In 1945, Carlo Rampini opens a small garage in Passignano sul Trasimeno, a little town in Umbria, Italy. His experience in the fields of mechanics and hydraulics and — above all — his resourcefulness are to prove crucial factors in the development of the company. What’s more, the historic context of the post-war period provides fertile ground for the workshop to grow. Soon, its activities expand to include the inspection and repair of decommissioned military vehicles.

Over the next years, Carlo’s wife Fernanda Pepini joins the business, bringing a determination to her work that matches her devotion to her family. Thanks to a high demand for labour, the little business enjoys rapid growth. This change also entails a significant move, with the transfer of the company’s headquarters from the little workshop in the town centreto a larger warehouse with enough space for the 30 employees it now boasts.

The 1970s bring a second turning point: Rampini becomes qualified as a supplier in national military tenders , winning several contracts for the review of vehicles in the defence sector. These decades also mark the entrance of Carlo’s sons, Franco and Stefano Rampini, into the business. As pioneers in the area ofdesign, their skills make a valuable contribution to the construction of special vehicles for civil and military services, fire prevention and GSE (Ground Support Equipment).

During the decade from 1990 to 2000, the Rampini family consolidates its presence in the airport sector with the from-scratch design and construction of JANUS: a two-faced bus representing the perfect solution for managing huge volumes of passenger traffic. Moreover, the company embarks upon an exciting new challenge with the acquisition of the Prinoth group from its former owners. A collaboration with Pininfarina results in an exclusive snowcat model: Everest, which is in production to this day.
TWENTY YEARS OF BUSES

In the early 2000s, the company seizes an unmissable opportunity when it purchases from the Court of Modena the designs for six- and eight-metre Alè diesel models, previously owned by CAM before its closure. The vehicles are put back into production and swiftly sold. At the same time, the family takes a united approach to research and development and gets to grips with the future, setting its sights firmly on what is to come. The company is far ahead of the curve in committing whole-heartedly to vehicle electrification and to designing the first zero-emission vehicles. The fruits of its labour are the E60 and E80, two different models of the first 100% electric, Made in Italy buses, measuring six and eight metres respectively in length.

2011 also sees the first prototype of a hydrogen bus, which has been improved upon over the course of the last decade by a highly specialised R&D department.

The company’s production centreand its management and administrative offices are still in Passignano sul Trasimeno, while the current plant has an area of around 80,000 sqm, 20,000 of which are indoors, spread over a number of separate production departments. The company has two internal warehouses for the supply of materials, a structured quality department, and a workforce of over 100 employees on which it can depend.

With the third generation now at the wheel, the company is once again looking to the future with the design, creation and production (entirely in Italy) of Hydron: a hydrogen bus like no other, the result of a decade of work and studies.

This innovative vehicle is the only one in Europe capable of transporting up to 48 people in just eight metres. It manages to combine the benefits of electricity with the sustainability of hydrogen, all in a single bus.

Finally, Rampini has a fully renewed fleet to present at BUSWORLD EUROPE 2023, ready to face whatever challenges the market may present.