Giampaolo Dallara


Giampaolo Dallara, Founder and President of Dallara Group was born in Varano de' Melegari (Pr) on the 16 November 1936. In 1959 he graduated in aeronautical engineering and began working at Ferrari, moving on to Maserati, Lamborghini (where he designed the Miura) and De Tomaso. In 1972 he founded the “Dallara Automobili da Competizione” in his hometown, Varano de’ Melegari (PR).

The successes in different international championships, the affirmation in America with the Indycar, the consultancies for important manufacturers and the constant attention for technology and innovation have led Dallara to be recognized as one of the most important institutions specialized in the design, development  and production of racing cars.

In 2012, he inaugurated the Dallara IndyCar Factory in Indianapolis. In 2014, the Dallara group acquired Camattini Meccanica, specialized in the processing of carbon fiber. In 2016 the DARC was built as a research center on composite materials. In 2017 the "Fabbrica Dallara" was created for the production of the first "Dallara Stradale". In 2018 the "Dallara Academy", an exhibition center for the main Dallara cars, with educational workshops for schools and seat of the 2nd year Master's Degree in Race Car Design, was opened to the public in Varano de' Melegari.

On October 18th 2021I, Giampaolo Dallara along with his daughter Angelica, officially founded a family Foundation, named in memory of his daughter Caterina, who passed away in 2007. The Foundation will be funded only through the private profits of the family, which will be allocated to projects for the community of Varano de’ Melegari and surroundings. These projects will be related mostly to welfare initiatives, to promote the social and cultural growth of the territory with particular attention to younger generations and to the people in need.

Giampaolo Dallara has received numerous awards, including: the Entrepreneur Award of the year E&Y for the Global category in 2009 and the International Barsanti and Matteucci Prize in 2012. In 2011 the Rose Hulman Institute of Technology in the United States proclaimed him Honorary Doctor of Engineering. In 2014 the University of Parma awarded him the title of Professor Ad Honorem in Industrial Engineering. Also in 2014 he was appointed to the Ordine al “Merito del Lavoro” (Order of Merit for labour) by the President of the Italian Republic, and in 2016 he was nominated Cavaliere del Lavoro of the Italian Republic. In 2018 he was awarded with the CONI prize "Stella al Merito Sportivo".

He lives in Varano de’ Melegari, in the province of Parma, he is the father of Angelica, a graduate in Aeronautical Engineering who is also a partner and collaborator of Dallara.