Requests from UANI, targeted to the Italian automakers, reportedly went unanswered until an October press conference outed the fact that Maserati and Lamborghini were still doing business in Iran.
Lamborghini announced its departure immediately after the news conference, and Maserati seemed surprised to learn that its name was still being used in Iran. Its parent, Fiat, announced last May that it had concluded business there.
A subsequent cease-and-desist letter was sent by Maserati to a company that had been trying to establish distribution in Iran, and the matter now seems to be concluded to the automaker’s satisfaction.
Following the investment from General Motors, even French automaker Peugeot has wound down its presence in the Islamic nation. As of February, PSA suspended sales of “Complete Knock Down” (CKD) kits to Iran in compliance with international regulations, according to the AFP.
That move has hurt Peugeot as much as it’s hurt former Iranian customers, contributing to a 16.5 percent drop in Peugeot’s global 2012 sales.