The collection includes more than 60,000 images (prints, slides and negatives) in total related to the history of the company, extending from 1918 to the present day.

11,880 images have been catalogued and are available for online consultation.

They are divided into three categories:

• the first contains images related to products (from design to field demonstrations);
• the second includes events, fairs, press conferences, visits and inaugurations;
• the third relates to photos of production sites and of work in the factories.

This series collects the more than 3,100 articles published in the daily and periodical press, Italian and foreign, about SAME and SDF brands starting from 1928.

This library specialises in the history of farming and the mechanisation of agriculture, with 530 volumes from the twentieth century.

The Historical Archives are gradually gathering the degrees thesis produced over the years relating to brands and products or industrial processes of the company. To date, there are 122 titles recorded in the information system and available for consultation. This is heritage of particular interest, which highlights SDF’s role in academia and research.

The collection of technical journals in the sector includes 42 specialist publications, Italian and foreign, starting from 1954.

The company’s newsletters are important in reconstructing historic events, particularly SAME informazioni (1959-1966), SAME 4 Ruote Motrici (1966-2007) and Deutz Verkäufer Post (1968-1972).

This includes 1,254 videos – institutional, commercial, documentary, advertising and for events (fairs, conventions, press conferences) – produced on various media (VHS, U-MATIC, CD-ROM, DVD) starting from 1953.

The collection of technical documentation includes 6,332 publications in total, published in various languages and dating back to 1945. The catalogued material is divided into use and maintenance booklets (4,162), workshop manuals (780), spare parts catalogues (1,160), sales related documents (152) and flat rate manuals (79). These documents are very important to owners of both historic tractors and more recent ones. They are also essential in reconstructing the development of technology applied to agriculture.

Founder Francesco Cassani, SAME and the brands of SDF and their products have received many awards and honours over the years. This category brings together the more than 250 awards, certificates and trophies received from as early as 1939, when the Italian National Research Council awarded a silver medal to SPICA-Cassani for inventing injection pumps for diesel engines.

The collection includes the Group’s financial statements as of 1969 and is a detailed snapshot of all business carried out and analysis of the results achieved.

This category includes documentation produced from 1919, stored in more than 340 files. In particular, there are the files related to the foundation of SPICA-Cassani and SAME (Società in Accomandita Motori Endotermici). The Archives also preserve the articles of association, reports of the Board of Directors and minutes of the shareholders’ meetings of Group companies.

The technical documentation (calibration tables, assembly standards, testing and work notebooks, registers of drawings, technical reports and inspections) concerning the design and production of engines, components and machine tools is also a part of this series.

The documentation collected in the Cassani Album is of particular interest with respect to the history of the company. It includes letters, telegrams, agreements, technical reports and articles by the company’s founder.

The series of Registration Logs for SAME, Lamborghini and Hürlimann tractors (1952–1986) is also significant, as well as the Employee Registers (1943–1969).

Finally, the collection of spoken accounts, comprising of video interviews of former employees, helps capture the human side of the job, personality and lives of those who worked at the company.