Although the cars themselves are often in the shadow of the likes of Ferrari and Lamborghini these days, there’s something incredibly evocative about the Maserati name. It’s no surprise then that two cars making a particularly big impression with the public at Goodwood this week are the Maserati GranTurismo and the GranTurismo Convertible.
The 2018 model year, four-seater coupe version of the iconic nameplate made its European debut at Goodwood on Thursday just four days after being revealed to the New York Stock Exchange. Meanwhile, the GranTurismo Convertible was actually making its global debut at this year’s Festival of Speed at the same time.
The Maserati stand at this year’s event was also taking the opportunity to celebrate 70 years of GranTurismo, so a collection of classic GT Maserati cars were also on hand to tell the story to an adoring public. For the uninitiated, GranTurismo is a genuinely and wholeheartedly Italian automotive concept pioneered by Maserati and it remains an expression of the purest principles of the legendary Modena-based brand.
Alongside the two new models were the A6 1500, which was the original GranTurismo launched in 1947 at the Geneva Motor Show, and the 3500 GT that was the first “mass-produced” Maserati the world first got to see in 1957. A 1967 Ghibli SS Coupé that’s still considered to be one of the finest of all Italian grand tourers was also on display, and the heritage models also included the 3200GT that was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro and returned the GranTurismo concept to its former glory back in 1998.
The restyled and increasingly refined 2018 GranTurismo and GranTurismo Convertible models are also at the event to take part and make their debuts in the legendary Goodwood Hillclimb in the Supercar Run. The 1.16-mile uphill stage is for most attendees the most iconic feature of the whole Goodwood Festival of Speed, and the Maserati runs started on Thursday and will continue right through until Sunday.
