Celebrated Italian Style

No country has a handle on style quite like Italy. From the couture fashion houses to the grand Italian villas, from the bespoke furniture brands to the industrial design firms that push the envelope in regards to precision and imagination, the country is the epicenter of haute creations, a fact in which many Italians take pride. Nowhere is this dedication to style more evident than in the country’s luxury auto sector.

Italy is the birthplace of the world’s most celebrated automobile brands; Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati—the stunners that roll out of these marques are revered by auto enthusiasts everywhere, garnering gaping stares and inspiring lust in the hearts of those not lucky enough (or wealthy enough) to sit in the driver’s seats.

Marked by aerodynamic silhouettes, sexy lines, and roaring engines that denote pure power, Italian supercars are widely considered the most exciting special interest vehicles to own, evoking emotion amongst the dedicated fans in a way that a German luxury sedan just can’t match. Those fans have Leonardo Fioravanti to thank; he has done more to define the impeccable style of luxury Italian autos over the past four decades than any other. His designs have molded the bodies of Alfa Romeos, generated custom concept cars, and altogether defined dozens of Ferraris.

Now leading an eponymous firm specializing in the auto sector, Fioravanti honed his impeccable skills at Pininfarina, the Italian design house that puts its stamp on autos from the likes of Ferrari, Maserati, Alfa Romeo, Rolls-Royce, Jaguar, and more. He joined the company in 1963 immediately following his tenure at Milan Polytechnic University where he received a degree in mechanical engineering. During his 24 years at Pininfarina, Fioravanti personally designed 24 Ferraris, some of which are the most famous road cars from the brand. He advanced to the position of CEO and general manager of Pininfarina’s research and development arm, where he led the company’s charge into the industrial design realm.

In 1987, Ferrari offered Fioravanti a position in-house, where he was the project director for the Ferrari F40, considered by many to be the most iconic of all Ferrari designs. When it debuted, company founder Enzo Ferrari, then 89 years old, said, “A little more than a year ago, I expressed a wish to my engineers: build a car to be the best in the world. And now that car is here.” He then revealed the F40, which garnered gasps from the crowd. The successor of the Ferrari 288 GTO, the F40 celebrated 40 years of Ferrari design, and was the last Ferrari created under Enzo Ferrari’s watch (he died in 1988). Initially, only 400 F40s were commissioned, but its popularity, despite the $470,000 price tag, led to the creation of 1,315 total.

That same year, Leonardo Fioravanti founded his Fioravanti firm. In order to not create a conflict of interest, the original focus was architectural design in the Japanese market, due to his continuing work with auto companies. Four years after the founding of Fioravanti, the company began working exclusively for the Fiat Group’s automobile marques—Fiat, Lancia, and Alfa Romeo. It then expanded, and since that time, Fioravanti has been responsible for one-off and concept cars for brands like Mercedes-Benz, General Motors, Toyota-Lexus, as well as the original three from Fiat.

His decision to launch his own brand was borne of a desire to continue to innovate the industry without restriction. “I wanted to be more free to explain my thinking on the automobile design—architecture, too—and other matters concerning Italian design, what it means to be made in Italy,” he explains from his office in a 15th-century building in Moncalieri, a historic town outside of Turin. The setting is in line with the brand’s philosophy, which is rooted in the history of Italian design while simultaneously pushing the envelope through the study and research of innovative concepts.

Fioravanti says that in his mind, the designs his company creates are “original, simple, and, when we are fortunate and lucky, beautiful….In fact, we have more than 35 international patents that are the expression of cars’ originality.”

That originality is exemplified by the first-ever Ferrari Special Projects car, the SP1, which Fioravanti designed for Japanese businessman and Ferrari collector Junichiro Hiramatsu. It is the first custom auto officially sanctioned by Ferrari, meaning it is an auto enthusiast’s dream come true. “This car was designed on the mechanical specs of the F430,” explains Fioravanti. “The main dimensions are strictly the same as the Ferrari 430….Our capability was integrating new parts as much as possible.” The SP1 offers sweeping door scallops and rear haunch intakes, a wraparound carbon fiber undercarriage, and revised treatments for the canopy and rear fascia. Fioravanti explains that he took his design cues from the ellipse, focusing on making the SP1 as aerodynamic as possible.

The car was presented to Hiramatsu in 2008, causing quite a stir amongst Ferrari aficionados everywhere, many of whom are still clamoring to get a glimpse of the groundbreaking design. Hiramatsu, a generous fellow, understands the stir the car is causing and has offered to display the SP1 at Concorso Italiano this August, where it will be joined by a plethora of other autos conceptualized by Fioravanti over the course of his career.

Concorso Italiano is a fitting setting for the SP1’s North American debut. The event, which will take place Friday, August 13 at Laguna Seca Golf Ranch in Monterey, California, is a “celebration of Italian style.” Now in its 25th year, Concorso attracts some 10,000 luxury enthusiasts who come to appreciate Italian music, cuisine, fashion, and, of course, automobiles, of which 1,200 collectable, exotic, and classic versions will be on display.

Fioravanti will be honored at the annual gathering as the Featured Designer of 2010. Ferrari owners from around the country are joining in the fray, bringing autos that wear his mark to the Monterey Peninsula by the hundreds. Close to 30 Ferrari F40s are expected to congregate, and the list of participants continues to grow. “If I know correctly, 30 F40s will be present,” says Fioravanti. “It is infrequent that you see that many F40s all together! It will be a very interesting spectacle.”

At the event, Fioravanti will speak about the process of designing the F40, providing insight into what it was like to be involved in the development and launch of the iconic supercar. Perhaps he will also discuss what he is currently working on at Fioravanti, which very may well be the world’s next iconic collectable. Auto lovers can expect the next vehicle to reflect his design philosophy, which is rooted in simplistic beauty and functionality, punctuated by the style for which Italy is best known.