Alfa Romeo and Maserati stand as two of Italy’s most recognisable carmakers, alongside the likes of Ferrari and Lamborghini.
Both owned by Stellantis, there’s already synergy between the two brands, with the Alfa Romeo Stelvio sharing its platform with the Maserati Grecale.
Amid a backdrop of tension with neither brand performing particularly well on the global stage, Stellantis has decided to set up a new sub-brand to be shared between them, called Bottegafuoriserie.
Translated directly to ‘Off-site Shop”, it’s not an overly glamorous name, despite the intentions of the new project, set to be headed by Cristiano Fiorio, Alfa Romeo’s head of marketing and communications.
Split into two divisions, the Bottega side of the business will handle custom ‘few-off’ cars for Alfa Romeo and Maserati, such as the 33 Stradale and MCXtreme, respectively. Housed in Piedmont, Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna, it aims to be the side customers go to in search of ultra-exclusive cars.
The Fuoriserie division is more developed to customisation and personalisation on series production cars, with a release claiming “a dedicated design team will explore new creative vernaculars while remaining faithful to the brands’ aesthetic codices” – put simply, to provide enough options that no two cars could be identical, should the customer wish.
According to Stellantis, Bottegafuoriserie will also focus on preserving the history of the two brands by both restoring and certifying vintage cars, and creating archives and museums to celebrate their respective pasts.
Likewise, it’s also claimed to centre itself around motorsport, with Maserati as the only one of the two firms currently involved in racing, doing so at a GT2 level.
“This launch is more than the creation of a new initiative – it is the symbol of a new era for Alfa Romeo and Maserati,” said Alfa Romeo CEO and Maserati COO, Santo Ficili.
“It represents our unwavering belief in the power of Italian creativity, engineering and craftsmanship.
“I am proud to entrust this mission to Cristiano Fiorio; his exceptional work on projects like the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale and our motorsport programmes has demonstrated not only technical mastery but also a deep emotional connection to the soul of our brands.
“This is the first milestone in a broader transformation that will define the future of both Alfa Romeo and Maserati”.
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