Graziano Trasmissioni

Graziano Trasmissioni is an Italian drivetrain engineering and manufacturing brand whose products have been used in performance cars, luxury vehicles, agricultural machinery, and other off-highway applications. The company began in 1951 as a small family enterprise founded by Carlo Graziano with 15 employees. Its original and continuing specialization is the design and production of gearboxes, drivelines, precision gears, shafts, final-reduction components, and associated mechatronics. The company moved to its present headquarters in Cascine Vica near Turin in 1963. From the 1980s onward, it progressively increased its export activity and developed an international manufacturing footprint. It opened a plant in India in 1999, followed by facilities in Suzhou, China, and Červený Kostelec in the Czech Republic in 2006. This expansion supported both its automotive customers and its growing role as a supplier of precision drivetrain components for agricultural and off-highway equipment. Graziano became particularly visible in the premium and performance-car sector. Its transmissions and related systems have been associated with vehicles from Ferrari, Lamborghini, Audi, Aston Martin, Maserati, Alfa Romeo, Ford, McLaren, and other manufacturers. Applications described for the brand include manual, automated-manual, dual-clutch, rear-transaxle, and power-transfer-unit systems. Its engineering work has therefore covered both conventional mechanical transmission architectures and electronically controlled mechatronic systems. Among its best-known products is the Pre-Cog seven-speed Seamless-Shift Gearbox, or SSG, a dual-clutch transmission used in the McLaren 12C and later adapted for the McLaren 650S. Graziano also supplied lightweight seven-speed automated-manual technology for the Lamborghini Aventador, with rapid gear changes, and developed transmission systems used in the Lamborghini Gallardo and first-generation Audi R8. Its work for Ferrari included the development and supply of complete gearboxes for several models during the 1990s and 2000s. Other notable applications included rear-transaxle gearboxes for Aston Martin and Maserati vehicles and manual transmission supply for the limited-production Aston Martin Victor. Corporate ownership changed substantially in the 2000s. In 2007, Graziano Trasmissioni merged with Fairfield, a North American drivetrain company, creating Oerlikon Drive Systems within the Oerlikon Group. In March 2019, Dana Incorporated acquired Oerlikon's Drive Systems segment, including the Graziano and Fairfield brands. Graziano consequently became a product brand within Dana's drivetrain business rather than an independent corporate group. Under Dana, the brand remains associated with precision gears, shafts, transmission assemblies, driveline products, and mechatronics. Dana describes the Graziano business as a major supplier of precision gears and shafts for final-reduction systems in agricultural and off-highway vehicles, while the brand continues to serve premium automotive and performance applications. Its competitive environment includes large drivetrain suppliers such as ZF Friedrichshafen, Getrag, and BorgWarner. Graziano's market identity is consequently based less on consumer-facing retail branding than on engineering capability, vehicle-program integration, manufacturing precision, and the ability to tailor complex transmission systems for specialist vehicle platforms.

Graziano Trasmissioni was established in 1951 by Carlo Graziano as a small family company employing 15 people. Its business developed around mechanical transmission and drivetrain manufacturing, including gearboxes, gears, shafts, and related components. In 1963, the company moved to its present headquarters in Cascine Vica near Turin, an area that became the base for its Italian engineering and manufacturing activities. The company increased its international export activity progressively after 1981. Its internationalization was reinforced by overseas manufacturing investments, beginning with a plant in India in 1999. In 2006, Graziano opened or established additional production capacity in Suzhou, China, and Červený Kostelec in the Czech Republic. These facilities expanded the brand's ability to serve global vehicle and machinery manufacturers and complemented its Italian operations. Graziano's reputation in the automotive sector grew through programs for premium and performance vehicles. Between 1996 and 1997, it cooperated with Ferrari on the development and supply of complete gearboxes. The applications associated with this work included the Ferrari 360, 612 Scaglietti, Enzo, F430, and 575M Maranello. Graziano also supplied or developed transmissions for the Lamborghini Gallardo and Aventador, the first-generation Audi R8, Aston Martin vehicles, Maserati models, and the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione. The company became especially known for advanced performance transmission systems. Its Pre-Cog seven-speed Seamless-Shift Gearbox was a dual-clutch transmission used in the McLaren 12C. A second-generation SSG was subsequently used in the 2014 McLaren 650S, with software revisions intended to reduce shift times further. Graziano also produced a lightweight seven-speed automated-manual gearbox for the Lamborghini Aventador. Although the system used a single clutch, its control strategy enabled very rapid gear changes. For Audi, a dual-clutch transmission was developed in partnership with Graziano; units were built and pre-tested at Graziano's Luserna plant in Italy before further clutch and mechatronic integration at Volkswagen's Kassel facility. The brand's portfolio was not limited to dual-clutch systems. Graziano supplied rear-transaxle gearboxes for vehicles including the Aston Martin One-77, Vantage S, V8 Vantage, and DB9, as well as the Maserati GranTurismo S. It also supplied automated-manual transmission systems for the Maserati Quattroporte and Maserati Coupé and Spyder Trofeo-GranSport. Later specialist applications included a manual gearbox for the 2020 Aston Martin Victor, engineered to cope with the vehicle's high torque output, and a six-speed manual transmission for the Noble M500. In 2007, Graziano Trasmissioni merged with Fairfield, a North American drivetrain company. The combined operation became Oerlikon Drive Systems and formed part of the Oerlikon Group. This ownership structure brought the Graziano and Fairfield businesses together within a broader international drivetrain platform. In March 2019, Dana Incorporated acquired Oerlikon's Drive Systems segment, including both the Graziano and Fairfield brands. Following that transaction, Graziano became a product brand within Dana rather than an independent group. Within Dana's portfolio, Graziano remains linked to precision drivetrain engineering. Its activities include transmissions, drivelines, mechatronic components, and precision gears and shafts used in final-reduction systems for agricultural and off-highway vehicles. The brand also retains its association with premium automotive programs. Its competitive field includes major drivetrain suppliers such as ZF Friedrichshafen, Getrag, and BorgWarner. Graziano's identity is primarily technical and industrial: it is recognized by vehicle manufacturers and system integrators for specialized transmission design, high-load mechanical components, compact performance systems, and integration of mechanical and electronic control technologies.

