Adolfo Orsi: Difference between revisions

'''Adolfo Orsi''' (23 March 1888 – 20 December 1972) was an Italian industrialist, known for owning the [[Maserati]] automobile maker.

Born within a poor family in San LazzaroSant'Agnese, near [[Modena]], Orsi lost his father in 1899 - an event that forced him to start working at a very young age. In the late 1920s he started his own business as [[scrap iron]], [[steel mill]] and [[farm equipment]] manufacturer, eventually employing hundreds of people from Modena and the surrounding area.<ref>[http://auto.howstuffworks.com/ferrari-biographies5.htm Adolfo Orsi and Ferrucio Lamborghini] from howstuffworks.com</ref> Orsi soon started pursuing interests outside of the company, including running the [[tram|trolley]] company of Modena, and being involved with the local soccer team, [[Modena F.C.]] in its successful early years.<ref>[http://www.oldracingcars.com/teamboss/Adolfo_Orsi Where are they now?] from oldracingcars.com</ref><ref>[http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Officine-Alfieri-Maserati-SpA-Company-History.html Officine Alfieri Maserati Spa history] from fundinguniverse.com</ref> With his brother, Marcello, he was also involved in a [[Fiat]] dealership, the ''Fiat A.M. Orsi'' (1935).<ref>[http://www.motorvalley.it/personaggi_dettaglio.asp?idpa=1549&idd=3&categoria=Automobilismo La Maserati prima, durante e dopo Adolfo Orsi] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930020638/http://www.motorvalley.it/personaggi_dettaglio.asp?idpa=1549&idd=3&categoria=Automobilismo |date=September 30, 2007 }} from motorvalley.it</ref>

In 1949, with Maserati temporarily closed for restructuring, a steel mill workers' [[strike action]] following Orsi's refusal to hire [[communist]] workers resulted in a series of hard encounters on 9 June 1950, leaving a few protesters dead.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110131133554/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,858566,00.html Red fog] from ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' (January 23, 1950)</ref> When the foundries were reopened in 1952, Orsi decided to sell the company, splitting it with his siblings. Adolfo kept the Maserati car manufacturing business, his brother Marcello kept the foundries, and their sister Ida Orsi took charge of the [[Maserati (motorcycle)|motorbike manufacturing]] (the ''Società Anonima Fabbrica Candele Accumulatori Maserati'', 1953–60).

The 1950s proved to be a successful decade for Maserati. Orsi hired his brother in-law Alceste Giacomazzi as new general director, and succeeded in luring [[Ferrari]] employee [[Alberto Massimino]] to Maserati (1944–52), as well as hiring the Argentine driver ace [[Juan Manuel Fangio]] (1953). Fangio went on winningto win the [[Formula One]] World Championship for Maserati in 1954 and 1957.

In 1954 Orsi made a lucrative deal with [[Juan Perón]] when the motor racing enthusiast president of [[Argentina]] placed a large order for machine tools to be imported in his country. However, following the [[Revolución Libertadora]] and the exile of Perón, receiving payments for the order turned out to be problematic. Orsi encountered similar issues with the Spanish government, and the ensuing financial problems resulted in Maserati entering administration.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070930102425/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,864296,00.html?promoid=googlep Maserati off the track] from ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' (April 14, 1958)</ref> The remnants of [[Maserati]] was handled by the creditor, [[Credito Italiano]].

Orsi remained active within the management of Maserati until 1968, when he decided to sell his remaining shares to Citroen[[Citroën]], who at the time was a major stakeholder.<ref>[http://www.cartype.com/page.cfm?id=258&alph=All&dec=All cartype.com] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927010754/http://www.cartype.com/page.cfm?id=258&alph=All&dec=All |date=September 27, 2007 }}</ref>

Omar orsiOrsi's son, Adolfo Orsi Jr. (born 1951) is involved as consultant on the history of Maserati.

[[Category:20th-century Italian businesspeople]]