Maserati's iconic trident logo
A century of design, or a century of copying?
Inspired by a statue in Bologna, the Maserati logo has remained remarkably consistent for 100 years. But how much original design went into creating it?
On a recent trip to Bologna, there were two places I was particularly keen to visit. Neither was a museum or an art gallery, but both have a fascinating connection to one of the world's most recognisable car logos.
The first was the Fountain of Neptune, an impressive 16th century monument in the heart of the city. The second was a rather less obvious location, a building in Via de' Pepoli, where a small plaque marks the site of Maserati's very first workshop.
As a graphic designer, I've known about the origins of the famous Trident logo for years. But there's something quite special about standing in the same square where Mario Maserati found the inspiration for a symbol that would go on to represent the company for the next century.
Looking up at Neptune holding his trident, the connection is immediately obvious.
I find this really interesting, for all its prestige, history and worldwide recognition, the Maserati logo isn't an overly original piece of graphic design.
In fact, you could argue that it was pretty much copied. Yet 100 years later, it remains one of the most recognisable symbols in the automotive industry.
From a small Bologna workshop to a global brand
Maserati's story began on 1 December 1914, when Alfieri Maserati and his brothers Ettore and Ernesto opened a small automotive workshop at 1A Via de' Pepoli in Bologna.
Today, a commemorative plaque marks the building where it all began. I made a point of visiting it during my trip, and although there's relatively little to see, it's fascinating to think that such an internationally recognised brand started in this unassuming location.
About 1km away stands the Fountain of Neptune, completed in the 1560s and featuring a magnificent bronze statue of the Roman god of the sea, created by sculptor Giambologna.
Neptune holds a three-pronged trident, traditionally associated with his power over the oceans.
For a company with ambitions in motor racing, it was a symbol that already represented strength, authority and control and it was sitting almost on their doorstep.
The birth of the Trident
When Maserati began developing its own racing cars, the company needed a distinctive emblem.
The task fell to Mario Maserati, the artistic member of the family and the only brother who wasn't directly involved in the engineering side of the business.
In 1925, he created the original Trident drawing, taking lots of inspiration from Neptune's statue.
The following year, the symbol appeared on the Maserati Tipo 26, the company's first car to carry the Maserati name.
Its racing debut couldn't have gone much better. On 25 April 1926, Alfieri Maserati drove the Tipo 26 to a class victory at the Targa Florio, finishing eighth overall.
The Trident had made its first public appearance, and a century of automotive history had begun.
But was it really an original design?
Here's where I find the story particularly interesting from a graphic designer's perspective.
Mario Maserati didn't invent the Trident. The symbol had existed for centuries, and the particular example that inspired him was already more than 350 years old.
He essentially took an existing object, translated it into a two-dimensional graphic and applied it to a car – genius!
Of course, there's a difference between a bronze sculpture and a functional logo. The shape needed simplifying, balancing and adapting so it could be reproduced on badges, printed materials and eventually countless other applications, but the fundamental idea was already there.
If a designer presented something similar today, I suspect the first question might be: "Isn't that just Neptune's trident?"
And they'd have a fair point.
However, perhaps the real skill wasn't inventing a new symbol. It was recognising that an existing one could perfectly represent the company's ambitions.
The Trident already had meaning. It was distinctive, powerful and visually memorable.
Sometimes, good design is as much about making the right decision as it is about creating something new.
One hundred years of evolution, without losing its identity
What's particularly impressive about the Maserati logo is how little its core design has changed.
While many automotive manufacturers have dramatically redesigned their identities over the years, Maserati has largely resisted the temptation to reinvent its most valuable visual asset.
There have been several updates, some more noticeable than others, but the three-pronged Trident has remained at the centre of the identity throughout and in my mind, rightly so.
1926 – The original logo
The first Maserati logo was quite different from the badge we're familiar with today.
It featured a dark Trident within a tall rectangular badge, accompanied by the Maserati name.
The design was more detailed and decorative than modern versions, but the essential symbol was already firmly established.
1930s – The familiar oval arrives
During the early 1930s, Maserati introduced the oval-shaped badge that would become synonymous with the marque.
The identity also adopted red and blue, colours associated with Bologna, strengthening the connection with the company's birthplace.
The new arrangement was more balanced and better suited to the front of a car. Importantly, the Trident itself remained instantly recognisable.
For more than fourty years, the overall identity changed relatively little, helping establish the visual consistency that would become one of the brand's greatest strengths.
1980 – A touch of gold
In 1980, Maserati introduced a version featuring a gold background, giving the badge a more luxurious appearance.
The colour treatment changed, but the familiar oval and Trident remained.
It was an evolution rather than a completely new identity.
1997 – Sharper and more refined
The late 1990s brought another significant update as Maserati entered a new chapter in its history.
The badge was refined, with adjustments to the proportions, typography and the shape of the Trident itself.
The result was a more elegant and contemporary appearance, while retaining the established visual language.
2005 – Subtle refinements
Further adjustments in the mid-2000s improved the balance and proportions of the badge.
The red Trident, blue lower section and oval surround continued to provide the familiar appearance associated with Maserati's road cars.
The changes were relatively subtle, and that's precisely the point.
2020 – A cleaner, more contemporary identity
The most recent major update arrived in 2020, alongside the launch of the MC20 supercar.
Maserati simplified its visual identity, refining the shape of the Trident and introducing a cleaner, more contemporary appearance.
The traditional red was removed from the updated corporate colour palette, with greater emphasis on deep blue and white.
The Trident could also be used independently of the familiar oval badge, creating a more flexible identity for digital and physical applications. Once again, however, the most important element remained unchanged.
It was still unmistakably Maserati.
Why consistency matters more than constant reinvention
For me, this is the most important part of the story. Across a century, Maserati has changed ownership many times, moved from Bologna to Modena, developed countless different cars and experienced both extraordinary racing success and difficult commercial periods.
Its visual identity has been adapted to reflect changing tastes and technologies.
Yet the Trident has remained, and because the design has barely changed, generations of customers have become familiar with it.
You don't need to read the Maserati name to recognise the symbol. Whether it's on the grille of a classic racing car, embroidered into a leather headrest or displayed on a modern website, the Trident communicates the brand almost instantly.
That kind of recognition takes decades to establish. It's also something companies can easily undermine by changing their identities too frequently or too dramatically.
Of course, logos need to evolve. They must work across new applications, from traditional print and vehicle badges to digital screens and social media. There's an important difference between modernising a logo and replacing the very thing that makes it recognisable.
Maserati has understood that distinction, the brand has updated the execution while protecting the idea.
A hundred years old, and still doing its job
In 2026, Maserati celebrates the centenary of the Trident, marking 100 years since the symbol first appeared on the Tipo 26.
It's quite an achievement for a logo whose inspiration came from a statue in a public square.
Standing beneath Neptune in Bologna, and later visiting the site of the original Maserati workshop, gave me a greater appreciation of the story behind the logo.
Not necessarily because I think the original design was especially clever or inventive. In many respects, it was simply an existing symbol put to a new use.
But what followed was a century of remarkably consistent branding.
As a graphic designer, I spend a lot of time thinking about how to make identities distinctive, appropriate and memorable. The Maserati story is a useful reminder that a successful logo doesn't necessarily need to be complicated, fashionable or even entirely original.
It needs to be right for the business, and it needs to be used consistently enough to become familiar.
Perhaps the real genius wasn't drawing the Trident. It was recognising its potential and having the confidence to keep it for 100 years.
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