Preface
The road is a strip of asphalt that guides you through the hills of Val Ceno. It seems to take you nowhere or wants to make you get lost in a landscape that sometimes presents itself in the same way. But at a certain point, framed by the car window, like an oasis in a desert, a yellow sign appears, a bright yellow sign ready to challenge even the most densely foggy days. It stands proud among tufts of grass, and it seems to have always been there over the years, born from the earth. It bears the inscription "Dallara". Here begins our story which, like all stories, has its protagonist. And then, if you are lucky, you can see him in the distance: he is a man getting out of a car. The quick steps and the proud gaze lead him towards a building, whose facade is made of mirrors that reflect the clouds in pleasant weather. This is Giampaolo Dallara, and he is crossing the threshold of what is his creation.

For fifty years now, he has dedicated himself to his creation with patience and dedication and seen it grow by being by its side every day, supporting it in times of difficulty and rejoicing in its achievements. Just like in the best love stories.

A story like this deserved to be told, illustrating in images and words the adventures of an automobile manufacturer without them being the protagonists. We started from a blank sheet of paper that travelled with us to Italy, Europe and even America. It followed us loyally and curiously, covering kilometres by our side to knock on the door of fifty characters - just like the number of years of Dallara - who could talk to us about it. It accompanied the memories and vicissitudes of the protagonists by patiently guarding their precious secrets and getting them to speak without any distinction, without a hierarchical scale that could induce the reader to make differences between a manager, a worker or a racing driver. And that’s why the black and white portraits came about, able to give us images without time or geographical location and therefore eternal, like the stories of those who posed for us after providing us with a piece of their lives.

This project was a real challenge but also a surprise, sometimes unexpected. Because we let ourselves be overwhelmed by stories and we laugh, we were moved, we remember the past with a sigh, but also the future with a dream. We are incredulous when we think that “this can't be true,” but it is. Dallara has been able to give so much to those who are friends with it, and it is easy to let yourself be led by hand in this adventure. Like in a novel, or in a movie. But also as in life. So, let it be an unforgettable journey for you readers, as it was for us – The Authors