# Giulio Alfieri

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Italian automobile engineer

Giulio and the SM engine around 1969

**Giulio Alfieri** (10 July 1924 – 20 March 2002) was an Italian [automobile](/source/Automobile) [engineer](/source/Engineer), affiliated with [Maserati](/source/Maserati) in [Modena](/source/Modena), [Italy](/source/Italy) since 1953, where he was central to the development of racing and production cars in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.

Alfieri was born in [Parma](/source/Parma). After graduating from the [Politecnico of Milan](/source/Politecnico_of_Milan), he first worked on [steam turbines](/source/Steam_turbine) for the shipping industry *Cantieri Navali of Tirreno*, in [Genoa](/source/Genoa), before joining the automaker [Innocenti](/source/Innocenti) in 1949.

Employed in September 1953 by [Adolfo Orsi](/source/Adolfo_Orsi), Alfieri joined the technical staff of [Maserati](/source/Maserati) alongside [Gioacchino Colombo](/source/Gioacchino_Colombo), [Vittorio Bellentani](/source/Vittorio_Bellentani) and two others.

He was best known for the [Maserati 3500 GT](/source/Maserati_3500_GT) design (1957) and the [Maserati Birdcage](/source/Maserati_Birdcage) (1961), both employing the [superleggera](/source/Superleggera) lightweight body.

Alfieri worked on the six- and eight-cylinder engines used in the [Maserati A6](/source/Maserati_A6) (1955), [Maserati 250F](/source/Maserati_250F) (1957), as well as [V8](/source/V8_engine) racing engines, later to be used as a basis for the [V6](/source/V6_engine) of [Maserati Merak](/source/Maserati_Merak) and [Citroën SM](/source/Citro%C3%ABn_SM) (1969).

Alfieri also developed the prototype 260 hp (190 kW) 4.0 L V8 engine for the SM, tested over 12,000 kilometers, proving that the capabilities of the chassis could easily accommodate a 50% increase in power. The engine was then removed and preserved, while the rest of the car was destroyed by [Alejandro de Tomaso](/source/Alejandro_de_Tomaso). The *SM Club of France* created a replica of this car using the actual engine from the original and displayed it at the 2010 *[Rétromobile](/source/R%C3%A9tromobile)* show in [Paris](/source/Paris).[1]

He also contributed to [V12](/source/V12_engine) prototype engines intended for use in [Cooper](/source/Cooper_Car_Company)-[Maserati](/source/Maserati) for [Formula One](/source/Formula_One) racing (1966).

Alfieri produced a chassis design for the [Momo Mirage](/source/Momo_Mirage), a few of which were then produced by [Automobili Stanguellini](/source/Automobili_Stanguellini) before the project was cancelled.[2]: 61, 62, 65

As Maserati was taken over in 1975 by [Alejandro de Tomaso](/source/Alejandro_de_Tomaso), Alfieri ended over 20 years of service for the Modenese company. De Tomaso had tried to buy Maserati in 1968 from the Orsi family. This failed primarily on Giulio Alfieri's resistance. After de Tomaso bought Maserati in August 1975, he dismissed Alfieri on the day of taking over the business. He was succeeded by Aurelio Bertocchi, the son of longtime Maserati test driver Guerrino Bertocchi.[3]

Alfieri later worked for [Lamborghini](/source/Lamborghini) with [Ubaldo Sgarzi](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ubaldo_Sgarzi&action=edit&redlink=1) on V8 and V12 engines (1975–1987).[4]

He died in [Modena](/source/Modena) in 2002.

## Gallery: Cars of Alfieri

		- Maserati 250F

		- Maserati 3500 GT

		- Maserati Quattroporte I

		- Maserati Bora

		- Maserati Khamsin

		- Motor of Citroën SM

		- Lamborghini Countach S

## Notes

1. **[^](#cite_ref-aw-sep2010_1-0)** Sonnery, Marc (27 September 2010). ["1974 Citroën SM V8: A Mystery No More"](http://autoweek.com/article/1974-citron-sm-v8-mystery-no-more). *Autoweek*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-aq-jul1999_2-0)** Goodfellow, Winston (July 1999). "Shortlived Marques — Momo Mirage". *[Automobile Quarterly](/source/Automobile_Quarterly)*. Vol. 39, no. 2. pp. 58–69.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-langebook_3-0)** Lange, Hans-Karl (1 January 1993). *Maserati. Der andere italienische Sportwagen* [*Maserati. The other Italian sports car*] (in German). Vienna, Austria: Paul Zsolnay Verlag. p. 53. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-3552051027](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-3552051027).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-gp-bio_4-0)** ["People — Giulio Alfieri"](http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/cref-alfgiu.html). *grandprix.com*.

## External links

- Media related to [Giulio Alfieri](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Giulio_Alfieri) at Wikimedia Commons

Authority control databases International VIAF National Italy Other IdRef

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Giulio Alfieri](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giulio_Alfieri) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giulio_Alfieri?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.