Insiders revealed that the future of Maserati had already been discussed before the appointment of the new CEO, Antonio Filosa, last month. At that time, the group was still under the leadership of the chairman, John Elkann.

 

Elkann is said to have made sustainability a priority for the French-Italian joint venture's 14 brands (including Chrysler, Peugeot, Jeep and α coefficient Romeo) when interviewing CEO candidates. Reuters pointed out that as the world's fourth largest automaker, Stellantis, along with other European automakers, is also facing high US import tariffs and is struggling in a fierce competition with Chinese automakers.

 

In early April this year, Stellantis hired McKinsey consultants to evaluate the impact of US tariffs on Maserati and alpha coefficient Romeo, at which time the group made a clear commitment to fully support the two brands.

 

Sources told Reuters that among the plans currently provided by McKinsey to Stellantis, there is a potential option to sell Maserati, its only luxury brand. However, the evaluation work is still in the early stages, and it is uncertain whether this sales plan can be successfully implemented.

 

In response to this matter, a Stellantis spokesperson told Reuters, "It needs to be clarified that Maserati is not for sale"; McKinsey declined to comment.

 

The former CEO, Carlos Tavares, resigned in December last year due to poor performance in the US market. He had refused to consider selling any of the group's brands. However, some investors and analysts believe that streamlining brands will help improve Stellantis' profit margin. Since March last year, the company's share price has fallen by two-thirds, and investors are suffering.

 

According to the data, Maserati's sales in 2024 halved to 11,300 units, and the brand's adjusted operating loss last year reached 260 million euros. Due to the suspension of the original business plan last year, the brand has no new model launch plans at present, and it needs to wait for Filosa to announce the new plan after taking office.

 

The source said Stellantis had recognised the difficulties of having too many brands to make quotas difficult. "Car companies need to establish priorities." Another person added that McKinsey, while not mandated to specifically find Maserati buyers, was tasked with evaluating all options, including a sale.

 

Regarding the sale, sources said that the Stellantis board was divided: some members believed that the group could not restart the brand and ensure sustainable development, and insisted that the sale was the best option; the other side argued that Maserati still has value, and the sale of the only luxury brand will seriously damage the group's reputation, and Stellantis' face must not be lost. Reuters believes that Chinese automakers such as Chery may be interested in acquiring these European car brands to enhance their local market expansion capabilities, similar to the case of SAIC Motor Group's acquisition of MG brand in 2007 or Geely's acquisition of Volvo Cars in 2010.