Maserati has unveiled the Ghibli F Tributo and Levante F Tributo, special edition models of the firm’s luxury saloon and SUV to commemorate the Italian firm’s racing heritage.

Maserati made its debut in motorsport 95 years ago. Driven by Italian automotive engineer and founder of the Modena manufacturer Alfieri Maserati, the Tipo26 was the first racecar to bear the Trident badge and won the prestigious Targa Florio 1 500 cc class in 1926. Nearly three decades later, in 1954 at the Argentinian Grand Prix, the Trident made its debut in Formula One with the 250F and, driven by Argentinian racing driver Juan Manuel Fangio, claimed its first of eight victories. Maserati would go on to claim the first of its duo of Drivers’ Championships that same year.

Maserati Ghibli and Levante F Tributo

In commemoration of El Chueco, the “F” in the namesake of these two new special-edition models stands for “Fangio”, “the driver who made his mark on an era”. “Tributo”, meanwhile, pays homage to the firm’s “glorious victories of the past”.

The new special-edition Maseratis – the Ghibli F Tributo and Levante F Tributo – are available in two exclusive exterior colours: Rosso Tributo (as seen on the Levante) and Azzuro Tributo (as seen on the Ghibli) which, the Italian automakes says, evoke its audacious spirit in both looks and details. The Rosso Tributo paint is in reference to the colour of Italian motorsports and Maserati’s racecars, which always raced in red. Azzuro Tributo is a reminder that blue is one of Modena’s, where Maserati is based, colours.

Maserati Ghibli and Levante F Tributo

Maserati Ghibli and Levante F Tributo

Further references to El Maestro’s 250F F1 racer, which had distinctive red and yellow livery, can be found in the yellow brake callipers and wheel trims of the special-edition Ghibli and Levante. The Ghibli F Tributo features 21-inch gloss black Titano wheels. The Levante F Tributo boasts black Anteo wheels of similar size. F Tributo badging in gloss black and body colour trident badges can be found on the front wheelarches and C-pillars. The exterior colours are reflected in the interior, where red or yellow stitching is featured on the full-grain Pieno Fiore leather upholstery.

Maserati Ghibli and Levante F Tributo