A new carburettor and four areas that represent the heart of a corporate identity. In the Eicma pavilions, Dellorto brought its cutting-edge products but also its 91-year history. Andrea Dell’Orto, vice president of the company, talks about this reality, between tradition and innovation.
With what contribution are you present at Eicma?
«In this edition we decided to focus on our DNA, which we renamed DN4, or on four aspects that distinguish us in our identity as an Italian reality: Motorsport, Injection, Electrical and Aftermarket. The Dellorto stand is developed around these four areas in which our company is a leader. And now, thanks to continuous investments in innovation and research, we are consolidating our position with new products that will make us protagonists in the mobility challenges of tomorrow.”
To which element of your DNA do you feel most linked?
«Motorsport, Injection, Electrical and Aftermarket are all important pieces, but the first has a particular value. In 1940, seven years after its foundation, Dellorto started the production of high-performance carburettors for sporting applications. Thus began a journey which, in just a few years, took our carburettors touring circuits all over the world. To date there are over 500 world titles, including road and track races, cross, enduro, Dakar, speed records, trials, supermotard and karting, in which we have been protagonists. For us, Motorsport is the training ground of excellence for developing innovative and sustainable solutions. From the throttle bodies of the Aprilia MotoGP to those of the Porsche GT3 Supercup, from the carburettors for Karts, up to the ECU (engine control unit) of the Moto3″.
There is more and more talk about electric mobility. Will there still be combustion engines in the future?
«It is certainly a duty to aim to achieve the objectives of environmental sustainability, but without precluding all possible ways to do so. Dellorto offers a range of solutions for electric mobility, covering a range of powers and autonomy capable of satisfying all urban mobility applications. But for vehicles intended for long distances or prolonged use, it is necessary to aim for technological neutrality. Nobody excludes electric, but why exclude other avenues such as bio fuel, e-fuel and hydrogen? The technologies are there and in Italy, on some of them, we could also be leaders in research and innovation.”
Will there still be room for carburetors?
“Certain. In the Cabiate production plant we still produce them, for various uses and with renewed technologies resulting from the improvement, design and research carried out in the company. Just in recent days we have presented the PHDG, a brand new carburettor which will then give rise to a range which will be available in various sizes and settings. Carburettor conceived, designed and strongly desired by my father, the engineer Giuseppe Dell’Orto, president of the company. The new PHDG was developed taking into account all the characteristics of high-performance two-stroke and four-stroke engines, with the advantage of easier accessibility to the calibration elements.».
Your reality combines tradition and innovation. How does he do it?
«The tradition is due to the fact that we are a family business. Dellorto was born in 1933 in Seregno, Brianza, founded by my grandfather, who then passed the baton to my father, born in 1940, still present in the company today. And now there’s also me, my brother Luca and our cousin Davide, who make up the current company management. Ours is a reality that began as purely mechanical, then evolved into mechatronics and today is strongly oriented towards electronics. Innovation is part of this process.”
What advantages has this ability brought?
«If we hadn’t innovated, perhaps today we would still only produce carburetors.
And we would have closed ourselves off to those opportunities that technological evolution offers. Just think of innovations such as those represented by electronic injection, to control units up to electric. They were key steps”