About Algar Ferrari-Maserati
Algar Ferrari of Philadelphia was a dream that became reality when in 1964, Al Garthwaite, an amateur sports car racer and aficionado of Italian sports cars, retired as President of Lee Tire and Rubber Company and founded Algar Enterprises, Inc.
Shortly after beginning operations Algar acquired the building in Rosemont, Pennsvlvania which had been the home of the Derham Custom Body Company. Derham was known throughout the world as a coachbuilder whose fastidious attention to detail culminated in some of the finest motorcars ever produced. It was this tradition upon which Al Garthwaite wanted to base his newly founded company.
After moving into the Derham building, Algar acquired the U.S. Importership for Lancia automobiles along with appointments as a factory authorized dealer for Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, and Maserati. When the federal emissions laws forced Lancia to withdraw from the U.S. market, Al Garthwaite and his team at Algar turned their efforts toward expanding the Ferrari market in the U.S. In 1972 Luigi Chinetti and Al Garthwaite formed a partnership which was to be the United States Importer for Ferrari for the eastern half of the United States. In its eight years of existence, this partnership imported over sixteen hundred Ferraris into the country. During this time Algar served as the "model" dealership for Ferrari automobiles, setting standards for workmanship, conduct, and reliability in the Derham, and now Ferrari tradition.
In June of 1995, Al Garthwaite passed the baton to Bob Segal a young and enthusiastic owner who brought racing to Algar in the form of the Ferrari Challenge Series and through sponsorship of Ferrari Club of America track events. Ferrari owners who have attended these events and required the services of our technicians are testimonials to the high levels of quality and competence that are the trademarks of Algar's service department.
