Maserati to Partner with Harrods

Maserati on Display at Harrods, London

Maserati Collection on Display

By Thami Masemola
February 5, 2008 1:43 PM
Filed Under: European, General, Maserati

One of the rarest current luxury sports coupes will be shown at Harrods in London this month. The Maserati GranTurismo, rare for a number of reasons, including its USD110,000-plus sticker price. However, this should not deter shoppers who frequent the store as they are probably quite used to forking out huge sums of money for their items.

The Quattroporte will also be present as co-anchor to the display. GrantTurismo is a 4.2-litre naturally-aspirated V8, configured as a 2+2-seater cruiser with a push of 405 bhp/ 302kW and top speed of 285km/h. Those lucky enough to get a quick test drive at Harrods will not be doing these speeds however. Over four million personalisation combinations are possible with this car, although you’ll find most being so minute as to be invisible to the casual observer.

A number of indulgent items will be available to see, including stuff from the Maserati Collection. Two of these are a handcrafted Cigar Humidor and a Watch Box that can hold up to eight watches, eight times more than the average watch-buyer’s collection.

Source: Maserati

Press Release (Click to expand)

Maserati has joined forces with Harrods, the world’s most famous department store, to showcase the stunning new Maserati GranTurismo and the Maserati Quattroporte in the Knightsbridge windows of the London store.

The ultra-stylish luxury cars will be part of a spectacular display which pays tribute to the iconic Italian marque. And, just as in the clothing department, clients will be able to try a Maserati for size, with it being possible to arrange test drives from Harrods as well as admire the latest items from the Maserati Collection while choosing among the more than four million option combinations to make their new vehicle uniquely bespoke.

The GranTurismo and Quattroporte truly redefine the term ‘luxury sports car’. Both have been designed by the renowned styling house Pininfarina, and embody Maserati’s unique mix of rich motorsport heritage and timeless elegance.

Alongside its cars, Maserati will showcase a selection of items from the Maserati Collection. Amongst them, a handcrafted Cigar Humidor and Watch Box which will be available exclusively at Harrods for the duration of the Maserati feature display. Produced using traditional techniques, the Cigar Humidor is an exquisite blue lacquered mahogany box featuring a silver trident inlay and with a cedar wood interior.

The Maserati Watch Box, also in blue lacquered mahogany with a silver trident inlay, holds up to eight watches in a plush velvet and Alcantara interior.

Customers visiting the Maserati lounge area in the window will also be able to enjoy a preview of the new Maserati Lamp, designed by Marco Morosini and the fruit of a prestigious partnership with Lumina Italia, the Italian company renowned for its contemporary interior lighting solutions. Fashioned in highly polished steel with opalescent glass shade, this lamp is inspired by Maserati’s iconic grille. The Maserati Lamp will go on sale after the official launch at the Salone del Mobile in Milan later this year, and Harrods customers will be the first ones to receive it.

The new range of products from the Maserati Collection will also be on display. These include silver cufflinks, an exquisite pure cashmere sweater and matching scarf from the Executive range, polo shirts and caps for golf aficionados from the Pure range, and sporty items of clothing from the new Maserati Corse range, inspired by the two FIA GT1 World Championship titles conquered by Maserati in 2005 and 2007.

Last but not least, Maserati’s prestigious partnership with the luxury Italian fashion house Salvatore Ferragamo will also take centre stage at Harrods. The bespoke five piece luggage set designed for the GranTurismo will be on display at the Knightsbridge store.

Harrods is the World’s most famous Department Store and reputed to be one of London's top three attractions. The business, which was started by Charles Henry Harrod in 1849, has burgeoned from a small grocer’s shop employing two members of staff into a 1,000,000 sq. ft. emporium, employing some 5,000 employees. The store now has over 300 departments offering its customers hundreds of thousands of different lines of merchandise. Welcoming up to 300,000 customers on certain days of the year, Harrods has to cater for a truly international clientele with varied tastes. The store's Chairman, Mohamed Al Fayed, has invested some £400m in the business since he took over in 1985. Some 200,000 sq. ft of selling space has been added during his tenure, most noticeably an entire floor dedicated to sport and another to contemporary men’s fashion.

The Maserati display will be at Harrods until 28 February 2008.