Mauro Forghieri, a legendary Ferrari engineer who served the Maranello team from 1959 until 1984, passed away today at the age of 87.
“It is customary to associate the name of Forghieri with Formula 1, but Mauro has designed cars that have been at the top of all sectors of racing series: from the European Mountain Championships to the great endurance races, to Formula 2, and to the Gran Turismo Series. The final version of the Ferrari GTO is the result of his work. Forghieri designed the whole car, from the engine to the gearbox and the chassis.
And he invented many engines: 8 cylinders at 90 °, 12 cylinders from 60 to 180 degrees, 6 cylinders, and 12 supercharged cylinders. He is undoubtedly the most prolific, most versatile, and most victorious designer in the history of Italian racing motoring”, with these words Giampaolo Dallara described Mauro Forghieri, fully grasping the indelible mark left in the racing world by the historic Italian engineer.
From 1959 to 1984, Mauro Forghieri worked for Ferrari. His technical leadership resulted in seven world championships for constructors, four for drivers, and 54 victories for the Maranello team. John Surtees’ Ferrari 156 F1-63 won the first race in Germany in 1963, and the Englishman drove the Ferrari 158 to win the first world championship in 1964. In 1964, he created the first Formula 1 ailerons, as well as the popular series of 312 cars that helped Niki Lauda and Jody Scheckter win championships for the Maranello team.
Who were Mauro Forghieri’s parents? His early life.
Reclus and Afra Forghieri’s only child, Forghieri, was born in Modena. During World War II, his father Reclus, a turner, worked for the Naples-based Ansaldo mechanical factories. Mauro spent most of this time with his mother, visiting Naples, Milan, Modena, and Abbiategrasso.
Reclus started working in the Ferrari factory in Maranello as soon as the Forghieri family got back together after the fight and moved back to Modena. While this was going on, Mauro finished the Liceo Scientifico and graduated from the University of Bologna with a laurea in mechanical engineering in 1959.
Who are Mauro Forghieri children?
Mauro Forghieri had 3 children. Marco Forghieri, Alessandro Forghieri, and Michele Forghieri are his 3 precious children.
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Mauro’s notable works for Ferrari
From the time he was hired in 1960 until his departure in 1987, Forghieri had a hand in the design of every racing car the Factory produced.
The GT-class 250 GTO was one of the sports racing vehicles developed under Forghieri’s direction after the original crew led by Chiti and Giotto Bizzarrini quit during the 1961 walkout. The 275 GTB and 330 LMB competition models were two further GT-class vehicles. The P series and later versions of the Dino series, starting with the 1965 Dino 166 P, were among the sporting goods prototypes created by Forghieri’s team. According to Forghieri, the 1967 330 P4 was his favorite design of all the vehicles he had created.
John Surtees won the 1964 Formula One World Championship with the Ferrari 158, which Forghieri designed and had a V8 machine. The Forghieri- designed aluminum monocoque lattice was used for the first time in a Ferrari F1 vehicle in the 158 and the Ferrari 1512. In 1978, Forghieri tested the Ferrari 312 T3 at Zandvoort with motorist Carlos Reutemann.
The Ferrari 312 series was created by Forghieri beginning in 1966.( conforming of the 312 and 312B formula one buses and 312P and 312 PB sportscars).
7) also, he created the first transverse automatic gear and the first turbocharged machine for Ferrari. With John Surtees( 1964), Niki Lauda( 1975 and 1977), and Jody Scheckter as motorists, Ferrari won the motorist’s F1 world crown four times under his direction( 1979).