Fioravanti studied mechanical engineering at the Politecnico di Milano, specializing in aerodynamics and car body design. He worked twenty-four years with Pininfarina, joining as a stylist in 1964, aged 26, and eventually becoming Managing Director and General Manager of Pininfarina’s research arm, Pininfarina Studi & Ricerche for 18 years.

He then joined Ferrari as a Deputy General Manager, and in 1989 moved to Fiat’s Centro Stile as Director of Design.

In 1991 he left Fiat and joined Fioravanti Srl which evolved from an architecture studio to a design studio. His two sons, Matteo, an architect, and Luca, an attorney, have also worked with him at Fioravanti Srl. Fioravanti developed a number of prototype and concept cars, often displayed under his own name. In 2012 he was appointed by the Chinese automobile company BAIC Group as a design consultant.[2]

In 2009 Leonardo Fioravanti was elected Chairman of ANFIA Car Coachbuilders Group for a 3-year mandate from 2009 to 2011.
Octane magazine awarded Fioravanti the International Historic Motor Award Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017.