In 1959, Gian Paolo Dallara left Polytechnic with an aeronautical engineering degree and went to work for Ferrari. Soon after, he worked at Maserati and then at Lamborghini. As the sixties came to a close, he was working for de Tomaso on their F1 and F2 projects. Other work experience included the ISO-Marlboro F1 car driven by Frank Williams.

By the mid-1970s, with sufficient life experience and a well-polished craft, Dallara decided to venture out on his own. He began producing a sportscar, the X1-9, followed by racing versions of the Lancia Stratos and Beta Monte Carlo. His first F3 car was built for Walter Wolf racing in 1978. The car was renamed Emiliani 380 and won the 1980 Italian F3 Championship. The Emiliani 380 was run by the Ferdinando Ravarotto team and driven by Guido Pardini.

The first true Dallara was created in 1981 and was named the Dallara 381.

by Dan Vaughan