Sergio Scaglietti established the company in 1951 initially as an automobile repair concern. The workshop occupied a location directly across the road from Ferrari's original factory in Viale Trento Trieste, Modena — a proximity that would prove decisive. Ferrari had already begun asking Scaglietti to repair and modify race car bodywork in the late 1940s, and these commissions soon expanded into full car body orders in the early 1950s.
The relationship between Scaglietti and Enzo Ferrari was cemented not only by professional respect but by a personal dimension: Scaglietti's workshop provided a refuge for Enzo's son Dino Ferrari, who was in poor health. Enzo Ferrari came to trust Scaglietti both as a craftsman and as a person.
A turning point came when Scaglietti and Dino Ferrari jointly designed a Ferrari 166 MM, chassis number 0050M, which became the first Ferrari to feature a raised headrest fairing behind the cockpit. The idea was initially opposed by Enzo Ferrari but championed by Dino. The design proved successful and the headrest became a standard feature of most Ferrari racing cars through the 1950s and 1960s. The 0050M served as a prototype for the Monza range.
By the mid-1950s Scaglietti had become Ferrari's first choice for its racing programme. A succession of sports racing prototypes were designed and manufactured at the Modena facility. Cars that Scaglietti designed entirely in-house carried the Scaglietti & C. badge; bodies executed to drawings supplied by outside designers did not.
Among the original Scaglietti designs from this period are the 1954 Ferrari 750 Monza, the 1955 Ferrari 410 S, the 1956 Ferrari 290 MM and 860 Monza, and the 1957 Ferrari 290 S, 315 S, and 335 S. The 1957 Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder was also an original Scaglietti design. The 1958 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa, with its distinctive Formula One-inspired pontoon fenders, is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful and technically influential Scaglietti creations.
Scaglietti also built bodies to designs by external stylists. The Ferrari 250 GTO, 250 GT Berlinetta Lusso, 250 LM, and 275 GTB were all constructed at the Modena works to Pininfarina drawings, as were the 250 California Spyder and the 250 Tour de France. The 1968–1974 Dino 206 and 246 and the Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona were similarly manufactured by Scaglietti to outside designs.
While the company's reputation rested on its Ferrari association, Scaglietti produced bodies for other manufacturers. Projects included the 1954–1955 Ermini 357 Sport, the 1957 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Veloce Scaglietti, and a 1958–1959 Chevrolet Corvette Scaglietti Coupe. A one-off 1960 project known as the Cegga 3000S was also produced.
The former Scaglietti works was acquired by Ferrari and repurposed for the production of the company's aluminium-bodied models, using a combination of modern manufacturing processes and traditional coachbuilding techniques. The facility has produced cars including the 488 and F12.
The Scaglietti name has been honoured by Ferrari on two later models. In 2002 a limited edition of the 456 was issued as the 456M GT Scaglietti. In 2004, Ferrari introduced the 612 Scaglietti, a 2+2 grand tourer produced until 2010. Despite carrying Scaglietti's name, both models were designed by Pininfarina rather than by the Scaglietti workshop.
Gallery · 4 related images
