ferrari & maserati break up?

Will Maserati be sold off completely from Ferrari and have to change their dealer network? any further news?

 

I asked our local dealer about this and they expect to keep selliing masers. Of course, they also say dealers are the last to know anything! There are some maser outlets already that do not sell Ferraris.

Dave

 

Could prices on Masers drop due to instability of dealer network sales/support??

 

If the Maser looses the ferrari network, then the prices will certainly drop. I am not sure there are lot of ppl who want to risk 100K+ on a new Italian car without a dealer to go back to-especially "normal" coupes and sedans.

Ferrari and Lamborghini are a different matter, but Maser would be in big trouble!

 

One of the big independent Maser dealers is in Pasadena, California...but I have no idea how good their parts/service backup is. Without that, Maser is dead in the US

 

Have you looked at used/resale? They are at about a 50% discount over new prices!

 

Rumor is that Maser and Alfa Romeo will be combined at some point when Alfa returns to the U.S. market (supposedly within a couple of years).

 

on an 02 model yes but not an 04-05

 

too bad I'm broke.

 

I wouldn't want a maserati .. never liked the brand, it just has an Audi type feel to it. Audi and Maserati bring visions of being undependable and having long expensive repairs.

 

the rumor i heard was that F and M would be split apart and the F dealers would start selling Alfa + F instead of M + F.

from what i've heard, no dealer really wants to sell M.

doody.

 

I've spoken with 2 sales managers in the west; both are/were very happy to be selling Maseratis as 'entry level cars'; expecting to sell at least a used Ferrari if not new to the customer next time.....also gives them showroom inventory when Ferrari allocations are scarce......
Neither knows what's happening next......altho 1 says he has no information on Maserati allocation beyond spring 06.....and he does not like the Alfa/Ferrari combination as much; too distant price points between......also, a fair number of Maserati sales were 'conquest sales', moving buyers from Porsche, MBZ, and Jag. The dealers really like that!
All that could change if Alfas got V8-ed, but not many rumors about that......yet

 

Is Masarati dead in the water without Ferrari Support??
Can Masarati survive without Ferrari support? Who will service the cars once Alfa enters Ferraris Dealerships? Arrivederci Masarati the ship docked and sailed away.. Lets see how long Alfa lasts in the US Market.? If BMW, AUDI, MERCEDES BENZ DONT KILL THEM IN MARKETING ADS???
JOHN FROM LA...

 

Yes - and that kind of depreciation doesn't make me want to run over to my dealer and drop $90K on a new one. Jaguar has a similar problem, but with a much better dealer network.

Maserati is going to continue to have a reputation as flaky marque if they disappear again. Remember, if you're 35 years old all you know are the current Coupe/Spyder, the lovely and flammable Biturbo and the elegant Chrysler TC by Maserati. (Can't say I've seen a Ghibli in the last 10 years...)

All of this on top of Italy's reputation for producing temperamental cars... yikes.

 

The main problem with masers is the price point they chose. For about 100K there are many great cars to choose from in the GT world, most of them cost less, some a lot less. M3's are only a little more than 1/2 the money. The maser design is pleasant, but not paticularly stunning or distinctive. A lot of them were sold to Ferrari owners who aren't afraid of tempermental Italian cars. The rest of the world has stayed away. If they were badged Ferraris, they could sell lots more or if the price was 50-60K they might have a shot.

Dave

 

Perhaps true, but as i understand it there can be nice large discounts on new cars on the showroom floor

 

for sure

 

Top two reasons I traded my '05 Cambiocorsa Coupe after 1 month and 100 miles were (1) Ferrari announced dropping the Maserati brand and (2) the rapid depreciation from new. And yes, I took a big hit -- MSRP was 110k -- I got a "deal" for 98k IIRC -- trade-in was 77k!! And the values have continued to drop at a steady rate.

Add to that the questionable build quality at that price point, glitchy cambiocorsa transmission, etc., and long-term ownership was scary. My wife ended up hating the F-1 tranny, so that didn't help matters either.

Then I hear a rumor that the F-1 pump costs $18,000 to replace!!

As classy as the car appeared, I'm glad to see it gone. Won't go down that path again -- sorry, no more Maserati's for me.

 

wouldn't the F1 pump be under warranty

 

Come on! If you had dumped a BMW M6 after 1 month, do you think you'd have lost less money?? Wake up call! ALL new expensive cars suffer from massive early depreciation, with the only exception of Ferrari. Maserati is no worse than the others. Want to know how much value a Gallardo E-gear loses after 1 year and 10,000 miles here in Switzerland? -50,000 US Dollars! Even a Maser can't do worse...

 

And why buying used can be a great benefit. Let someone else take the huge hit, then reap the benefit as they are desperate to sell the used Maserati. It appears to be a buyers market and if i was a buyer i'd offer half of MSRP and walk if they can't get close to it.

 

It would be if I have the extended warranty.

 

I hounestly feel the line is going to be put on the back bunner for a awhile, until they can figure out a product that is truly worthy of such a ledgendary name.

 

Agree. Problem is that keeping a brand legendary requires some continuity and some great cars.

There have been some great Ferraris in recent memory, and maybe even NOW if you like the 360/430 look. Porsche has the Carrera GT, and some less expensive but well-received machines like the Boxster.

Maserati is slipping into obscurity as its owners figure out what to do. I wonder if Maserati wouldn't be the right company to do what Jaguar should have done with it's abandoned F-Type - nicely appointed, sexy two seater priced at Boxster S levels, but with some soul...