Maserati Leads the 70th Annual Columbus Day Parade

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., Oct. 13, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The 70^th Annual Columbus Day Parade, the world's largest celebration of Italian-American heritage and culture, came alive today on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue with Maserati setting the pace as the parade's leader and featured marque. Maserati is celebrating the 100^th Anniversary since the company was founded in Modena, Italy, making its participation a fitting backdrop to this famed celebration of the Columbus Day holiday.

Organized by the Columbus Citizens Foundation and presented by the Conair Corporation, the parade is the world's largest celebration of Italian-American heritage and culture. The annual event celebrates the achievements of explorer Christopher Columbus and honors, more broadly, the contributions Italian-Americans have made to the landscape of New York and the United States. The parade route ran North along Fifth Avenue from 47^th to 72^nd Streets, alive with Italian pride.

"Maserati represents the best 'Made it Italy' traditions of quality craftsmanship, timeless style and innovation," said Peter Grady, President & CEO of Maserati North America. "For one hundred years, Maserati has remained a leader in its class and never wavered from its true Italian heritage, a spirit which echoes resoundingly through the streets of New York at the Columbus Day Parade today," says Grady.

The new Maserati range including the Ghibli, Quattroporte, and GranTurismo Coupe and Convertible led the Columbus Day Parade down New York City's iconic Fifth Avenue for thousands of onlookers and supporters. At the parade's starting point, a significant array of coveted vintage Maseratis, courtesy of the Auriana collection, were revered on display including a 1953 Maserati A6 GCS MM, a 1955 Maserati A6G 54 Frua, 1959 Maserati 5000GT and 1959 Maserati 5000GT.

As a prelude to the parade event, the Columbus Citizens Foundation hosted their 70^th annual gala celebration to benefit the Italian American Student Scholarship Fund featuring a host of Italian dignitaries and celebrities. A new Maserati Quattroporte was raffled off during the gala event on Saturday evening, October 11^th. This year, the vehicle was raffled off at a total $300,000 to benefit the Columbus Citizens Foundation.

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About Maserati:
Maserati produces a full line of two and four door models legendary for their spacious handcrafted luxury, thoroughbred performance and everyday usability. The Maserati range includes the all-new full-size Quattroporte and the mid-size Ghibli sport sedan, which earned a 2013 Top Safety Pick from the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS)*. The flagship Quattroporte GTS leads the charge with a 523 HP twin turbo V8 while both the Ghibli and Quattroporte are available with All-Wheel-Drive, a competition bred twin-turbo 404 HP V6 and an adaptive 8 speed automatic transmission. The two-door GranTurismo line continues with several variants of coupes and convertibles that combine elegance and comfort for four adults, with a six speed automatic transmission to keep the legendary Maserati performance and exhaust note close at hand. Maserati automobiles and merchandise can be found at authorized retailers across North America. Information on Maserati can be found at www.maserati.us for the U.S. or www.maserati.ca for Canada, 1-800- My-Maserati.*Built after November 2013.

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SOURCE Maserati North America, Inc.