Maserati will celebrate 100 years of the Trident in 2026, honoring the logo that has identified the Modena-based carmaker’s vehicles since 1926 and remains one of the most recognizable symbols of Italian motoring. The anniversary also marks 100 years since the brand’s first racing victory, achieved on April 25, 1926, when Alfieri Maserati drove the Tipo 26 at the Targa Florio, taking first place in class and eighth overall.
Maserati marks a Century of its iconic Trident logo
Mario Maserati created the Trident. He was the only Maserati brother who did not work in the automotive business and the only one with artistic training. He took inspiration from the Fountain of Neptune in Bologna, located not far from the family’s first workshop. The logo first took shape in 1925, but it made its official debut on a car the following year, on the Tipo 26 that launched Maserati’s racing tradition.
That Targa Florio success opened the door to a long run of achievements across almost a century of competition. Maserati’s most important victories include back-to-back wins at the Indianapolis 500 in 1939 and 1940, four Targa Florio wins between 1937 and 1940, nine Formula 1 victories, and the 1957 world title with Juan Manuel Fangio. In more recent years, the MC12 dominated GT racing between 2005 and 2010 with six FIA GT international championships, while the GT2 brought the Trident back to closed-wheel racing in 2023. Today, it competes in more than 20 championships worldwide.
The logo has changed several times over the decades. The first badge on the Tipo 26 used a rectangular shape with the symbol on a light background, but Maserati abandoned that layout in the 1930s and adopted the oval shape that later became iconic. Red and blue, inspired by the colors of Bologna, enriched the design. In 1980, the brand introduced a version with a gold background, followed in 1997 by a redesign of the proportions and style. The latest evolution arrived in 2020 with the MC20. Maserati reinterpreted the Trident with a more contemporary look, rounding the side arrows, lightening the oval structure, and removing the red in favor of a palette limited to white and Blu Maserati, a deeper shade with a lacquered effect.
For the centenary, Maserati has chosen to highlight the word RIDE within the phrase “100 YEARS OF THE TRIDENT,” linking the anniversary to the idea of sporty and engaging driving that has always shaped the Modena brand. Throughout the year, events around the world will support a communication campaign dedicated to the history of the Trident and Maserati’s most representative cars. The anniversary has also received institutional recognition through an ordinary postage stamp dedicated by Italy’s Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy, presented on April 9.
