Maserati and Airbus join forces as part of a 'master agreement'
Two manufacturing greats, Maserati and Airbus have joined forces as part of a ‘master agreement’ that will give the Italian automotive marque access to a treasure trove of Airbus technologies and techniques.
Maserati will not be moving into aerospace manufacturing anytime soon, however Harald Wester, CEO (also the chief technology officer for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) said there is much the brand can gain from the exclusive partnership.
“By evaluating this broad spectrum of technologies, Maserati can benefit from Airbus Group capabilities exploited in several applications, such as airliners, helicopters and fast jets to spacecraft that are exploring the universe,” he said.
Wester said that Maserati will explore Airbus’s portfolio, in a bid to identify manufacturing processes, production methods, metallurgy and composites expertise, systems integration, “and other know-how” compatible with automotive development and production.
Wulf Hoeflich, Airbus Group technology licensing chief said the agreement is one step in a wider plan to license the company’s technologies and expertise to partner groups.
“We developed the Technology Transfer Framework with industry leaders such as Maserati in mind, and it is being selectively offered to a limited number of potential partners,” he said.
“Maserati is perfect for an agreement of this type, as the company is a benchmark in high-end automobiles, while having production volume that is flexible enough to implement new technologies.”
According to reports, the luxury automaker is hoping this multi-year agreement will be a ‘game-changer’ as it continues to develop vehicles for the prestige car market, such as the new Quattroporte and Ghibli models.
The Italian carmaker is receiving 3,500 orders a month and is looking at around 42,000 sales for the calendar year - well ahead of the 15,400 cars sold in 2013. In 2015, Maserati will grow its line-up with the launch of its long-expected Levante SUV, along with a new sports model based on the popular Alfieri concept.