• 2020

  Manual gearbox for Aston Martin Victor

  [1]Graziano Trasmissionien.wikipedia.org

  Graziano supplied the manual gearbox for the Aston Martin Victor, a limited-production performance car.

• 2019

  Dana acquisition

  [1]Graziano Trasmissionien.wikipedia.org

  Dana Incorporated acquired Oerlikon's Drive Systems segment, including the Graziano and Fairfield brands.

• 2014

  Second-generation SSG for McLaren 650S

  [1]Graziano Trasmissionien.wikipedia.org

  The McLaren 650S used an updated second-generation SSG with revised software for faster shifting.

• 2007

  Formation of Oerlikon Drive Systems

  [1]Graziano Trasmissionien.wikipedia.org

  Graziano merged with Fairfield and became part of Oerlikon Drive Systems within the Oerlikon Group.

• 2006

  Facilities added in China and the Czech Republic

  [1]Graziano Trasmissionien.wikipedia.org

  Graziano established additional factories in Suzhou, China, and Červený Kostelec, Czech Republic.

• 1999

  Indian manufacturing expansion

  [1]Graziano Trasmissionien.wikipedia.org

  The company opened a factory in India as part of its international manufacturing expansion.

• 1996

  Ferrari transmission cooperation

  [1]Graziano Trasmissionien.wikipedia.org

  Graziano began a cooperation with Ferrari covering the development and supply of complete gearboxes.

• 1981

  Export expansion begins

  [1]Graziano Trasmissionien.wikipedia.org

  Graziano's export activity began to increase progressively after 1981.

• 1963

  Move to Cascine Vica

  [1]Graziano Trasmissionien.wikipedia.org

  The company moved to its present headquarters in Cascine Vica near Turin.

• 1951

  Company founded

  [1]Graziano Trasmissionien.wikipedia.org

  Carlo Graziano established Graziano Trasmissioni as a small family company with 15 employees.

A specialist B2B drivetrain engineering brand positioned around high-precision gears, shafts, transmissions, driveline systems, and mechatronics for premium-performance automotive, agricultural, and off-highway applications.

• Dual-clutch transmission

  Pre-Cog Seamless-Shift Gearbox

  The Pre-Cog, or SSG, is a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission developed for high-performance applications. It was used in the McLaren 12C and later in updated form in the McLaren 650S. The second-generation system incorporated revised software intended to improve shift times while retaining the compact, performance-oriented character expected of a supercar transmission.

• Automated-manual transmission

  Lamborghini Aventador transmission

  Graziano supplied a lightweight seven-speed automated-manual gearbox for the Lamborghini Aventador. The single-clutch architecture was paired with electronic control strategies that enabled very rapid gear changes, making it suitable for a high-performance V12 vehicle.

• Performance vehicle transmission

  Audi R8 and Lamborghini Gallardo transmissions

  Graziano produced mid-engine transmission systems for the Lamborghini Gallardo and first-generation Audi R8. The programs included manual and automated-manual versions, reflecting the brand's ability to adapt a core drivetrain architecture to different vehicle specifications and control systems.

• Rear-transaxle transmission

  Rear-transaxle gearboxes

  Graziano supplied rear-transaxle gearboxes for premium performance vehicles including the Aston Martin One-77, Vantage S, V8 Vantage, and DB9, as well as the Maserati GranTurismo S. Rear-transaxle layouts can support vehicle weight distribution objectives and require close integration with the driveline and chassis.

• Drivetrain components

  Precision gears and shafts

  Precision gears and shafts are a core part of the Graziano business. Dana identifies the business as a major supplier of these components for final-reduction systems in agricultural and off-highway vehicles. The products support high-load drivetrain applications in which dimensional accuracy, durability, and manufacturing consistency are central requirements.

• Mechatronic drivetrain systems

  Transmission mechatronics

  Graziano's mechatronics activities combine mechanical transmission hardware with electronic control and actuation components. These capabilities support automated-manual and dual-clutch systems in which shift timing, clutch operation, torque management, and software calibration must be coordinated with the vehicle manufacturer's control architecture.

• 2019

  Dana acquires the Drive Systems segmentM&A

  Background

  Oerlikon decided to sell its Drive Systems segment, which included the Graziano and Fairfield brands.

  Action taken

  Dana Incorporated purchased the segment in March 2019.

  Aftermath

  Graziano became a product brand within Dana's drivetrain portfolio, alongside the acquired Fairfield activities.

  Source

• 2007

  Merge with Fairfield and join Oerlikon Drive SystemsM&A

  Background

  Graziano's international drivetrain activities were combined with those of Fairfield, a North American company, during a period of broader corporate expansion.

  Action taken

  The two businesses merged and operated as Oerlikon Drive Systems within the Oerlikon Group.

  Aftermath

  Graziano became part of a larger global drivetrain organization while retaining its brand identity and technical activities.

  Source

1. 1Graziano Trasmissionien.wikipedia.org