7 things you should know about the MotorValley of Emilia-Romagna

Maserati “Umberto Panini” Collection (Modena) | Ph. © paninimotormuseum.it

Even if we are inside a family museum here we are in front of the Official Maserati Collection.

In 1965 the Orsi family, owner at the time of the Maserati, decided to exhibit their collection to the public, which was inaugurated on October 27 in the presence of the great champion Juan Manuel Fangio.

After a series of alternating events, the collection was also auctioned, the entire package of cars was purchased by the Panini family, which today owns the most complete official historical collection of the Maserati brand, a veritable flagship of MotorValley.

Horacio Pagani | Ph. © Pagani Factory

This gentleman of Piedmontese origins is born in a small town in Argentina with a rather precise dream in mind: build racing cars. At the age of 12, he started with the first self-built models and at 20 he put on track a Formula 3 for the Argentine Championship.

Destiny makes him meet with the great Juan Manuel Fangio, who advises Horacio to move to Modena, using roughly these words: “If you want to be the best you have to run with the best, then go to Modena!”

In 1982, Horacio arrives in the MotorValley of Emilia-Romagna and starts working first as a mechanical and then in the Lamborghini design team.

In 1988 he began studying for what will become the legendary Zonda, a name that derives precisely from the wind that blows in the Andes. You all know the rest of the story, don’t you?

Ducati (200 Miglia di Imola – 1972) | Ph.© cesenabikers.blogspot.com

Raise your hand who knew that the legendary Ducati, which today runs the SBK and MotoGP World Championship, at the beginning of its story was called “Società Scientifica Radio Brevetti Ducati“!

Adriano, Bruno, and Marcello Ducati – 3 brothers from Comacchio – started their business activity in 1926 with the production of a condenser in a cellar of Bologna (Collegio di Spagna street).

In 1935 they were already in Borgo Panigale, in the historic factory where the company still resides.

At the beginning of their history, Ducati‘s factories produced radio antennas, cinema projectors, cameras, and electric razors. It was not until later, in 1946, that the Ducati built its first single-cylinder engine, the Cucciolo, to be applied among other things on a bicycle.

From that moment on the Ducati have no longer stopped producing motorcycles, definitively abandoning everything else and becoming one of the most popular brands of MotorValley.

Ferruccio Lamborghini | Ph. © motorvalley.it

Legend has it that the foundation of the Lamborghini was the result of a quarrel, really happened between Ferruccio Lamborghini and Enzo Ferrari.

Lamborghini at that time built tractors, and he was already an established industrialist and owned a Ferrari 250 GT, of which he was not fully satisfied.

Given his role, he turned directly to Enzo Ferrari, complaining about the malfunction of the transmission, and giving him some mechanical advice. Enzo Ferrari, who was not an easy guy, answered him: “What do you want to know about sports cars? You only built only tractors!”

Ferruccio Lamborghini, who was an intractable man as much as he was Enzo, from that moment decided to build cars, which turned out to be perfect.

In 1963 he founded his house of cars in Sant’Agata Bolognese and since then the Lamborghini has become a distinctive mark of the MotorValley of Emilia-Romagna.

Hall of Victories | Ph. © Ferrari Museum

We usually consider Red as the most natural color for a Ferrari Car, but in reality, the original color of the brand was the Giallo Modena, which is then the color of the Prancing Horse background. So when does the Red appear?

At that time it was usual, in international motorsports competitions, to attribute a color to each nation. For the Italian cars, it was decided for the Red: also the Alfa Romeo and the Maserati ran in fact with a Red livery.

Over time, but especially with the Formula 1 races of the ’60s and’ 70s, it was possible to associate the Red with Ferrari, thanks to the innumerable successes of the Maranello House.

Dallara IndyCar | Ph. © Dallara Automobili

Do you know who is the largest Indy Race Car chassis supplier? And do you know who has won most Indy Car championships right now? We tell you: the Dallara!

This small company based in Varano de’ Melegari (but now they have opened a whole new one also in Indianapolis), is one of the leading companies of MotorValley in the field of motor racing.

Apart from Formula 1, it provides its mechanical parts to most of the competition car championships, as well as developing high-performance vehicle technology.

It has the only professional driving simulator of Formula 1, something halfway between the PlayStation 4 and the CERN particle accelerator!

Bimota Chassis | Ph. © Bimota

It is also known as the Rider’s Land, but can you guess why? Because the most important riders of the world motorcycling are from Romagna, but also because these drivers have found a fertile ground plowed by the BIMOTA of Rimini.

Founded in 1966 as a company operating in the heating and air conditioning sector, it became a motorcycle components company due to the strong passion of Massimo Tamburrini, one of the founders.

From then on, Bimota has established itself both for its own models, but above all for the race modifications made in the best worlds motorcycles championships.
Could you guess now from where the speed demon of the Romagna’s Drivers comes from?