L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, AUGUST 7, 2025 www.italoamericano.org 16 L'Italo-Americano I w a s r e c e n t l y i n m y stepbrother's kitchen and saw one of those vintage style SMEG fridges in bright red. It looked like a 1950s appliance brought into the present – curved doors, bold chrome handle, and an unmistakable retro feel. "A wedding gift," he reminded me, "20 years and it's still going strong!" SMEG is, in fact, known for its iconic retro kitchen appliances, but i t ' s w a y m o r e t h a n t h a t : there's a long history behind the company and a broader product range that deserves attention. It was founded in 1948 in G u a s t a l l a , i n E m i l i a R o m a g n a , b y V i t t o r i o Bertazzoni as a metalwork- ing and enameling business, h e n c e t h e n a m e " S M E G , " short for Smalterie Metallur- giche Emiliane Guastalla. In the mid 1950s, the company began producing gas cookers, launching its first branded model, Elisabeth, in 1956, notable for features like auto- matic ignition and cooking programming. During the 1960s, SMEG expanded into washing machines with Leda, and later introduced the Nia- g a r a d i s h w a s h e r i n 1 9 7 0 , which offered a then unprece- dented capacity for 14 place settings. By 1971, SMEG was pro- d u c i n g b u i l t i n o v e n s a n d hobs, laying the groundwork for its rise in kitchen appli- ance design; the following decade saw collaborations with well known designers: in 1977, graphic designer Franco Maria Ricci created the SMEG logo, incorporating elements reminiscent of hob burners and oven knobs in a form that suggests infinite elegance. Later partnerships included architect Guido Canali in the mid 1980s, Mario Bellini i n t h e e a r l y 1 9 9 0 s , a n d Renzo Piano in the mid 1 9 9 0 s , w i t h d e s i g n s t h a t spanned ovens, cooktops, f r i d g e s , a n d e v e n a s m a l l kitchen garden unit. In 1997, SMEG introduced the FAB line of refrigerators, styled to echo 1950s designs, available in pastel and bold colors. Needless to say, they quickly became international style icons and brand identi- fiers. Since then, SMEG has extended the FAB aesthetic into small appliances – ket- tles, toasters, stand mixers – a d d i n g c o m p a c t e v e r y d a y i t e m s i n m a t c h i n g c o l o r palettes from 2014 onwards. C o o k e r s h a v e a l s o b e e n added to the collection. Despite its success and increasing business, SMEG remains a family run com- pany into its third genera- tion, with production based in Italy, in multiple factories including Guastalla, Bonfer- raro, Chieti, and San Giuliano Milanese. As of 2022, SMEG reported revenue of approxi- mately €847 million (around $925 million), with roughly 2,600 employees as of 2021. It is distributed worldwide, with 19 subsidiaries and rep- resentations on five conti- nents, including markets like t h e U S , U K , F r a n c e , G e r - many, Spain, Australia, Rus- sia, and China. Besides resi- d e n t i a l a p p l i a n c e s , t h e c o m p a n y a l s o p r o d u c e s equipment for professional catering under SMEG Food- service and medical steriliza- tion systems under SMEG Instruments, and absorbed espresso machine maker La Pavoni in 2019. Design awards have fea- tured prominently in SMEG's h i s t o r y : p r o d u c t s s u c h a s ovens and hobs designed by M a r c N e w s o n e a r n e d t h e Wallpaper Award in 2009, and multiple Good Design Awards and Red Dot Awards followed from 2010 onwards for lines including Newson, L i n é a , D o l c e S t i l N o v o , Portofino, and their small appliance models. The com- pany is also famous for its special collaborations and limited editions: in 2012 a denim clad FAB28 fridge was created in partnership with Italia Independent, followed i n 2 0 1 3 b y t h e S M E G 5 0 0 fridge referencing the Fiat 500 car. In 2016 and beyond, SMEG teamed with Dolce & Gabbana to launch hand painted art fridges, expanding into matching small appliance collections like Sicily is my Love and Blu Mediterraneo, the latter featuring Mediter- ranean blue patterns. This collection was released in 2024 with price points up to $5,500 for fridges and around $700 for smaller items. Today SMEG appeals to a wide range of consumers: it draws design enthusiasts who value aesthetics and those who want functional appli- a n c e s t h a t m a k e a v i s u a l s t a t e m e n t . I n a n e x p e r t roundup by Homes & Gar- dens published this month, S M E G w a s h i g h l i g h t e d a s "most stylish" among refrig- erator brands for its 1950s retro design. And they are not only beautiful, they also last, a s m i l l i o n s o f h a p p y c o s - tumers around the world can testify! T he creation of the motore a scop- pio (the internal c o m b u s t i o n engine) is one of t h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t m i l e - stones in the history of mod- ern engineering, and its first working version was devel- oped in 1853 by two Italian engineers, Eugenio Bar- santi and Felice Matteuc- c i . T h e i r g r o u n d b r e a k i n g invention laid the foundation for the engines that would later power automobiles and revolutionize transportation. The idea for the internal combustion engine began in the early 19th century when Barsanti, a priest and engi- neering scholar, observed a gas explosion during a scien- tific demonstration in 1841. The event sparked his idea to harness explosive force for mechanical work. In 1851, Barsanti partnered with Mat- teucci, an experienced engi- neer, to develop a machine that would use the energy from gas explosions; their work culminated in the cre- a t i o n o f t h e f i r s t i n t e r n a l combustion engine, which u s e d a g a s m i x t u r e t h a t would ignite and expand to move a piston inside a cylin- der, converting this motion into mechanical work. I n 1 8 5 3 , B a r s a n t i a n d Matteucci presented their engine at the Accademia dei Georgofili in Florence, officially documenting their invention, and they received a B r i t i s h p a t e n t f o r t h e engine the following year. The patented version of their i n v e n t i o n f e a t u r e d a t w o - cylinder design and is consi- dered the earliest precursor to modern engines. Although the engine was technically successful, its practical appli- c a t i o n w a s l i m i t e d a t t h e time, and the duo built a pro- totype only in 1856, testing it at the Benini Foundry in F l o r e n c e . T h e e n g i n e w a s u s e d t o p o w e r s m a l l machines, but its use did not spread widely. In 1861, Barsanti and Mat- teucci founded the Società del Nuovo Motore to pro- mote their invention. Howe- ver, the company struggled due to financial challenges, and the premature death of Barsanti in 1864 put an end to their efforts. Despite this, t h e i r w o r k r e m a i n s a k e y chapter in the history of engi- n e e r i n g : t h e p r i n c i p l e s behind their engine opened the stage for the development of modern internal combus- tion engines, influencing the creation of the motors that would eventually drive auto- m o b i l e s a n d c h a n g e t h e w o r l d . T h e i r i n v e n t i o n r e m a i n s a c o r n e r s t o n e o f modern engineering, still rel- evant today as the very root of internal combustion tech- nology. Barsanti and Matteucci were true pioneers for the development of internal combus- tion engines (Image created with DALL-E 2) Barsanti and Matteucci: the Italian pioneers of the first motore a scoppio SMEG: the Italian brand behind the world's most stylish kitchen appliances Vintage-style SMEG kitchen appliances (Photo: Amoklv/Dreamstime) IMPRESA ITALIA MADE IN ITALY TOP BRANDS BUSINESS & ECONOMY

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