Amati's Story

MODELLING AND PASSION SINCE 1879

In 1879 Turin was undergoing a period of change: Italy was a young Kingdom, the Capital had been moved to Rome, King Vittorio Emanuele II had passed away the previous year, and his son Umberto I succeeded him to the throne.

In Turin, the nobility and landowning bourgeoisie still held sway, but new social classes and industrial habits were emerging. It was a city bustling with carriage traffic and the first horse-drawn trams, with theaters and cafes abounding. The Mole Antonelliana, which would become the city's symbol, was under construction.

1879 THE BIRTH OF CARLO AMATI

In one of the main streets of the historic center, at number 9 Via Garibaldi, Mr. Carlo Amati opened the workshop of his company, "AMATI CARLO – TRAFORO".

It immediately became a reference point for woodworking: materials of all kinds, magnificent Art Nouveau designs for precision and richness, and woodworking tools.

Plus, an innovation: the entire range was illustrated in catalogs, making it easier for the public to choose and purchase.

The name of Amati became established: the scroll saw designs (especially the most beautiful ornaments) were even requested as models in gold ornamentation schools in Valenza Po, province of Alessandria, one of the main Italian goldsmith districts. They are still in use today.

Meanwhile, the Royal House of Savoy awarded two diplomas to Carlo Amati, allowing him to display the royal insignia on the signboard.

BOMBINGS, PLYWOOD CUTOUTS, EXPORTATION

In the early 1900s, the brand expanded: there were retailers in every city in Italy, and exports to Argentina and Syria began, thanks to some Turin merchants.

In the 1930s, following the Great Depression, Amati was forced to supplement scroll saw articles with "Fine Arts" items: famous Turin painters became his regular customers.

During World War II, much of the warehouse was evacuated to Asti: plywood was used to replace broken glass during bombings, while scraps were used for scroll saw production.

There was no rope to tie the packages: parachute harnesses were used instead.

After the war, screen printing directly onto coloured plywood began, thanks to a new system imported to Italy by former prisoners in the United States.

Scroll sawing turned into modeling - especially ship modeling - with new construction plans and related accessories made of wood and brass.

FROM THE 1970S TO THE PRESENT DAY

In 1974, the new headquarters at Via Piacenza 3 in the Mirafiori working-class district was inaugurated: sales and especially exports continued to rise, with distributors in the USA and Japan.

The great effort of workers, employees, designers, and owners ensured that the entire Company was always evolving.

Around the world, Amati became synonymous with Modeling Boutique: automatic feed brass stamping dies and metal micro-casting allowed for pieces increasingly faithful to reality, both in shape and scale.

The launch of kits still loved by collectors today (the U47, the Italian Runabout, the Ferrari Arno XI speedboat, the Titanic, the Endeavour) has been enormously successful, thanks to the exquisite details achieved through new photolithography and laser cutting systems.

In 2002, AMATI became an S.p.A. and entered its third century of history: an excellent achievement for a family business born from the passion and industriousness of Italian artisans.

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