​Giovanni Parilla

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In 1946 Giovanni Parilla founded the Moto Parilla company, which designed and manufactured successful motorcycles. In 1959 the first rotary valve engine exclusively for karting was designed by Giovanni Parilla  with the contribution of Cesare Bossaglia, a mechanical engineer. The US version of this engine was named “Thunderbolt”, the Italian translation is “Saetta”. In 1962 Saetta Company was created, which manufactured go-kart engines, with Giovanni Parilla as the managing director. Results in competition and commercial areas exceeded expectations from 1962 until 1968, when Giovanni Parilla retired and the company closed. In 1970 sons of Giovanni, Angelo and Achille Parilla founded DAP to manufacture go-kart engines. 
The Parilla Story by Tony Brinkworth, Chairman of the British Historical Kart Club
1971 Parilla HF-17
SAETTA Engines