The number of cars sold last year amounted to 2,027 compared to 1,538 in 1999 (an increase of no less than 32%) and 666 in 1998. Maserati's leading market remains Germany, where no less than 461 cars were sold - 20% of the company's total production for the year.

That success was followed by buoyant sales in the UK, Italy and Switzerland, while Japan, which is the biggest market for the Quattroporte Evoluzione, has consolidated its position as Maserati's fifth most important market. The continuing growth in Maserati's sales reflects the high quality and reliability of its cars, a fact fully appreciated by those clients moving across to Maserati for the first time.

The positive results, with the extension of Maserati's marketing and after-sales services to 36 markets, and the underlying trend that they reflect, help highlight the company's confidence in its ambitious expansion plans for the coming years.