Editing Maserati (section)

===De Tomaso era===
On 8 August 1975, an agreement was signed at the Ministry of Industry in Rome, and property of Maserati passed from Citroën to Italian state-owned [[holding company]] GEPI{{efn|Gepi, or ''Società per le Gestioni e Partecipazioni Industriali'', was a holding company owned by [[Government-owned corporation|state enterprises]], whose intended purpose was to assume control of privately owned companies in difficulty and to resell them once restructured. De Tomaso had carried out similar recovery operations with aid from Gepi in the previous years, notably for the [[Benelli (motorcycles)|Benelli]] and [[Moto Guzzi]] [[motorcycle]] companies—which at the time he controlled.}} and [[Alejandro de Tomaso]], an Argentinian [[Business magnate|industrialist]] and former racing driver, became [[President (corporate title)|president]] and CEO.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.archiviolastampa.it/component/option,com_lastampa/task,search/mod,libera/action,viewer/Itemid,3/page,2/articleid,1108_01_1975_0182_0002_15868075/ |title=Maserati, c'è l'accordo |date=9 August 1975 |page=2 |newspaper=[[La Stampa]] |language=it |access-date=5 February 2015}}</ref><ref name = "CNN"/> As of December 1979, GEPI's quota amounted to 88.75% of Maserati,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.archiviolastampa.it/component/option,com_lastampa/task,search/mod,libera/action,viewer/Itemid,3/page,9/articleid,1080_01_1979_0285_0009_15797560/ |title=La rivolta sindacale alla Maserati: "Un'ambigua manovra che è già fallita" |first=Alfredo |last=Venturi |date=15 December 1979 |page=9 |newspaper=[[La Stampa]] |language=it |access-date=5 February 2015}}</ref> the remaining 11.25% stake was being controlled by de Tomaso through a holding company which grouped his automotive interests in Maserati and [[Innocenti]].

After de Tomaso bought Maserati in August 1975, he dismissed long time Chief Engineer Alfieri on the day of taking over the business.<ref>Hans-Karl Lange: Maserati. Der andere italienische Sportwagen. Page 53, Zsolnay, Wien, 1993, {{ISBN|3-552-05102-3}}.</ref>

Beginning in 1976, new models were introduced, sharing their underpinnings—but not their engines—with [[De Tomaso]] cars; first came the [[Maserati Kyalami|Kyalami]] grand tourer, derived from the [[De Tomaso Longchamp]], restyled by [[Pietro Frua|Frua]] and powered by Maserati's own V8. Following the Kyalami was the [[Italdesign Giugiaro|Giugiaro]]-designed [[Maserati Quattroporte III|Quattroporte III]] based on the [[De Tomaso Deauville]], which was introduced in 1976 and put on sale in 1979.

The Bora's sales dwindled down; the Khamsin was discontinued between 1982 and 1983. Progressively stripped of its Citroën-derived parts, the Merak continued to sell over one hundred units a year, until 1982. Despite the downturn in sales, awareness of the brand increased during this time as a result of the popular song [[Life's Been Good]] by [[Joe Walsh]], which contained the lyrics "My Maserati does one eighty-five."<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Healy |first1=Mark |title=The Joe Walsh Effect |journal=[[Road & Track]] |date=February 2023 |pages=30–33}}</ref>

====The Biturbo====
[[File:1985 Maserati Biturbo E, front left (US).jpg|thumb|left|A 1985 [[Maserati Biturbo]]]]

The 1980s saw the company largely abandoning the mid-engine sports car in favour of a compact [[Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout|front-engine]], [[rear-wheel drive|rear-drive]] coupé, the [[Maserati Biturbo|Biturbo]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.archiviolastampa.it/component/option,com_lastampa/task,search/mod,libera/action,viewer/Itemid,3/page,9/articleid,1057_01_1981_0293_0009_15280463/ |title=Maserati, due turbo nel motore |first=Valerio |last=Sabatini |date=15 December 1981 |newspaper=[[La Stampa]] |language=it |access-date=8 February 2015}}</ref>
Of fairly conventional construction, the Biturbo's highlight was its [[twin-turbocharged]] [[V6 engine]], the [[List of automotive superlatives|first for a production car]]. This engine, descending from the 90° V6 engineered by Giulio Alfieri, was fitted in a large number of models, all sharing key components; every new Maserati launched up to the 1990s would be based on the Biturbo's platform.
The Biturbo family was extremely successful at exploiting the [[Aspirational brand|aspirational image]] of the ''Maserati'' name—selling 40,000 units.

In 1983 and 1984, the range was extended to include [[Sedan (car)|saloons]] (the 425 and 420) and a [[cabriolet]] (the [[Zagato]]-bodied Spyder), respectively on a long and short wheelbase of the Biturbo platform.

