26 Facts About Mauro Forghieri

Mauro Forghieri was an Italian mechanical engineer, best known for his work as a Formula One racing car designer with Scuderia Ferrari during the 1960s and 1970s.

Mauro Forghieri is credited with introducing the first designed rear wings to Formula One at the 1968 Belgian Grand Prix.

Mauro Forghieri oversaw numerous technical developments during his tenure at Ferrari, including the creation of the 250 GTO and P-series sports racing cars, the Ferrari flat-12 series of engines, Ferrari's first turbocharged engine in the 126 C F1 car, and a prototype semi-automatic transmission in 1979.

Mauro Forghieri was born in Modena, Emilia-Romagna, on 13 January 1935, the only child of Reclus and Afra Mauro Forghieri.

Meanwhile, Mauro Forghieri completed the liceo scientifico and in 1959 obtained a laurea in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Bologna.

Mauro Forghieri began working alongside many engineers involved in Ferrari's early history, including Vittorio Jano, Carlo Chiti and Luigi Bazzi, as well as race director Romolo Tavoni.

Mauro Forghieri worked alongside Giampaolo Dallara, who joined Ferrari shortly after Forghieri in 1960.

Mauro Forghieri was appointed technical director for racing cars, a position he would remain in until 1984.

Mauro Forghieri's responsibilities included overseeing technical development, managing the technical section during races and collaborating with other Ferrari departments, including the testing department and the drafting department.

The 408 project was completed in Spring of 1987 and Mauro Forghieri departed Ferrari for good shortly after.

Mauro Forghieri was involved to some degree in the development of every racing car produced by the Factory between his hiring after graduation and his departure in 1987.

The sports racing cars designed under Mauro Forghieri's supervision included the GT-class 250 GTO, the development of which Mauro Forghieri continued after the original team headed by Chiti and Giotto Bizzarrini left during the 1961 walkout.

Sports prototypes designed by Forghieri's team included the P series and later iterations of the Dino series, starting with the 1965 Dino 166 P Forghieri stated that the 1967 330 P4 was his favorite out of all the cars he designed.

In 1964, Mauro Forghieri designed the V8-powered Ferrari 158, in which John Surtees won the 1964 Formula One World Championship.

The 158 and the Ferrari 1512 shared a Mauro Forghieri-designed aluminum monocoque chassis, the first use of this technology in a Ferrari F1 car.

In September 1987, Mauro Forghieri joined Lamborghini Engineering, a department created by Lee Iacocca, then CEO of Chrysler, who had bought the Emilian car firm Lamborghini.

In that organization, which had ex-Ferrari Daniele Audetto as sports director, Mauro Forghieri designed the naturally aspirated Lamborghini 3512 V12 engine, which made its Formula One racing debut at the 1989 Brazilian Grand Prix.

In 1991, the Lamborghini Engineering department was completely reorganized by Chrysler enterprise and Mauro Forghieri was replaced by Mike Royce.

On 1 January 1995, Mauro Forghieri co-founded with Franco Antoniazzi and Sergio Lugli the Oral Engineering Group, a mechanical design company.

Mauro Forghieri was active in company operations, which include design, research and development of automobile, motorcycle, marine and go-kart engines and components.

Around 2005, Mauro Forghieri joined Project 1221, an Italian automobile company developing a new MF1 sports car, as chief engineer.

Mauro Forghieri was critical of the drag reduction system introduced to Formula One in the 2010s.

Mauro Forghieri was declared an honorary citizen of Modena in 2021.

Mauro Forghieri died on 2 November 2022, at the age of 87.

Scuderia Ferrari commemorated Mauro Forghieri's passing with decals reading "ciao Furia", meaning "goodbye Fury," Mauro Forghieri's nickname during his time at Ferrari.

Mauro Forghieri-designed cars won eight World Constructors' and four World Drivers' championships.