Wikipedia

Flavio Manzoni

Flavio Manzoni (born 7 January 1965 in Nuoro, Sardinia) is an Italian architect and automobile designer. He has held the position of Chief Design Officer at Ferrari since January 2010, leading the development of many Ferrari models, including the LaFerrari.

Flavio Manzoni
Manzoni at the 2018 Paris Motor Show
Born (1965-01-07) 7 January 1965 (age 59)
Nuoro, Italy
Alma materUniversity of Florence
Occupation(s)Ferrari Styling Centre, SVP
AwardsCompasso d'oro 2014
Compasso d'oro 2016
Compasso d'oro 2020
Compasso d'oro 2024

His influence in the automotive world is significant, having led the creation of several successful Ferrari models.

Among his most celebrated projects:

Before joining Ferrari, Manzoni contributed to the design of Lancia and Maserati cars. He also served as the creative director of the Volkswagen Group during the 2000s and 2009. His passion for automotive design and his creative vision continue to significantly impact the industry.

Career

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Manzoni studied architecture at University of Florence, specializing in industrial design. In 1993 he joined the Centro Stile Lancia, and three years later he was made responsible for interior design of the marque. He worked on various projects such as the interiors of the Lancia Dialogos, Lancia Thesis and Maserati 3200 GT.[4] In 1999, he moved to Barcelona to become Interior Design Director at SEAT, and working in the interiors of the production cars SEAT Altea and SEAT León, and the concept cars SEAT Salsa and SEAT Tango.

  •  
    Lancia Dialogos interior
  •  
    Lancia Thesis (interiors)
  •  
    SEAT Tango
  •  
    Concept Lancia Stilnovo et Lancia Granturismo Stilnovo
  •  
    Concept Lancia Fulvia Coupé

In 2001 Manzoni returned to Lancia and was appointed Design Director. He took charge of the concept cars Lancia Granturismo, Lancia Granturismo Stilnovo and Lancia Fulvia Coupé Concept, great success at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2003, and the production cars Lancia Ypsilon and Lancia Musa, winning the '"European Automotive Design Award" in 2003.[5]

In 2004 he was appointed Director of Design of Fiat, Lancia and Fiat LCV, beginning work on the Fiat Grande Punto, the new Fiat 500, and the Fiat Fiorino/Qubo.

In 2006, with other authors, he wrote L'automobile italiana published by Giunti Editore. The same year, he moved to the Volkswagen group joining Audi, becoming in February 2007 the artistic director of the Volkswagen group "north" pole, where he began to work on a new stylistic image of the Volkswagen, Skoda, Bentley and Bugatti brands. He designed the concept Up!, followed by the Scirocco model and the Volkswagen Golf restyling, called Golf VI, presenting the "Golf Plus" version at 2008 Bologna Motorshow. Also in 2007 he became a member of the iF-Award Product Design jury.[citation needed]

 
LaFerrari

From 12 January 2010 he joined Ferrari as director of design, replacing Donato Coco and creating an internal, complete and autonomous Style Center for the first time in the history of the brand. Ferrari FF is the first production car he oversee development with. He presented the Ferrari SA Aperta roadster at the 2010 Paris Motor Show. In 2012, at the Geneva Motor Show, he presented the Ferrari F12berlinetta, heir of the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano and the first Ferrari developed by the Ferrari Style Center in collaboration with Pininfarina. Thanks to F12berlinetta he won the Auto Bild Design Award 2012, as the most beautiful car in Europe, and the Golden Steering Wheel. In 2013 he made the heir of Enzo Ferrari: La Ferrari. He oversaw the lightening and aerodynamic redesign of the Ferrari 458 Speciale. In 2011 Flavio Manzoni was included into the Automobile Design Hall of Fame at the National Automobile Museum in Turin, Italy.[citation needed]

 
Ferrari F12berlinetta designed in collaboration with Pininfarina

In May 2014 he received the Compasso d'Oro award in the name of Ferrari, which rewards the combination of technology and design of the Ferrari F12 Berlinetta.[6]

In December 2014 on Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, his FXX-K was presented as the most powerful Ferrari ever. Although partially based on the very first hybrid car produced in Maranello, LaFerrari, the FXX-K is in fact a completely new car.

In December 2016 the Ferrari J50 was presented in Tokyo. Designed by Flavio Manzoni together with the Ferrari style center, it is a sports car produced in a limited edition to celebrate Ferrari's fifty years of presence in Japan. Among his latest works there are the F12 TdF (Tour de France), the most extreme version of the F12berlinetta, the Ferrari GTC4Lusso, sophisticated four-seater 690 HP coupé, the 488GTB sportscar and the 488 Spider open version and the California T, with important technical innovations.[citation needed]

With his team he is directing the project of the "New Ferrari Style Center" in the production site of Ferrari S.p.A. based in Maranello (Modena). Each of the four floors of the new building is dedicated to a different project design stage.[7]

In March 2017, the Ferrari 812 Superfast was presented at the Geneva Motor Show, designed by the Ferrari Style Center led by Flavio Manzoni. In September, the new Ferrari Portofino is presented at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

He oversees the project of the "New Ferrari Style Center" inside the Ferrari production plant in Maranello (Modena). The new building, inaugurated on 18 September 2018, is spread over four levels with natural lights and open spaces. The top floor contains a high-tech room [unclear] for the presentation of the projects. The Style Center also houses the company's Tailor Made department.[citation needed]

