“The Century of the Trident”: Maserati’s Journey Through Over 100 Years of Italian History on Rai 2

Airing on Rai 2 on Sundays, October 11, 18, and 25, at 2 p.m., the compelling docuseries produced in collaboration with RAI Documentari celebrates 100 years of the Trident, tracing the history of a symbol that has traversed eras, shared in racing triumphs, and witnessed profound transformations on its way to becoming the unmistakable symbol of Maserati around the world.
 

Modena, October 9, 2026 – Everything started with a workshop, three of seven brothers, and a Trident inspired by mythology. Then came the races, the victories, the great Grand Tourers, la Dolce Vita, and more than a century of transformation. This is the story at the heart of “The Century of the Trident,” the new docuseries produced in collaboration with RAI Documentari, made by "EtraLab" studio, and dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Maserati’s emblem, airing on Rai 2 on Sundays, October 11, 18, and 25, at 2 p.m., and will also be available to stream on RaiPlay. This anniversary celebrates the Trident’s first century within the longer history of Maserati, which began in Bologna in 1914. It is a three-part journey—from Bologna to Rome and on to Modena—that uses Maserati’s Trident emblem as a way to tell the much broader story of more than a century of Maserati history, while also exploring Italy, its industrial culture, and its ability to transform ingenuity and beauty into a shared heritage. Neither a simple documentary nor a conventional anniversary celebration, “The Century of the Trident” uses cinematic nonfiction storytelling to recount a history in which Maserati’s masterpieces and racing legacy intertwine with people, places, and society. Set against the backdrop of 20th-century Italy, the stories of those who experienced this era take center stage, alongside those who still pass on its memory today.

The journey starts in 1914 with the founding of “Società Anonima Officine Alfieri Maserati” in Bologna, where a symbol that would become the company’s hallmark also took shape. The idea came from Mario Maserati, the only brother who would not dedicate his life to mechanics. An art enthusiast, he found inspiration for the Trident in the Fountain of Neptune, in the square of the same name in the heart of the city. The first vehicle to feature it was the Tipo 26, which Alfieri Maserati raced in the legendary Targa Florio on April 25, 1926, finishing first in its class and eighth overall. It was the Trident’s racing debut and also Maserati’s first motorsports victory—a result destined to usher in a legendary racing legacy and forge an everlasting bond between the emblem and the brand’s identity. A symbol of strength and power, the Trident thus went from the hand of the god Neptune to the hoods of Maserati race cars, before becoming the signature emblem of the company’s vehicles.

The second episode of “The Century of the Trident” stars the Eternal City, the ideal setting to recount Maserati’s transition from racing legend to an international symbol of elegance and style. It is the Rome of La Dolce Vita, the economic boom, cinema, and wild nights on Via Veneto, when owning a Maserati meant standing out, and the Trident’s cars entered the garages and imaginations of the international jet set. Through images and stories from those years, we rediscover the atmosphere of an unforgettable era of sophistication and glamour, together with renowned Maserati owners like Marcello Mastroianni and Audrey Hepburn. Fresh from years of international motorsport success, Maserati consolidated its interpretation of “Italian Gran Turismo” during this period, an approach that would become one of the most fascinating expressions of the Italian lifestyle and still represents one of the brand’s distinctive traits today—a combination of performance, elegance, and long-distance comfort.

The evocative journey concludes in Modena, the city that has represented the House of the Trident for almost 90 years. The connection dates back to 1939, with the move from Bologna, and was cemented on January 1, 1940, with the opening of the historic Viale Ciro Menotti plant. This factory still operates today as Maserati’s headquarters and its symbolic home in the heart of the Italian Motor Valley, a region that has transformed manufacturing excellence, innovation, and car culture into a world-renowned identity. Over the decades, some of Maserati’s most significant vehicles have come to life here, thanks to generations of engineers, technicians, and master craftspeople who have passed down and continually built upon a one-of-a-kind legacy of expertise. Today, the historic site remains the nerve center of the Maserati universe and a testament to its ability to combine craftsmanship, innovation, design, and performance. But the memory of the Trident in Modena also lives on at the Museo Maserati – Collezione Umberto Panini, one of the most important collections dedicated to the Modena-based brand, where rare and iconic cars embody over a century of history.

