The SAME Museum expands its collection with the Delfino 35 from 1995, a new version of the 1970s model already in the Museum. The SAME Delfino was one of the Treviglio-based company’s longest-lived tractors, produced for 24 years, from 1971 to 1995. Over 31,500 of these tractors were built in this period, testifying to the modernity of their original design.

The new tractor arrived in Treviglio in the autumn of 2022 and has undergone several restorations in order to remove all signs of ageing. It was a great team effort involving several company departments, particularly the SDF Service (Workshop and Academy), which, coordinated by the Historical Archives, led the salvage of the tractor and its restoration.

We can admire the result at the Treviglio Museum. After many years of toil in the field, the Delfino has returned home. We are looking forward to celebrating with you!

A bit of history…

In the late 1960s, SAME marketed a new, smaller machine aimed at all small family farms and larger ones as a complementary vehicle.

The name of the first version was Delfino 32, and it was launched in 1971 under the name ‘centoattrezzi’ (‘Hundred Tools’) to emphasise its versatility and wide range of use. An air-cooled, twin-cylinder SAME diesel engine with individual injection pumps powered this new ‘small utility vehicle’.

The Delfino 32 soon gave way to the higher horsepower Delfino 35, which continued its long career until 1995. It was a brilliant machine, free of annoying vibrations, with low fuel consumption and a tank that provided a decent range. The Delfino’s flagship feature was the dual traction with central and coaxial transmission without constant velocity joints: a SAME innovation, introduced with the Centauro, ensured low power dispersion, ground clearance, and front axle oscillation. With an excellent lifting capacity (1,340 kg), the lift had a pump that did not draw power from the transmission as on previous SAMEs, but from the engine with an independent oil tank.

The driver’s seat on the running boards was quite comfortable and adequately protected by the large rear mudguards. However, the real safety came from the roll over protection frame, which immediately identifies the machine in the SAME Museum.

Differences between the historical and modern Delfino 

For the Delfino of the 1970s, ‘all that glitters is not gold’. Indeed, some flaws led to modifications over time that we can see in the 1990s example in the Treviglio Museum.

Hydraulic power steering replaced the mechanical steering in the dual traction drive version, which was rather tiring to use; In the early versions with dry discs, the brakes were not always quick and effective, so they switched to oil-bath ones, improving operability and durability.

The bodywork of the first Delfino featured blue mechanicals and exterior front headlamps on either side of the bonnet, while in the later version, the headlamps were set inside the front grille, which was modified, as were the bonnet and instrument panel; the mechanics turned graphite black.

The Delfino made a name for itself in the Italian market and catered to the needs of family farming.