In September 2018 Manzoni presented the Ferrari SP38 Deborah at the Grand Basel Show demonstrating his great passion for design: "It's so important to show the shape of a car as it was intended, as a masterpiece or a work of art. These presentation frames are great at stimulating contemplation – normally, we’re used to seeing cars in noisy and chaotic environments. But here, there's nothing but the car, its name, and its date. There are no distractions."[8]

The University of Sassari awarded him an honorary degree in Modern Philology and Cultural Industry on 28 June 2019 and Manzoni proposes a Lectio Doctoralis entitled Ferrari Design The metalanguage of form.[citation needed]

For the partnership between Ferrari and Hublot, the historic luxury watchmaking fashion house, in 2019 he designed of the Hublot Classic Fusion Ferrari GT watch, inspired by the Ferrari "Gran Turismo" universe.[9]

On the 28 of May 2024 the University of Florence awarded him an honorary degree in Design; the degree is awarded for contributing to the evolution and history of automotive design.

The Ferrari Purosangue model was awarded the prestigious Compasso d'Oro for its innovative design on June 20, 2024, during a ceremony in Milan. The award, which celebrates the model's design excellence and its ability to combine performance with aesthetic sophistication, was accepted by Flavio Manzoni on behalf of Ferrari, emphasizing the importance of design in the brand's evolution.[10]

The Ferrari Styling Centre, led by Flavio Manzoni, received a prestigious award at the 2024 Turin Auto Show. The event took place on September 13 in Turin to celebrate automotive design excellence through the exhibition of 50 of the most iconic models produced by the company. The award was granted for contributions to automotive design, honoring the distinctive models created by the Ferrari team, which combine innovation, elegance, and performance in a unique blend. Among the event highlights was the Ferrari SF90 XX Spider, showcased in a static exhibition alongside other renowned models such as the Purosangue, the 296 GTB, and the historic 308 GTB. Flavio Manzoni also participated in the celebratory parade, dedicated to the most exclusive prototypes by renowned Italian coachbuilders, driving the Ferrari Roma Spider.

Designs

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Ferrari GTC4Lusso
 
Ferrari F8 Tributo
 
Ferrari Portofino
 
Ferrari Roma
 
Ferrari 296 GTB
 
Ferrari Purosangue
 
Ferrari KC23
 
Ferrari 812 GTS

FBX – Ferrari Brand Extension

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  • Poltrona Cockpit (2017)
  • Ferrari/Hublot Techframe (Basilea – 2017)
  • Ferrari/Hublot Classic Fusion GT (Basilea – 2019)
  • RM UP-01 Ferrari/Richard Mille (2022)

Building

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  • Nuovo Centro Stile (Maranello – 2018)

Awards

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The Ferrari Design team headed by Flavio Manzoni has received numerous international awards and recognitions for its car models:

2012

2013

  • Design Award Autoscout24 – LaFerrari – München
  • Mamuthone ad Honorem – Cagliari

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

Design objects

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  • Madreterra – giant version of the table lamp "The Great JJ" (2014)[11]
  • Techframe Ferrari 70 Years Tourbillon Chronograph – clock Hublot (2017)[12]
  • Manifest Nuoro Jazz – 2020[13]
  • Montblanc Ferrari Stilema SP3 – 2023[14]

References

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  1. ^ "ADI - Associazione per il Disegno Industriale". www.adi-design.org. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  2. ^ "Ferrari takes the "Red Dot Best of the Best" design award". Ferrari. 5 July 2017.
  3. ^ "The Ferrari Purosangue Wins the Compasso D'Oro 2024". Ferrari. 20 June 2024.
  4. ^ "Lancia Thesis, interweaving ideas". autodesignmagazine.com. 21 August 2002. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
  5. ^ "The new Lancia Fulvia – yes please!". Retrieved 14 January 2009.
  6. ^ "How Ferrari's Flavio Manzoni Designs Your Dreams". drivetribe.com. 2 October 2017. Retrieved 28 October 2020.[permanent dead link‍]
  7. ^ "Our Exclusive Look at Ferrari's New Centro Stile and the Monza SP1 and SP2 – COOL HUNTING". COOL HUNTING. 18 September 2018. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  8. ^ "Opinion leaders from the car world take to the inaugural Grand Basel". Grand Basel. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
  9. ^ Reddinger, Paige (26 March 2019). "Hublot Has an Entirely New Watch Design and You Can Thank Ferrari". Robb Report. Retrieved 20 May 2019.
  10. ^ "The Ferrari Purosangue wins the Compasso d'Oro 2024". www.ferrari.com. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
  11. ^ ""A light for my land" Manzoni's lamp, on La Nuova Sardegna".
  12. ^ "Condé Nast, The Hublot watch for Ferrari's 70th anniversary, on GQ Italia, 4 November 2017". 4 November 2017.
  13. ^ "Walter Porcedda, Nuoro Jazz, stop at the Seminars. From 18 August the festival will start, on Musica Jazz, 9 August 2020". 9 August 2020.
  14. ^ "From Montblanc and Ferrari the SP3 Stilema: the most expensive fountain pen in the world, in La Stampa, 15 February 2023". 15 February 2023.
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