Adolfo Orsi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Adolfo Orsi
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Adolfo Orsi at Maserati, c. 1950
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| Born |
Adolfo Orsi
23 March 1888 |
| Died | 20 December 1972 (aged 84) |
| Nationality | Italian |
| Occupation | Industrialist |
| Years active | 1937–1968 |
| Children | Omar Orsi |
Adolfo Orsi (born March 23, 1888 – died December 20, 1972) was an Italian businessman. He is most famous for owning the car company Maserati.
Adolfo Orsi was born into a poor family in Sant'Agnese, near Modena, Italy. When he was only 11 years old, his father passed away. This meant Adolfo had to start working at a very young age to help his family.
In the late 1920s, he started his own businesses. He made things from scrap iron, ran steel mills, and built farm equipment. Soon, hundreds of people from Modena worked for him. Adolfo also got involved in other things. He managed the trolley company in Modena. He also supported the local soccer team, Modena F.C., during their successful early years. With his brother, Marcello, he also owned a Fiat car dealership called Fiat A.M. Orsi.
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Maserati: A Famous Car Company
In 1937, Adolfo Orsi bought the Maserati company. Maserati was having money problems at the time. Adolfo made his son, Omar Orsi, the managing director. He also kept three of the Maserati Brothers on his engineering team for ten years.
In 1940, Orsi moved Maserati's main office. It moved from Bologna to Modena. This was close to his steel factories and spark plug company, Fonderie Riunite.
Changes at Maserati
In 1949, Maserati temporarily closed for some changes. A workers' strike happened at his factories, which caused some difficult times. When the factories reopened in 1952, Orsi decided to divide the company. He split it with his brother and sister. Adolfo kept the Maserati car manufacturing business. His brother Marcello kept the metal foundries. Their sister Ida Orsi took over making motorbikes.
Maserati's Golden Age
The 1950s were a great time for Maserati. Orsi hired his brother-in-law, Alceste Giacomazzi, as the new general director. He also managed to get Alberto Massimino, who used to work for Ferrari, to join Maserati.
In 1953, Orsi hired the famous Argentine race car driver Juan Manuel Fangio. Fangio was amazing! He won the Formula One World Championship for Maserati in both 1954 and 1957.
Financial Challenges
In 1954, Orsi made a big deal with Juan Perón. Perón was the president of Argentina and loved car racing. He ordered many tools for his country. However, after a political change in Argentina, getting paid for the order became difficult. Orsi had similar problems with the Spanish government. These money problems caused Maserati to face financial difficulties. The company was then managed by its creditor, Credito Italiano.
Adolfo Orsi continued to be involved with Maserati's management until 1968. That year, he sold his remaining shares to Citroën, another car company that owned a large part of Maserati.
Today, Omar Orsi's son, Adolfo Orsi Jr. (born in 1951), works as a consultant. He helps share the history of Maserati.
Images for kids
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Adolfo Orsi at Maserati, c. 1950
