Incoming CEO Martin Leach sees a bright future for Maserati. Leach predicts growing demand for exotic cars such as Maserati and Bentley. “The well established premium brands have grown in such volumes now they have lost some of their exclusivity,” he said in a telephone interview with Automotive News Europe.
“I think we could see a market emphasis on those brands such as Maserati that can offer more exclusivity without being actually priced in the stratosphere.”
Leach, a former president and chief operating officer of Ford of Europe, says his experiences at Ford and Mazda have prepared him well for the top Maserati job.
“Maserati has a good positive culture which will be something I’ll be looking to use. The fact that it is low-volume means that a lot of the potential baggage and infrastructure that goes with a high-volume car company is not likely to be there.”
Fiat Group CEO Giuseppe Morchio, who picked Leach for the job, is obviously pleased with his appointment. “Leach is one of the best automotive top executives,” he said. “He is a high-profile choice for Maserati.”
Apart from serving on Ford’s Jaguar transition team in 1989, Leach has limited experience in luxury brands. But he feels his product-development experience will be an advantage to a company that will have to rely on top-quality new models to return to profitability.
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