What connects the city across such different eras are, first and foremost, the people—the true custodians of these memories and companions on a journey spanning generations. Among these voices, the docuseries showcases Ettore Maserati, grandson of the co-founder who acts as a direct link to the original Maserati family. Joining him are Matteo Panini, heir to the historic Maserati collection and the museum that houses it; Ermanno Cozza, who joined Officine Alfieri Maserati in 1951 and witnessed an extraordinary era as a member of the Maserati F1 racing department; and Andrea Bertolini, Maserati reference driver & racing advisor, who helps keep alive the thread connecting the track and the road. Also featured are Carlo Cavicchi, a well-known journalist and author of important books on motorsports, and Rino Barillari, the renowned photojournalist whose name is forever linked to the Dolce Vita of those years. Together, they contribute different perspectives to a story deeply intertwined with Italian history.

Across this compelling cinematic tale, motorsports inevitably represents one of its most compelling narrative threads. From the 1926 Targa Florio to the great Formula 1 eras, and on to the Trident’s later experiences on international circuits, the docuseries showcases the “from track to road” philosophy that runs throughout Maserati’s history, with racing serving as a testing ground for experimentation, research, and development. This is not simply a succession of victories, drivers, and cars, but a story that puts the human factor front and center: the workshops, the technical insights, and the people who made these legendary achievements possible. This culture of performance has defined Maserati since its origins and helped shape the racing DNA of a brand founded to compete and win on the road and track. This focus on people allows “The Century of the Trident” to go beyond Maserati’s successes, portraying its history in all its complexity through the lens of its emblem’s first 100 years. The docuseries also offers an authentic, unvarnished look at the changes, crises, and industrial transformations that have marked its journey, because every great legacy is measured not only by its achievements but also by its ability to evolve and start anew. This is where the story takes on its most contemporary dimension: Maserati’s history becomes a lens through which to consider how an identity is passed down, what changes, and what endures over time.

Santo Ficili, Alfa Romeo and Maserati CEO, states: “We are proud that the general public can enjoy such an incredible story through a RAI project capable of capturing all its depth. We are celebrating the first 100 years of the Trident, a symbol created in 1926 within Maserati’s much longer history, which began in Bologna in 1914. Since then, the Trident has accompanied the Brand through competitions, innovation, and Italian culture, becoming its unmistakable emblem around the world. It is a legacy built by generations of people, which we preserve with great care and responsibility and which continues to inspire our future.”

Maserati S.p.A.
Maserati produces a complete range of unique cars that are immediately recognizable by their extraordinary personality. With style, technology and an innate exclusivity, they delight the most discerning, demanding tastes and refined tastes, always setting a benchmark in the global automotive industry. A tradition of successful cars, each of them redefining what makes an Italian sports car in terms of design, performance, comfort, elegance and safety, currently available in more than 70 markets internationally.
The Maserati line-up includes the Grecale SUV; GranTurismo, the iconic Italian grand tourer; and GranCabrio, the Trident's new convertible; all models characterized by the use of the highest quality materials and outstanding technical solutions. A range equipped with 4-cylinder hybrid powertrains, available for Grecale, and V6 petrol with rear-wheel and four-wheel drive, embodying the performance DNA of the Trident Brand. GranTurismo is available with both the high-performance V6 petrol engine and a 100% electric version, the GranTurismo Folgore, the first car in the Modena-based brand's history to adopt this solution. The full-electric range also includes Grecale Folgore and GranCabrio Folgore. The top of the Brand's range is the MC family, which consists of the MCPURA coupe and its MCPURA Cielo convertible version, powered by the innovative V6 Neptune engine, 100% Maserati, which incorporates F1-derived technologies into the power unit of a standard production car.  Completing the Brand's commercial offering is the Maserati GT2 Stradale, the road-legal version of the GT2, which brought Maserati back to the track in covered-wheel championships, while Maserati MCXtrema is the limited series of only 62 units, a track-only homologated racing car that pushes Trident performance to the highest level and is dedicated to racing car enthusiasts.
Maserati's mission is to write the future of mobility in the luxury segment by focusing on its customers’ requests. In order to achieve this mission, the Brand is also strongly focused on the Maserati Fuoriserie customization program, the Maserati Classiche activities, and the intensive Maserati Corse racing program.
 

For further information:
MASERATI
Andrea Pallard, Maserati Global Communications - andrea.pallard@stellantis.com
Davide Kluzer, Maserati Product Communications Manager - davide.kluzer@maserati.com
Tiziana Solivani Maserati Global PR Coordination - tiziana.solivani@maserati.com
Roberta Marchetti, BOTTEGAFUORISERIE Communications Manager - roberta.marchetti@maserati.com