A passion that comes from afar, the desire to understand the mechanics and put them back into operation, that is, which seems unrepairable and where others give up. Since he was a child, when one night in the silence of the room, while everyone was sleeping, he completely dismantles a toy vehicle so coveted and so requested by his mother, who, discovering it, strongly reproaches him. Only then to discover the following morning that that toy had then been perfectly reassembled in all respects. Giovanni wanted to see how it was made.
Growing up, his passion leads him to eat in a hurry every time he returns home from school and to throw the satchel in the first useful place to run, despite the reproaches, to a craftsman not far from home who repaired and resold tractors and agricultural machinery. He was just 12 years old. Here, he learns the trade and meets the Allgaier Porsche world. In fact, many tractors of this brand came from northern Italy, purchased by this craftsman who, once settled, resold them to the farmers of the area. Giovanni is very smart and learns quickly, he doesn't hold back and burns the steps.
At 15 he is already autonomous in demanding repairs and often amazes many customers by starting an engine in a few minutes when others older than him, after hours of work, could not find a solution. Bravo "Giuvanein", this was the greatest reward, the satisfaction of solving that was given to him by the customers and by his owner. The only reward, as for most of the time he never received a fee, being an apprentice. But this didn't matter to Giovanni as learning a trade and doing what he liked was the only goal. Once he has completed his military service in the Air Force, he returns home and sets up his own business. He begins to work in a small room adjacent to the house, the so-called "La Casela" in agricultural jargon, always present in the farmyard of the past. He has no economic means but the will and trust of a spare parts supplier who allows him to pay for the material as he collects from customers, combined with a small loan made to him by his father, allows him to start repairing cars, agricultural machinery, do mechanical and bodywork repairs. And customers begin to arrive more and more. The same customers who had followed him in his start of work and who find in this young man capable of solving any problem, active and always available, the new area reference for their repairs.
An agent of Sgorbati, a manufacturer of agricultural machinery of the time and importer of Zetor tractors, noticed him and began the collaboration first of assistance and then of sales. Manferdini Giovanni agricultural machinery then begins to repair and market presses, mowers, gouge balers and Zetor tractors, which together with other brands make him known and allow him to expand his line of customers. It is 1971. Over the years he invests and works tirelessly to increase his business and make it grow, doing what is needed, including building a new warehouse that incorporates the old "Casela" where the adventure began years earlier. Over the years the name of the company passed from Manferdini Giovanni to Special Mac by G. Manferdini and the marketing of Zetor tractors continued, which over time passed from the Sgorbati management, meanwhile closed, to the Stegagno management of Verona. These are years in which the work increases a lot and some collaborators are added to Giovanni and to the firm point of company management, his wife Roberta, always by his side. It was 1991 when a serious health problem forced him to stop for a few months during which his wife Roberta took care of everything, continuing the company waiting for Giovanni to return to full capacity almost a year later. In these years some transformations were carried out on Zetor tractors, coming from Manferdini lowered for use in particular areas of the peninsula. It was the "Lp" version born from the ingenuity and technical skills of Giovanni Manferdini.
The collapse of the Berlin Wall and various economic changes led Zetor to a long period of oblivion, during which the Special Mac began to market the Steyr tractors subsequently joined by the Hurlimann brand. The loss of Steyr due to the acquisition of the brand by Case and subsequently Cnh followed the beginning of the collaboration with Valtra, almost in the same period in which his son Luca joined the company, further developing the commercial area. It is the year 2000 when the Special Mac ceases to exist and the current Manferdini srl is established. Mr. Giovanni continues his activity following the assistance area while the company is more structured and in 2003 takes up the challenge that will prove to be the beginning of the period of affirmation of Manferdini srl to all intents and purposes a dealership. First by obtaining the concession of the Landini McCormick brands and consolidating this position then in 2010 by obtaining the Claas mandate and Caterpillar authorized assistance. These are years in which the company grows and changes a lot and also the machines and assistance they need evolve prematurely, requiring more and more training and the use of electronic tools. In conjunction with the transfer to the new current headquarters of Manferdini s.r.l. in 2018,
Mr. Giovanni, still a partner of Manferdini s.r.l. and owner of the buildings together with his wife Mrs. Roberta, decides to focus on the true and strong passion of the past. The mechanics of pure and historical machines. For some years now, in fact, Mr. Giovanni, remembering where the tractors he saw at the workshop where he worked as an apprentice were sold at the time and having in mind the customers and where he went to make repairs, had therefore started to buy some tractors of these disused and now obsolete. Mainly Porsche and Allgaier, but not only. These purchases combined with some withdrawals made in Manferdini s.r.l. and at the closure of many small farms, it will bring the group of tractors collected to about 170 current pieces.
The "Manferdini Giovanni Collection" is born, made up of many unique brands and tractors, including Allgaier, Porsche, Lamborghini, Deutz, Fendt, Zetor and many others and more, with some unique and well-preserved pieces. In addition to the tractors there are also vintage agricultural tools, many of which are made of wood and also recovered over time by Mr. Manferdini. The true passion of bringing each of these machines back to operation and to their ancient origins, almost all functioning, leads him from time to time to take care of some of them and to fix any mechanical problems. Where even the bodywork requires it, a complete restoration takes place, from welding, carry-over of corroded parts, straightening, grouting, refinement of the surface up to painting and assembly of all the small details that are part of the origin and checking the full functioning of everything . In fact, let's not forget that at the beginning of his career Mr. Giovanni as well as being an excellent mechanic also became a skilled coachbuilder. Today the passion and knowledge of Mr. Manferdini are available to all fans of vintage agricultural machinery, enclosed a little in the personal collection and a lot in the mind and hands of a special person. Giovanni Manferdini.
History. Passion. Dedication. For a lifetime.
