosey around the Maserati Headquarters and factory in Modena, Italy.
[Not a valid template]Maserati Headquarters – and the home of Maserati since 1940 – is situated in Viale Ciro Menotti in Modena, Italy. The original redbrick factory buildings still stand as a reminder of the marque’s heritage. It was here in Modena that most of the iconic Maserati cars were born and indelibly stamped the mark of the Trident on the automotive world.
Although much of Maserati’s manufacturing has now relocated to the factory in Turin (Torino) – where production of the new Quattroporte and Ghibli is taking place – the Viale Ciro Menotti factory is far from silent. After a complete overhaul and modernization just over a decade ago, this Maserati factory still maintains its posizione centrale as the Maserati epicentre of ‘excellence through passion’.
The entrance hall to Maserati Headquarters is a grand affair with a stylized representation of a racetrack dominating the substantial floor space. The racing heritage of Maserati – from the Fangio Formula 1 era to the the modern Trofeo Maserati – remains the defining essence of this Italian marque despite the modern emphasis on luxury. There is even an MC12 on display to reinforce the racing connection, however, due to its coffee table sized proportions it might best be described as an MC 1:12.
Hidden inside the historic redbrick factory buildings out back are extremely modern assembly lines. This juxtaposition of heritage and modernity is a theme that continues throughout the workspace. Many historic engines are on display emphasizing the link to the past and – despite the modern tooling and mechanization of this plant – there are no robots following brainless, binary programming instructions.
Assembly of the Maserati GranTurismo and GranCabrio is undertaken here by highly skilled humanoids in dedicated workstations. Lavishing luxury and hand-crafted construction upon the models assembled here is certainly labour intensive but required when maintaining the quality associated with a premium brand. And this is the key to this Modena factory’s future.
A skilled and experienced workforce is a priceless commodity and – despite most of Maserati’s production shifting to Turin – the Modena factory continues to play an important roll within the company. Due to its labour assets, it has also become an important player within parent company Fiat S.p. A.
Production of the new Alfa Romeo 4C is being undertaken here and that isn’t just by happy coincidence. The Maserati factory in Modena was chosen to produce the 4C primarily because of the labour intensive, high-tech and highly skilled construction required and Maserati have the workforce on hand to handle that.
There are also some areas within the factory that are closed door, G14 Classified that I wouldn’t mind sneaking back at night – stealth ninja style – and having a peek inside. Is this where the next Maserati secret weapon is currently being developed? Only time will tell.
Thanks to Maserati Middle East, Africa & India