During 1984, [[Chrysler]] bought a 5% share in Maserati. Following an agreement between De Tomaso's friend and Chrysler head [[Lee Iacocca]], a [[joint venture]] was signed. Maserati would go on to produce a car for export to the American market, the [[Chrysler TC by Maserati]], with Chrysler-sourced engines. In July of that same year, a [[merger]] between Maserati and Nuova Innocenti was decided; it was carried out in 1985.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://ricerca.repubblica.it/repubblica/archivio/repubblica/1985/06/16/de-tomaso-perfeziona-la-fusione-tra-maserati.html |title=De Tomaso perfeziona la fusione tra Maserati e Nuova Innocenti |first=Giorgio |last=Lonardi |date=16 June 1985 |newspaper=[[La Repubblica]] |language=it |access-date=5 February 2015}}</ref> Chrysler upped its stake to 15.6% by underwriting three quarters of a 75 billion [[Italian Lira|Lire]] capital raise in 1986.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://ricerca.repubblica.it/repubblica/archivio/repubblica/1986/05/29/chrysler-sbarca-in-italia.html |title=Chrysler sbarca in Italia |first=Giorgio |last=Lonardi |date=29 May 1986 |newspaper=[[La Repubblica]] |language=it |access-date=5 February 2015}}</ref>

New Biturbo-based cars and model evolutions were launched year after year. In 1984, it was the 228, a large coupé built on the long wheelbase saloon chassis, with a new 2.8-litre version of the twin-turbocharged V6. [[Weber carburetors|Weber]] [[Fuel injection]] was phased in starting in 1986, bringing improved reliability and a host of new model variants. The same year, the ageing Quattroporte III was updated and marketed as the luxurious [[Maserati Quattroporte#Maserati Royale|Royale]], built to order in an handful of examples a year; its discontinuation in 1990 marked the disappearance of Maserati's four-cam V8 engine, a design that could trace its roots back to the 450S racer and the legendary 5000 GT. In 1987, the 2.8-litre 430 topped the saloon range. 1988 brought the [[Maserati Karif|Karif]], a two-seater, based on the short wheelbase Spyder chassis. Meanwhile, the Biturbo name was dropped altogether, as updated coupés and saloons were updated and became the 222 and 422. 1989 marked the reintroduction of an eight-cylinder grand tourer: the [[Maserati Shamal|Shamal]], built on a modified short wheelbase Biturbo chassis, clad in new muscular bodywork styled by [[Marcello Gandini]]. It was powered by an all-new twin-turbocharged 32-valve V8 engine paired to a 6-speed gearbox. 2.0-litre, 24-valve V6 engines were also added to the Shamal range.

====De Tomaso-FIAT years====
[[File:1995 Maserati Ghibli (2).jpg|thumb|left|Maserati Ghibli II]]

In October 1989, De Tomaso bought the remaining GEPI quota. In December, [[Fiat S.p.A.|FIAT]] entered in Maserati's history. Maserati and Innocenti were separated; Innocenti Milano S.p.A., the company that sold Innocenti cars, continued its business under a 51% FIAT Auto ownership. All of the [[Modena]] and [[Lambrate]] plants went to a newly created company, the still existent Maserati S.p.A.; 49% of it was owned by FIAT Auto and 51% was controlled by De Tomaso through the old company, Officine Alfieri Maserati.<ref name="stampa fiat89">{{cite news |url=http://www.archiviolastampa.it/component/option,com_lastampa/task,search/mod,libera/action,viewer/Itemid,3/page,13/articleid,0952_01_1989_0282_0013_24118345/ |title=Anche la Biturbo nell'orbita della Fiat |first=Renzo |last=Villare |date=8 December 1989 |page=13 |newspaper=[[La Stampa]] |language=it |access-date=5 February 2015}}</ref><ref name="repubblica fiat89">{{cite news |url=http://ricerca.repubblica.it/repubblica/archivio/repubblica/1989/12/08/anche-la-maserati-nell-impero-fiat.html|title=Anche la Maserati nell'impero Fiat |first=Salvatore |last=Tropea |date=8 December 1989 |newspaper=[[La Repubblica]] |language=it |access-date=5 February 2015}}</ref>

In the early 1990s, a [[mid-engine]] sports car was developed, the {{ill|Maserati Chubasco|lt=Chubasco|it}} — which was to début in 1992. It featured Gandini-designed body, a V8 powertrain, and a [[backbone chassis]]. The project was cancelled, as part owner Fiat deemed the project to be too close to Ferrari in the marketplace.<ref name="TV1691.17">{{cite magazine | title = Allt om bilen: PS | trans-title = All about cars: PS | language = sv | magazine = [[Teknikens Värld]] | publisher = Specialtidningsförlaget AB | location = Stockholm, Sweden | page = 17 | date = 1991-08-22 | issue = 16 | volume = 43 | editor-first = Claes | editor-last = Johansson }}</ref> Starting in 1990, the entire range of the Biturbo received a facelift designed by Marcello Gandini, on the lines of the Shamal's styling. The last version of the Biturbo coupé was called Racing. It was a transitional model in which several features to be found on the upcoming Ghibli were tested.

The [[Maserati Ghibli II|Ghibli II]] was introduced in 1992. It was a six-cylinder coupé, with modified Biturbo underpinnings dressed by new Gandini bodywork (toned down from the Shamal) and the latest evolution of the 24-valve twin-turbocharged V6 with record breaking specific output. The underpinnings of the stillborn Chubasco gave birth to the [[Maserati Barchetta]], a small open top mid-engine sports car styled by Synthesis Design's Carlo Gaino.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.synthesisdesign.it/barchetta.html |title=Synthesis design – Maserati Barchetta |website=dynthesisdesign.it |access-date=20 October 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120219022229/http://www.synthesisdesign.it/barchetta.html |archive-date=19 February 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> a [[auto racing#One-make racing|one-make racing series]] was held in 1992 and 1993, using the Barchetta Corsa racing version; the road-going Barchetta Stradale was never put into production. Just 17 units of the Barchetta were produced.

Between 1992 and 1994, all models save for the Ghibli and Shamal were progressively discontinued.