Maserati last week gave its dealers a helping hand to drum up business by taking the new Quattroporte saloon on a 'Debut Tour' of the UK.

The luxury cars, imported by Surrey-based Inchcape subsidiary Maranello Concessionaires, were collected by the group's 16 dealers and taken to three other showrooms – Meridien in Lyndhurst, Hants, Dick Lovett in Swindon and PJ Evans in Little Aston, Staffs.

“The Quattroporte is an important model for Maserati and our dealers,” says Philip Mills, Maranello operations director.

“The Debut Tour allows us to show off the model to potential customers in a way that reflects the huge interest already generated.”

Maserati's retailers have been investing heavily in their sales and service facilities in preparation for the new model. Dick Lovett spent £2.2m on its Swindon site and an outlet in Cardiff, while PJ Evans opened two new outlets, Little Aston and Hagley, and Stratstone moved to a larger site in Manchester.

Graypaul will close its Sheffield and Loughborough dealerships when its new Nottingham outlet opens in October. It will be the UK's largest Maserati and Ferrari site.