Anyone who is passionate about the agricultural world and, in particular tractors, will consider Rino Benatti’s Historical Museum a real Mecca, located in Barco di Bibbiano, in Reggio Emilia.
Who is the man behind the Italian museum from whom it takes it’ s name?
He is a collector, whose love for tractors is not much different from that for a woman. A love story with a capitol L, which started in 1951 when Rino still a 5 year old boy, saw a three wheeled Oto Melara for the first time.
But then as sometimes happens in life the story between Rino and the Oto came to an end.
The boy decided to leave the fields and change town to become a baker. However one day by chance he came across an Oto he had never seen before, and the passion for this machine returned stronger than ever before, so much so that he decided to find all the models produced by the company and to collect them.
So what will you find in this museum?
Rino Benatti did not keep these pieces of history all for himself, on the contrary his community spirit allowed him to open his doors and share everything produced in the agricultural field which has made history in Italy and around the world, and has become a symbol of Made in Italy.
Entering this museum you can appreciate not only one of the most important historical tractors in Italy, but also see all the historical information and touch the original documents of the agricultural machines, and see all the material that Rino has made available to the visitors.
An exclusive and beautiful collection
It is a rare occasion to see the Oto Melara models restored and shiny as new all together for the first time ever, and above all have the possibility to chat with the creator of this collection…He will be happy to tell you a few stories and answer all your questions!
For example do you know which was the first Oto tractor in Italian history? Or which model was the last one produced by the company? Or who the engineer Camillo Corradi was and why his role was fundamental to the Oto’s history? These and many others questions will be answered by visiting one of the most important Historical Tractor Museums in Italy.
Just so you don’t arrive completely unprepared, here are a few facts about the famous company…
How the Oto was born
The Oto, acronym of Odero Terni Orlando, was born in 1929 as a company for the production of ships, machines and artillery. Only a few years later, and precisely in 1950, it sold the first tractor. Shortly thereafter, it was put into liquidation and in its place the Melara Mechanical Company was created to keep the factories running.
In 1953 Oto Melara was born, whose production was not limited to machines for plowing fields, but also for textile machines and forklifts.
During the 1950s, as a result of the continued demands from the Italian Ministry of Defense, Oto Melara had to make it’ s factories available for the production of cannons and war equipment and continued to produce tractors only until 1962.
Well, at the Rino Benatti Historical Museum you will have a chance to go back in time and admire the beauty of these incredible machines …
