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WHO WE ARE
Cavalieri Garage & Co. is a project active in the world of motorsport and automotive. Our brand aims to celebrate Officina Cavalieri, a car preparation and repair center that operated in Modena from 1968 to 1996.
Cavalieri Garage embodies various approaches to the automotive world, all connected by the common thread of the allure these fields offer. This led to the idea of creating a project that is unique in its kind and in the Motor Valley, capable of celebrating the history of an authentic enterprise born in Modena, in the heart of the Motor Valley, with a never-before-seen approach.
We hold two industrial patents related to the innovation of materials and technologies for sustainable fuels. We give free rein to our creative spirit by creating prototypes, one-offs, and kit cars. We design and develop complete tuning packages, including body kits and tech-tuning, for cars that have made history.
Additionally, we offer our expertise through consultancy services and customized training courses. Cavalieri Garage is also a sports association that participates in events across multiple motorsport categories and collaborates with industry players through testing and development programs for innovative components.
Cavalieri Garage's goal is to spread automotive culture by approaching the market and its storytelling in innovative ways, focusing on the true essence of the automobile concept, its history, and the emotions it evokes.
THE HISTORY
Cavalieri Garage & Co takes its name from Franco Cavalieri, founder of the homonymous "Cavalieri" workshop established in Modena in the late '60s.
During that time, it was a common approach for workshops in the Modena region to combine track sports activities with "simple" maintenance services for road vehicles, mainly carried out for owners of prestigious cars. Additionally, the presence and involvement of the Ferrari brand in various technical areas of the territory allowed significant responsibilities to be assigned to relevant entities concerning specific sectors that required specialized labor. The Cavalieri Workshop, therefore, could boast substantial collaborations with the Maranello company, particularly regarding the maintenance of carburetors for the iconic V12 engines that powered the prancing horse cars.
In 1970, a new larger and more functional location was opened in the newly established industrial area of Torrazzi, just outside the neighboring districts of Modena, where for over twenty years the Cavalieri Workshop operated and provided its services to owners of both road and competition cars. This location is still used today as the main hub for a significant part of Cavalieri Garage's activities.
Franco Cavalieri was born on May 8, 1943, in Bomporto, in the province of Modena. Growing up in a family of farmers, from a young age, he showed an interest in anything with an engine, working as a boy on the maintenance of the family's agricultural vehicles.
His passion for engines led him to discover the area dedicated to speed testing of many workshops associated with the most important Modenese sports car brands, located near Villavara, an area adjacent to his family's land. At just fourteen years old, his passion and dedication led him to knock on the door of Lucchi & Mazzetti, a well-known workshop in Modena who hired him as an apprentice.
This particular workshop operated on test tracks in collaboration with the Scuderia Ferrari and the numerous entities of that time that saw in Modena what eventually became known as the land of motors. It was a place of extraordinary technical knowledge and passion for cars, where engineers, mechanics, chassis builders, and drivers vigorously embraced the post-World War II revival of Italy through the concept of the "automobile."
Starting from 1957, he experienced from within the evolution of the automotive industry in Italy, from racing competitions to the changing perception of cars as a means of transportation. Also dating back to the late 1950s were his first steps within the Aerautodromo di Modena, a crucial location for the development of Modenese sports cars of that era.
Since 1961, when he reached adulthood and gained considerable experience with tuned engines, Franco Cavalieri joined the test team of the Scuderia Ferrari, where he worked throughout the 1960s. During this time, he had the honor of working alongside great names in motorsports such as Mauro Forghieri, Vittorio Jano, Carlo Chiti, Giotto Bizzarrini, and Sergio Scaglietti, as well as renowned drivers like Willy Mairesse, Tino Brambilla, Andrea de Adamich, Phil Hill, the Rodriguez brothers, Giancarlo Baghetti, Lorenzo Bandini, John Surtees, and many others.
He played a crucial role, together with other team members, in conducting tests for the prancing horse's sports cars during track tests for sports, F1, and F2 vehicles. The Ferrari 250 LM, victorious at Le Mans in 1965, the 158, the F1 world champion car in 1964 with John Surtees, and the Dino F2 project, which Enzo Ferrari particularly cared about, were significant milestones for his professional reputation.
In 1964 and 1965, Franco Cavalieri was involved in traveling on behalf of Ecuriè Francorchamps, a Belgian Ferrari customer team competing in sports car races. They won the 1965 1000km of Spa with a Ferrari 250 LM. In 1966, Franco Cavalieri returned to Modena where, in addition to continuing his role with the Scuderia Ferrari test team, he founded his own workshop.
During the early years of his workshop, Franco Cavalieri developed a strong association with the Abarth brand, becoming an official supplier and tuner for them, as well as for other prestigious automakers such as Maserati and Alfa Romeo.
Over more than twenty years of service, the Cavalieri Workshop specialized in the maintenance and preparation of both road and competition cars from various brands, with a particular focus on Ferrari, Maserati, Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Lancia and Fiat.
In 1991, former F1 driver and Belgian sports car racer Teddy Pilette gathered some of the most important modenese mechanics and collaborators from the Ecuriè Francorchamps to prepare a Ferrari 348 TB Evoluzione for certain races held at the Spa Francochamps circuit.
Franco Cavalieri passes away on January 2, 2025, at the age of 81, while his passion and dedication to the world of cars lives on in our projects.
TODAY'S NETWORK
Today, Cavalieri Garage & Co. leverages a network of professionals built over more than 15 years of experience in the motorsport and automotive sectors.
The Cavalieri Garage project was founded by Simone Marchetti, a former kart and race car driver, as well as a motorsport industry professional. In 2014, he established RaceNetwork, a startup operating in the digital motorsport industry, which successfully made its mark initially in the realm of simulated car racing video games. Subsequently, it ventured into the professional driving simulation market, eventually working alongside Dallara and Scuderia Ferrari.
Since 2018, he has been working on the development of a model that was unveiled in 2020: the Mirage GT. This project involved the use of special materials for the bodywork and focused on optimizing the engine for the use of sustainable fuels. These technologies are the cornerstone of future projects signed by Cavalieri Garage, which led toto the filing of 2 industrial patents and the creation of the dedicated brand "Cavalieri Mirage Cars." In 2022, the Mirage GT was used by the German Aerospace Center DLR as the basis for the development of the zero-emission prototype ZEDU-1.
Since mid-2022, the journey that led to the founding of Cavalieri Garage & Co. and its creative atelier dedicated to customization has taken shape. The first comprehensive refinement tuning package, crafted specifically for the second generation of the iconic Mazda MX-5, quickly gained a prominent position among enthusiasts, particularly in the United States and the United Kingdom.
Today, Cavalieri Garage & Co. is a thriving reality, with the creative mind of its founder and its network of professionals being its main strength. It fully embraces the world of motors in the Motor Valley, spreading its culture globally and offering its expertise to support businesses, professionals, and enthusiasts.
WHO WE ARE
THE HISTORY
THE PRESENT
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