1959
Giampaolo Dallara, at a very young age is called to work in the Ferrari company: after getting his degree in Aeronautics he is personally taken on by the legendary “Drake” Enzo Ferrari, himself.
1961
The desire to experience racetrack competition takes Dallara to Maserati. For the first time, at only 25 years of age, he becomes “race engineer” for Maserati and collaborates with top-level drivers such as Bruce McLaren (at the wheel) and Roger Penske (3rd from left).
1963
In Lamborghini the ambition is to create the most beautiful and fastest sports cars in the world. With Dallara as Technical Director we have the birth of the revolutionary Miura (1966).
1969
For De Tomaso, Dallara designs and builds a Formula 1 car managed by Frank Williams.
1970
In Varano de’ Melegari Giampaolo Dallara begins to design a new prototype sport car: it is called VDM – the initials of his home town.
1972
Dallara Automobili da Competizione is founded and set up by only three people and has its headquarters in the family home. The first car is the SP1000.
1978
The Dallara 378 is born and it is the first Formula 3 car of the company destined to dominate all the championships of this category at an international level. In 2020, all Formula 3 cars are Dallara.
1984
Dallara builds the first wind tunnel with a rolling belt in Italy. In 1995, Dallara builds a second one where it is possible to test out 40% scale models. For tests on the 60% scale models a third wind tunnel is built in 2008.
1985
The F385 is the first Dallara monocoque in carbon fiber. The innovation of using aeronautically-derived composite material represented a great step forward as, up until that time, it was only used by some Formula 1 teams.
1991
This is the year of the new Dallara factory inauguration: it covers a surface area of about 3,500 square meters and it is located at the entrance of the small town called Varano de’Melegari, not far from the racetrack “Riccardo Paletti”.
1998
First victory in the Indianapolis 500 miles race. This legendary circuit is covered at an average speed of about 370 km/h. Dallara is the manufacturer that has won the most times in the history of the race. From 2012 all the cars on the track are made by Dallara.
82nd Indianapolis 500
This year marks the 25 years since Dallara’s first Indy500 win. During the 1998, 82nd Annual Indianapolis 500, Eddie Cheever drove to victory lane in the Dallara IR8. After running into many roadblocks since the beginning of Cheever’s request for a Dallara IR8, he was able to secure the first win for Dallara in the Indy500, which became the beginning of a series of win at Indianapolis that would never stop.
“Winning the Indianapolis 500 is somewhat a life-changing experience. It would not have happened without the trust and generosity of Dallara. But beyond being fine people, they build fine race cars. I owe a lot of personally and professionally to Dallara and their contribution to my success will never be forgotten.” – Eddie Cheever.
2011
Dallara designs the first professional driving simulator, a tool used to the study of the vehicle dynamics: using mathematical models the driver can test the car, which has yet to be built. For the Indianapolis headquarters, a second simulator was built in 2014.
2012
The Dallara Indycar Factory is the new headquarter in Indianapolis. Here, in the new multifunctional center of Engineering and Edutainment (Education and Entertainment), Indycars are assembled and visitors can learn how racing cars are built whilst enjoying themselves.
2015
High specialization in the production of composites materials is possible thanks to two dedicated structures: Dallara Compositi, the avant-garde production center and DARC (Dallara Advanced Composite Research Center), the center for research and experimentation on new materials.
2017
Dallara Stradale is the fulfillment of Giampaolo Dallara’s dream: a racing car with its own number plate. It represents the union of the three main areas of expertise of the company: aerodynamics, vehicle dynamics and composite materials. The aim is to build 600 cars in 5 years.
2018
Autumn 2018 sees the inauguration of a new building next to the Dallara headquarters: the Dallara Academy. The structure commissioned by Mr. Giampaolo Dallara, consists of two floors connected by a large curved glazed ramp that visitors can walk on. It is a multi-purpose building, strongly focused on themes dear to the company: strong link with the territory, technology and the importance of training.
2020
Dallara EXP is the sports car built for true connoisseurs, with the ambition of representing the core values of this historic company, of becoming its crown jewel: EXP as in EXPerience, EXPeriment, EXPonential, EXPertise.