Stanguellini Museum, Modena: The Workshop That Predated Ferrari

The Stanguellini Museum sits in central Modena, a few minutes from the Duomo, in a workshop that has been producing racing cars since before Ferrari existed. Vittorio Stanguellini was the first person to build cars in the Motor Valley — Ferrari and the Maserati brothers came after him. The museum is still run by his descendants, and visiting it is one of the few places in the Motor Valley where you encounter working mechanics, unrestored tools, and a family that has not moved on.

Modena and the Motor Valley

The Motor Valley follows the Via Emilia — the Roman road that runs through the heart of Emilia-Romagna. Ferrari is in Maranello, Lamborghini in Sant’Agata Bolognese, Ducati in Bologna. The Stanguellini Museum is right in the centre of Modena itself, which makes it one of the most accessible stops on any Motor Valley itinerary. The workshops that built Italy’s motorsport identity were not spread across the world — they were clustered within 50 kilometres of each other, and their founders knew each other personally.

The Stanguellini family

The museum is managed by Francesco Stanguellini, Vittorio’s son — what he describes as a “true car addict.” Vittorio was the pioneer: the first in the area to produce cars, starting with small-displacement vehicles, before Ferrari and the Maserati brothers entered the industry. His son Francesco and grandson Simone continue the tradition — four generations of the same family, the same name recurring through each one. The first vehicle ever registered in Modena belonged to Francesco’s grandfather.

Francesco grew up around engines — the smell of castor oil and petrol, homemade toys with working gearboxes. His first toy was a Maserati model car, built in the workshop, with three gears and working suspension. “Building these cars was mostly something that came from the heart,” he says. His father was self-taught, as were most of his contemporaries. Enzo Ferrari earned his engineering degree at 62.

The cars

In the 1960s, Vittorio Stanguellini designed the Stanguellini Junior — the race car driven by Lorenzo Bandini and Juan Manuel Fangio. Race regulations required engines derived from production vehicles; the Junior used a modified Fiat 1100 engine that produced three times the standard power, fitted with Weber carburettors (also made in Emilia-Romagna, in Bologna). The chassis was drilled to reduce weight without weakening the structure. There were no formal designers — the body shapes were developed from hand sketches, with steel bars forming the structure and metal sheets shaped over them. Aerodynamics were tested with a woollen thread and a hair dryer.

The Stanguellini Guzzi Colibrì — fitted with a 250cc engine — broke six records at Monza in 1963, reaching an average of 164 km/h over 100 km. For a car with that engine size, it was the best performance ever recorded. The wheel design used in the Colibrì later appeared in modern Formula One cars.

Francesco’s father never let him race — accidents were frequent and often fatal in that era. Francesco made a different choice with his own son. Simone races classic cars at Goodwood, Monte Carlo, and other historic events. His view on it: “driving a classic car means there’s no electronics involved. It’s just you, your feet and the wheel, and you’ve got to make your car perform to the best of its ability.”

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Our half-day food tour from Bologna or Modena visits a Parmigiano dairy, a balsamic acetaia, and a prosciutto producer — transport included.

The workshop

Behind the museum is what Francesco calls his “arcade room” — an active workshop where he and his mechanics continue building. During one visit they were constructing a new aluminium body for a 1100 Bialbero. The craftsmen have worked here for decades: Arturo, the master mechanic, polishes every component; Valentino builds the engines; Giorgio works the lathes and milling machines. None of them are engineers. All of them are, as Francesco puts it, artists.

Francesco used to go for evening walks with Enzo Ferrari. They would meet at a trattoria, sit with a bottle of Lambrusco and some salami, and talk through their ideas. The Stanguellini Colibrì record was conceived in one of those conversations. It is the kind of detail — casual, specific, local — that you only learn by going to the museum and talking to the people inside it.

Visiting the Stanguellini Museum

The museum is in central Modena, easily combined with a visit to the Duomo (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and the Piazza Grande. Emilia Delizia can arrange guided visits to the Stanguellini Museum in English and other languages, including combined tours with the food producers of the region — Modena is as well known for its balsamic vinegar and traditional food as it is for its cars. Check the museum’s official website at stanguellini.it for opening hours and current information before visiting.