- The company confirmed the decision will trigger the cancellation of certain projects.
- Maserati sales halved last year, falling from 26,600 in 2023 to just 11,300.
- Italian trade union FIM is seeking clarification about Maserati’s future from Stellantis.
The future of the all-electric Maserati MC20, along with electric successors to the Quattroporte and Levante, is now in doubt after parent company Stellantis scrapped a planned €1.5 billion ($1.57 billion at current exchange rates) investment in the Italian brand. This decision couldn’t come at a worse time for Maserati, which has been struggling with dwindling sales and staggering financial losses.
While speaking on a recent earnings call, Stellantis chief financial officer Doug Ostermann confirmed that €1.5 billion worth of investment in Maserati had been written off. Financial documents reveal this will lead to “the cancellation of certain projects prior to launch,” and while details about these projects were not provided, they are expected to include the long-promised electric MC20 Folgore.
Read: Stellantis’ New CEO Must Decide Which Of The 14 Brands Stay Or Go
According to Autocar, Ostermann believes the conglomerate needs to review the schedule of Maserati’s planned product introductions. “We have to recognize that the dynamics in that business, particularly in the Chinese market, and our expectations in terms of how quickly that luxury market would transition to electrification,” he noted.
Maserati needs both money and compelling new models if it has any chance of surviving. Last year, it lost €260 million ($271 million), and global sales collapsed from 26,600 units to just 11,300 in 2024. By pulling this funding, the future of the electric Quattroporte and Levante appears to be on shaky ground.
The Union Weighs In
Italy’s powerful trade union, FIM, has wasted no time in demanding answers from Stellantis. The union wants clarity on Maserati’s future at a meeting scheduled for March 11. “Maserati represents one of the most critical situations,” said FIM General Secretary Ferdinando Uliano. “Despite the quality and high-performance models, the brand suffers from errors and carelessness in terms of marketing. We can no longer waste time.”
A New CEO, a New Direction?
Meanwhile, parent company Stellantis is on the hunt for a new CEO after Carlos Tavares abruptly left in December. The new leader may face the unenviable task of deciding which brands survive and which ones are shown the door. It remains to be seen whether Maserati will make the cut if it comes to that, but if the brand’s fate hinges on a single question—“Do we need another Italian luxury car brand that can’t sell cars?”—it’s hard to see how Maserati survives. Let’s hope it pulls off a miracle.
