BATTLE OF THE FITTEST

Maserati's new Grecale mid-size luxury SUV has Porsche's class-leading contender firmly in its sights. But is it good enough to overtake it? Prestige finds out

- JON WALL

Once upon a time - around 60 or 70 years ago, in fact - Maseratis were among the coolest cars on the planet. The Modena-based company's beautiful road machines were at least as sought-after by the rich, famous and powerful as those made by its Italian arch-competitor, Enzo Ferrari, just a few kilometres down the road in the village of Maranello.

Prince Rainier III of Monaco drove one his 3500 GT Touring Superleggera was a particular favourite in an impressive car collection - as did the Aga Khan IV, Frank Sinatra, and the actors Lawrence Olivier, Tony Curtis and Rock Hudson. At roughly the same time, the company's 250F was also cleaning up in top-class motorsport in the hands of such legendary drivers as JuanManuel Fangio and Stirling Moss; according to the latter: "The nicest Formula 1 car to drive was probably the Maserati 250F."

Glamour and competition success, however, weren't sufficient in themselves to sustain the business. Maserati pulled out of direct involvement in motorsport in 1957 after a terrible crash that marred the Mille Miglia endurance race. By the late 1960s, the Orsi family, who'd bought the company in 1940, gave up trying to keep it afloat by themselves and sold a majority share to the French brand, Citroën. And that was only the first in a long succession of crises and changes of direction and ownership (for six years, until 2005, the company was even owned by its former rival Ferrari, which still makes some of Maserati's engines today).