ITALIAN INSTRUMENT; New Maserati is a sporty, aerodynamic, pricey . . .pen.(NEWS).

Travel Pens, originally uploaded by retro traveler.

AT THIS TIME OF year, old cars are antiques, automakers are coachbuilders and car shows are concours. And a pen is not a pen, it is a writing instrument.

Armando Simoni, creator of OMAS (Officina Mech-anica Armando Simoni) pens, was known for saying, "A pen must make writing pleasurable. His studies in mechanics and Greek and Italian culture led him to create his first pen, the 12-sided Arte Italiana.

The latest from OMAS is the limited-edition, sterling-silver Maserati pen. Both companies hail from Bologna, Italy, although Maserati moved to Modena, and they collaborated to produce this exclusive pen.

It comes as a fountain pen ($2,750) or a roller-ball ($2,500). The Maserati grille adorns the upper half of the case, and the Maserati trident is engraved on the silver nib holder of the fountain pen. Incisions run down the length of the pen to give it an aerodynamic, comfortable feel.

OMAS plans an exposition of this and its other luxury pens at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance and at its store in Carmel, Calif., on Aug. 16 and 17.

Only 1,200 fountain pens and 714 roller-balls will be made, for a total of 1,914, in honor of 1914, the year Maserati was founded.

Source Citation
"ITALIAN INSTRUMENT; New Maserati is a sporty, aerodynamic, pricey . . . pen." AutoWeek 25 Aug. 2008: 22. Military and Intelligence Database. Web. 27 Dec. 2009. .

Gale Document Number:A184144620

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