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Contemporary masters
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The story of the passion and enterprise of Terzo Dalia originates in the heart of Emilia, on a low-lying hill in the Scandiano area, among the Lambrusco vineyards. The workshop where he assembles scale model engines is located in a beautifully restored old barn on the farming estate where he lives. His love for cars and for the legendary Ferrari began at an early age: Terzo was 15 when a silver Berlinetta flashed past him, making him want to have one of his own. When he took the lead of the family ceramics business in Sassuolo, he kept the promise he had once made to himself. Terzo has been the proud owner and driver of various prestigious Ferrari models including the 250 SWB California, the 275 Spider, the 365 BB and the 512 TR. When he sold the company, in 1996, he made another of his dreams come true: to recreate the exact 1:3 replica of an historic Ferrari engine, perfect in every detail, including the materials originally used by the Ferrari factory. With a clear idea of how he wanted his “engine-sculptures” to be and assisted by the small specialised team he selected for this purpose, Terzo Dalia meticulously set about creating his first model: a copy of the 250 GT competition engine, originally built in the 1960s by the mechanical engineer Gioachino Colombo. SUSANNA POZZOLI How did your create your first fully-assembled scale-model Ferrari engine? TERZO DALIA I had just changed my lifestyle and, with more time at my disposal, I was delving into the study of the 12 cylinder 250 GT competition “V” engine. It was 1997: the year of my 50th birthday and the 50th anniversary of the Ferrari brand, an incredible coincidence! A friend told me that an international modelling competition was being organised by the Ferrari company as part of the celebrations. Inspired by this opportunity, my son and I managed to finish the engine and, to our surprise, we won first prize and special congratulations from Piero Ferrari. We were told that Luca Cordero di Montezemolo wanted a scale model for himself. That’s how we started our business, which reunites craftsmanship and car modelling, the science of mechanics and manual skill. S.p. Why did you choose Ferrari and why in this scale? T.D. I was motivated by my passion for mechanics. In its field, Ferrari represents the top end of engineering and the 1:3 scale is particularly challenging: due to their size, the scaled-down elements are difficult to make but at the same time they are very detailed. My name is Terzo (Third) and I think that this too affected my choice! Our engines are so perfect that they reflect the high standards of the Ferrari brand, highlighting the beauty of each polished and gleam-
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ing component. They are sculptures, works of art that you can contemplate and also take apart. Technically perfect and true to the originals, down to the smallest detail. S.p. How is the scale version of an engine made? T.D. It takes us between 10 to 12 months to carry out the technical researches, study the original engines, create the moulds and the wood prototypes, test the model’s assembling. Ferrari has often given us access to the original designs, but there is nothing better than studying the real engine. Which is something we have always been able to do thanks to the support of our collector friends. This has allowed me to verify details, proportions and materials during each phase of the project, in order to avoid errors. Like the Ferrari originals, the scale engines are made from sand-cast and handshaped “galsi-9” aluminium. Other components are in latheturned stainless steel and, in some cases, we make details in brass and copper. For the latest engines, we collaborate with foundries that work with carbon fibre. It takes about 30 days to hand-assemble an engine. All the components are screw-mounted with no use of adhesives. Many models have an internal mechanism that can be rotated manually in the same firing order as the original engine. Each scale engine is made in a limited series of less than a hundred copies: when production is finished, the moulds and tools are destroyed. S.p. What is your role in this long production process? T.D. I am the idea man, the careful and meticulous observer, the mediator and artistic director. From start to finish I follow the project in every detail, source suppliers for each component (whenever possible, the same of the original Ferrari engines), and the best experts to tackle the inevitable technical challenges. I do not have the manual skill to do the milling, the turning or the welding; but, like an orchestra conductor, I plan, direct and follow every step of the process. S.p. How did you develop and promote your business? T.D. Ever since we created our first model we have received a great deal of coverage from the press: over 1,500 articles worldwide! But the best and most important publicity comes from our customers. Enthusiastic collectors with whom we have built a direct personal relationship, and who write us letters of praise. The first came from Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, in 1997. That was one of the biggest thrills of my life. Over the years, our creations have continued to grow in value, and our sold-out items are auctioned for over four times the original price. On top of this, the endorsement from Ferrari has contributed to making our company important and respected.
05/03/15 18:57