Maserati’s future has been up in the air for years, with new reports that Stellantis is considering a sale.
Ever since Stellantis’ formation through the merger of PSA Group and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in 2021, there’s been endless discussion over what would happen with the resulting company’s less profitable brands. Chrysler has been particularly good fodder for that discussion — it does really sell just one vehicle at the moment, after all — as has iconic Italian sports car brand Maserati. Now, according to a new Reuters report, Stellantis is looking into its options for Maserati, citing two unnamed sources close to the matter.
If that situation sounds familiar, it is. This is far from the first time people have told media outlets Stellantis is looking to cut loose Maserati. And, perhaps unsurprisingly, the company’s official response is the same as it was about a year ago, when news came to a head that a sale was on the table. A Stellantis spokesperson told Reuters: “Respectfully, Maserati is not for sale.”
So, why is it still up for discussion? Industry analysts and company investors aren’t so sure about the steadfast decision to keep the struggling Italian luxury brand in the stable. With 2021’s merger, Stellantis has no fewer than 14 brands in its portfolio. That includes Alfa Romeo, another performance luxury Italian car brand. The automaker hired strategy consultant McKinsey in April to advise it on the impact of U.S. tariffs on Alfa Romeo and Maserati brands, as both are navigating turbulent market conditions and trying to figure out where they’ll land moving forward, particularly with electrification plans.
In 2024, Maserati also posted just 11,300 sales — less than half of the preceding year — and an operating loss of 260 million euros ($298 million). While it does build a lineup of sports cars and SUVs, there is currently no new product in the pipeline, as its previous plans were placed on hold while Stellantis searched for a CEO to replace Carlos Tavares. Now that Antonio Filosa is at the helm, things could change, with one source on the reported sales discussion saying the company needs to “set priorities” for struggling Maserati.
The Reuters report also cites a source claiming Stellantis’ board is divided over what to do, which is likely why this subject keeps coming up every few months. Some think the Maserati brand has inherent value and selling it off would significantly damage its parent company’s reputation in the long-term. On the other hand, some seem to think the brand is not in a financial position to swing ambitious plans to relaunch for a new automotive era, where it could be competitive (and profitable) against the Europe’s mainstay luxury brands like Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, among others.
If Stellantis is, in fact, considering the sale of Maserati as a serious option, the Reuters report contends China’s Chery Automobile Company could be one of the potential suitors. The company currently has nine different car brands — none of which are widely known in Europe — as well as a joint-venture with Jaguar Land Rover to produce the latter company’s vehicles in China. With Stellantis remaining so guarded on Maserati’s situation, it’s unlikely we’ll hear any official details for a little while about what will happen, if it does wind up trying to sell off Maserati at all. If it does go this route, however, it would be a similar move to Geely Holding picking up Volvo Cars in 2010, or SAIC purchasing the MG brand from the defunct Rover Group in 2005. While it’s not as large a brand as Maserati, Geely also acquired a controlling stake in UK-based Lotus Cars in 2017.
With all that in mind…what will happen? Again, as before, we still don’t know with certainty. “All options are on the table”, a source tells Reuters, and that frustrating level of vagueness makes it difficult to do anything except speculate. Analysts are suggesting Stellantis streamlines its portfolio for better profit margins, but we will have to wait and see what Filosa has in mind for the Trident’s new business plan going forward.
