It’s a sad day for gearheads. Legendary Italian engineer and the man behind the Ferrari F40, Nicola Materazzi passed away at the age of 83. Materazzi, who was born in 1939, was an instrumental figure in the development of several legendary brands today, including Lancia, Bugatti, and of course, Ferrari.   

Considered to be one of the best automotive mechanical engineers of all time, his contribution to Ferrari goes beyond developing the 1987 F40, an iconic supercar known for its impeccable design and speed. However, many might not know that he was also responsible for the F40’s predecessor, the 1984 Ferrari 288 GTO, a Group-B rally car project.  

Before he moved to Ferrari, Materazzi was also actively involved with Lancia through the ’60s and ’70s, with the development of the Flavia and the Fulvia road cars. He also set up the powertrain, chassis, and aerodynamics of the iconic Lancia Stratos.  

After completing his stint with Ferrari, the engineer then moved to Bugatti in the 1990s, where he became the technical director of the 1991 Bugatti EB110 GT and also the 1992 Bugatti EB110 SS production vehicles. Even in his Twilight years in the early 2000s, Materazzi took on the development of the B Engineering Edonis, using nothing but leftover parts from the abandoned Bugatti EB110 factory.   

Safe to say, Materazzi’s contributions will remain etched in the annals of automotive history. Folks all around the Internet are understandably mourning the passing of the legend. Here’s a look at some of the tributes.