Brand Image - Maserati or Aston Martin?

[bigbob]

I was out today in my wife's car - a nice dependable 'S' series Audi - and a DB9 went the other way. I always have this ability to go past other nice brands when I am not in my Maser but it got me thinking which has the stronger brand image - AM or Maserati?

AM's price point is, on average, 25-50% higher than Maserati, it has V12 engines in some of it's cars, it's British and it sells about twice as many cars PA as Maserati does in the UK...........but how do people see the relative brands?

 

[JPJPJP]

I think Maser is in the ascendant and AM on the wane just now.

But I think the AM heritage, here in the UK in particular, carries lot of weight.

I don't think the most recent new models have done the brand any favours personally.

 

[VMSRTI]

Interesting you should ask this. This topic has come up twice with two different groups of friends of mine since getting my Maserati.
We see lot more Maserati's on the streets of Melbourne compared to Astons. This in itself gives the perception of exclusivity to the latter. The sales numbers may or may not support this.
The fact that AM are more expensive and have long been linked with that man who always gets the girl(JB), gives them a "stronger brand image".
I would also add that the AM is perceived to be more luxurious but the Maserati image is more sports car than AM......IMHO.

 

[lofty]

Amongst petrolheads I'd say Maserati has the edge, amongst the general public I'd say Aston Martin wins hands down, Ive been quite surprised at just how many people dont know jack **** about Maserati's, and in a couple of cases (women) haven't even heard of them.

 

[Andyk]

AM has a better brand image in this country than Maserati...........More people aspire to AM than Maserati over here .......Me I prefer the Maserati image but I still love AM....They are more of a common site over Maserati but then thats because more want them over a Maserati...

 

[Parisien]

Wasn't AM found to be top of the brand tree in a survey a couple of years ago?

Maserati have been through the doldrums image, style, quality, wise several times in the last 50 years........AM always had that rarity aspect, 007 connection and made in N Pagnell



P

 

[Andyk]

Yep, nail on the head there Frank.....Lots of links for AM that make non car people think they are cool.....

 

[Parisien]

The marketing guys really do earn their money..........but recent times things improved quality, styling and output wise......Ford wasn't it ...eh?!


P

 

[dem maser]

I think maserati.....

When i tell people i drive a maserati they seem shocked and think im loaded but when a friend says he drives a vantage many people have said they know someone who drives one...its lovely but they would buy an r8 or 911.....

 

[alfatwo]

I'm with you there Dem....Maserati's are in a very exclusive club which ever model you own
Aston's seem to me like high end Jags,Ive had a tour around there factory,there nicely put together,but personally for me I wouldn't want to be seen in either marque to be honest.....


Dave

 

[dem maser]

I told someone today, that my car costs 50k now and they beleived me....i laughed my head off and told them its in the teens.....friends of my sosers....but they believe you....with an aston they would know the price....

 

[Chrisbassett]

I've always seen AM as either English country gent or more recently as an architect or designers car, clean lines, power, aggression but a bit antiseptic. It's all about control.

Maserati, people look twice...they turn back or walk back to look at the trident in the grill. There's always been a bit more of the exotic about them. And the air of unpredictability.

Maserati suffered because of quality and that's hard to shake, but I think with the QP and now the GT they have got over it as long as people like Clarkson stop bringing it up all the time.

 

[Parisien]

Yeah...they are seen as exotic.......rare beasts....even now........still seen as rare despite higher numbers...different, slightly menacing......

People see AMs regularly......exposed to them a lot in films......almost common place....but expensive


P

 

[alfatwo]

If you drive down the Fosse towards Gaydon at around 5pm any weekday there's so many Astons on the road It's like Dagenham in the early 80's with the Ford Mk3 Cortina's.....Buy one get one free!
But not one Maserati in sight

Dave

 

[dem maser]

I see astons every day....no masers....the odd GT...

 

[MAF260]

If you drive down the Fosse towards Gaydon at around 5pm any weekday there's so many Astons on the road It's like Dagenham in the early 80's with the Ford Mk3 Cortina's.....
But not one Maserati!

Dave

Hardly surprising given that AM have a huge base at Gaydon. I saw two 177s when I was there; does that make them common? Thinking about it, I also saw a 8C a couple of minutes later!!

 

[Phil H]

Historically there's a fair amount of similarity between the two marques:

Both companies were first established at around the same time
(Aston Martin 1913, Maserati 1914)
Both have sporting pedigrees
Both invoke petrolhead passion in their respective countries, with AM seen as typically British whilst Maserati is undeniably Italian, regardless of their ownership at any given time
Both have had multiple owners resulting from financial strife
Both have classic models which are highly prized by collectors
Both have a dedicated following
Neither has quite achieved the recognition or public regard of Ferrari

I wonder how many folk are aware that AM is now part owned (reputed 37%) by an Italian investment company?

I think JP has it right in post 2.

PH

 

[alfatwo]

I did make me smile when I read that.....Aston's partly owned by a bunch of Italian's


Dave

 

[dem maser]

Hardly surprising given that AM have a huge base at Gaydon. I saw two 177s when I was there; does that make them common? Thinking about it, I also saw a 8C a couple of minutes later!!

Good point as i bet there are some maseratis in modena.....

 

[alfatwo]

To me Aston's and Jags seem to be two a penny in the UK,whilst Maserati as a brand is far more exclusive, and more desirable even in Europe as a whole

Dave