The amazingly smooth Maserati Quattroporte Automatic along with the new world of Maserati has arrived in South Africa and been launched in Cape Town and Johannesburg. Cape Town’s choice of venue was the wonderful Stralitzia room at the Cape Town International Convention Centre and Johannesburg’s was Lekgotla restaurant at Sandton’s Nelson Mandela Square with amazingly beautiful live music played by the lovely Stirling crew. The two venues suited Maseratis current target clientele of urban business men and ladies perfectly.

At Lekgotla restaurant, Gabriele Viglietti, CEO of Viglietti Motors importer to South Africa of Maserati, proudly announced the new union with the Green family and Maserati. Gabriele went on to say that the Greens; with Basil and sons, Bradley and Gary with their modern Edenvale showroom in Andries Pretorius Street will be the Official Johannesburg dealership. The Edenvale dealership is also fully equipped to service all Maseratis with some specialist help and special thanks to Shell Lubricants.

The launch was both a celebration and presentation of the new direction that Maserati is taking through their Emotion Meets Business marketing and Excellence Through Passion pay-off lines that is driving them to make it clear that their “best sports sedan car of the world” is truly an amazing car, well suited to the urban business person.

Marketing manager, Reinhart Schwendinger said that key co-branding partners were found to enrich both evenings; some through international ties and others of local significance. Shell international, just recently signed Maserati as a result of noticing the great strength and momentum that Maserati has grown into. Peroni, the wonderful Italian beer that belongs to South Africa largest brewery, SAB-Miller began this year with an international co-branding campaign with Maserati. Peroni, naturally with their “La dolce vita”, suits the world of Maserati very well. Carducci clothing, now a well established brand in South Africa, fits the profile of the urban business person very well with their trendy yet classic clothing lines.
 

Mumm Champagne, the world’s number one champagne completed the line-up exceptionally well, helping all Maserati owners and VIP’s toast to the success of the Quattroporte Automatic. In attendance at each event were about 180 existing Maserati owners, future owners, VIP’s/dignitaries; with representation from Maserati, Umberto Cini, Area Manager to the Middle East & Africa, Ambassador to Italy, Mr. Alessandro Cevese who said some lovely words about Maserati and its home Italy. Present too were some very prominent South African Business people and motoring enthusiasts. Both events were a complete success with at least eight Maseratis on there way to finding new happy owners during and shortly after both events.

Sales Director Ferdinando Viglietti said that this last week was a good week for the Quattroporte, for the importer Viglietti Motors and Auto Nettuno, the recently appointed new Maserati dealership based in Edenvale- Johannesburg, but most importantly it was a much anticipated beginning, “of the new automatic Maserati which is absolutely amazing”. This now completes Maserati’s line up; with its sporty Coupe’, the GranSport which is available in limited quantities and now its Quattroporte range which places the automatic at the top of its comfort option by repositioning the Duo-Select version of the F1 paddle gearshift) as the more sporty option. Clients now choose between Executive or Sports and/or manual of automatic amongst all its other options making it the bespoke hand-built Maserati that only a lucky few will get the pleasure of owning. Priced between R1.5 Million and R1.6 Million the imported four door Maseratis from Modena, Italy, are manufactured in limited quantities and therefore maintain the mystic of uniqueness.