2008 Maserati GranTurismo Bestows Italian Beauty and Charity at Naples Winter Wine Festival

Continuing a tradition which began in 2004 with the introduction of the four-door Quattroporte, Maserati has brought Italian flair and desire to Naples, allowing one lucky individual the chance to return from the annual Naples Winter Wine Festival with an even rarer vintage — a 2008 specially customized GranTurismo luxury performance coupe. The deep metallic carbon black beauty has elegant beige interior with contrasting black stitching along with unique door sills reading “2008 Naples Winter Wine Festival 1 of 1.” The four seat coupe offered for auction brought in a strong bid of $350,000, more than three times its base price. The 2008 auction benefitted the Naples Children & Education Foundation, a collection of more than 20 individual charitable and educational programs that improve the physical, emotional and educational lives of underprivileged or at risk children in Collier County.

According to Jim Selwa, President of Maserati North America, Inc., the Maserati GranTurismo has been created and handcrafted for those who appreciate true sophistication and want their car to deliver an emotional driving experience, day-after-day. “We are proud to continue our ongoing partnership with this world-class Festival, as like its participants, we share a deep passion for exclusivity and elegance — while helping to make a difference to those involved with the Naples Children & Education Foundation.”

The Maserati GranTurismo is a perfect blend of elegance and power, and similar to a good wine, it has been crafted with careful attention paid to every detail in its making. Featuring a powerful Ferrari-engineered 405- horsepower engine, 6-speed automatic transmission and a top-speed of 177 mph, the GranTurismo has a 60-year heritage with a legacy stemming from the 1947 A6 1500 GT Pininfarina, the first Maserati GranTurismo ever built. Today’s version leads its class with thrilling performance, driving excitement and excellence in technology and hand-crafted quality.