ENGINEERS from Italy

Top 10

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Italian Engineers of all time. This list of famous Italian Engineers is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Italian Engineers.

1. Umberto Nobile (1885 - 1978)

With an HPI of 69.56, Umberto Nobile is the most famous Italian Engineer.  His biography has been translated into 45 different languages on wikipedia.

Umberto Nobile (Italian pronunciation: [umˈbɛrto ˈnɔːbile]; 21 January 1885 – 30 July 1978) was an Italian aviator, aeronautical engineer and Arctic explorer. Nobile was a developer and promoter of semi-rigid airships in the years between the two World Wars. He is primarily remembered for designing and piloting the airship Norge, which may have been the first aircraft to reach the North Pole, and which was indisputably the first to fly across the polar ice cap from Europe to America. Nobile also designed and flew the Italia, a second polar airship; this second expedition ended in a deadly crash and provoked an international rescue effort.

2. Marcello Gandini (1938 - 2024)

With an HPI of 62.13, Marcello Gandini is the 2nd most famous Italian Engineer.  His biography has been translated into 26 different languages.

Marcello Gandini (26 August 1938 – 13 March 2024) was an Italian car designer, widely known for his work with the Italian car design house, Bertone, where his work included designing the Alfa Romeo Carabo and Montreal, Lancia Stratos Zero, Maserati Khamsin, Ferrari GT4, Fiat X1/9, and several Lamborghinis, including the Bravo, Miura, Marzal, Espada, Urraco, and Countach. Gandini himself said his design interests prioritised vehicle architecture, construction, assembly, and mechanisms over styling. Car Design News awarded Gandini the magazine's first Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012, and said his stature within the industry could not be overstated. Flavio Manzoni, chief design officer at Ferrari, said Gandini was "probably the greatest car designer ever".

3. Nicola Romeo (1876 - 1938)

With an HPI of 58.00, Nicola Romeo is the 3rd most famous Italian Engineer.  Her biography has been translated into 21 different languages.

Nicola Romeo (Italian pronunciation: [niˈkɔːla roˈmɛːo]; Sant'Antimo, 28 April 1876 – Magreglio, 15 August 1938) was an Italian engineer and entrepreneur mostly known for founding the car manufacturer Alfa Romeo. He served as a senator in the 18th Legislature of the Kingdom of Italy.

4. Flaminio Bertoni (1903 - 1964)

With an HPI of 55.12, Flaminio Bertoni is the 4th most famous Italian Engineer.  His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.

Flaminio Bertoni (Masnago, Italy, 10 January 1903 – Paris, France, 7 February 1964) was an Italian automobile designer from the years preceding World War II until his death in 1964. Before his work in industrial design, Bertoni was a sculptor. Working at Citroën for decades, Bertoni designed the Traction Avant (1934), 2CV, the H van, the DS, and the Ami 6. The DS was often exhibited at industrial design showcases, such as the 1957 Milan Triennale Exposition, and inspired French coach builder Henri Chapron, who produced coupé and cabriolet versions of the DS. In 1961, the French Minister of Culture presented Bertoni with the prestigious Order des Arts et des Lettres award. The province of Varese dedicated a museum to his memory. It opened in May 2007. Since 2016 the museum is located at Volandia Park and Flight Museum.

5. Riccardo Morandi (1902 - 1989)

With an HPI of 53.53, Riccardo Morandi is the 5th most famous Italian Engineer.  His biography has been translated into 19 different languages.

Riccardo Morandi (1 September 1902 – 25 December 1989) was an Italian civil engineer best known for his innovative use of reinforced concrete and prestressed concrete, although over the years some of his particular cable-stayed bridges have had some maintenance trouble. Amongst his best-known works are the General Rafael Urdaneta Bridge, an 8 km (5 mi) cable-stayed bridge crossing Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela; a similar bridge in Genoa commonly known as Ponte Morandi (officially Viadotto Polcevera), which partially collapsed in 2018 for reasons under investigation; and the Subterranean Automobile Showroom in Turin.

6. Giuseppe Colombo (1920 - 1984)

With an HPI of 52.85, Giuseppe Colombo is the 6th most famous Italian Engineer.  His biography has been translated into 25 different languages.

Giuseppe "Bepi" Colombo (2 October 1920 in Padua – 20 February 1984 in Padua) was an Italian scientist, mathematician and engineer at the University of Padua, Italy.

7. Enrico Forlanini (1848 - 1930)

With an HPI of 50.41, Enrico Forlanini is the 7th most famous Italian Engineer.  His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.

Enrico Forlanini (13 December 1848 – 9 October 1930) was an Italian engineer, inventor and aeronautical pioneer, known for his works on helicopters, aeroplanes, hydrofoils and dirigibles. He was born in Milan. His older brother Carlo Forlanini was a physician.

8. Gioacchino Colombo (1903 - 1987)

With an HPI of 49.31, Gioacchino Colombo is the 8th most famous Italian Engineer.  His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.

Gioacchino Colombo (9 January 1903 – 24 April 1988) was an Italian automobile engine designer.

9. Guenther Steiner (b. 1965)

With an HPI of 46.77, Guenther Steiner is the 9th most famous Italian Engineer.  His biography has been translated into 21 different languages.

Guenther Steiner (born 7 April 1965, German: Günther) is an Italian and American motorsport engineer and former team manager. Steiner was the Team Principal of Haas Formula One Team from 2016 to 2023, the managing director of Jaguar Racing from 2001 to 2003, and technical operations director of its subsequent incarnation, Red Bull Racing.

10. Aldo Costa (b. 1961)

With an HPI of 44.70, Aldo Costa is the 10th most famous Italian Engineer.  His biography has been translated into 20 different languages.

Aldo Costa (born 5 June 1961) is an Italian engineer and the Chief Technical Officer at Dallara. With 14 constructors' championships and 12 drivers' titles working for Ferrari and Mercedes, Costa is one of the most successful engineers and designers in F1 history.