S.A.M.E., an acronym for Società Accomandita Motori Endotermici, was founded in 1942 in Treviglio (Bergamo), Italy, by the brothers Francesco and Eugenio Cassani. It is now part of the multinational group SAME Deutz-Fahr (SDF), which also owns the brands Deutz-Fahr, Lamborghini, Hürlimann, Grégoire A/S and Lamborghini Green Pro .
In 1927, the brothers Francesco and Eugenio Cassani designed and built the Cassani 40CV agricultural tractor. This was powered by a Diesel engine, a form of propulsion that had begun to be used in industrial, military and rail vehicle applications since the 1920s. The engine was a two stroke horizontal two-cylinder unit with a capacity of 12,723 cm3 producing forty horsepower at 550 rpm, with wick ignition, a compressed air starter system with pressurised air tank air, 4 speeds (3 FWD and 1 REV) and a top speed of 15 km/h. This tractor was sold at a price of 28,000 Lire. The tractor designed by Cassani was sold under license by Officine Gaetano Barbieri in Castelmaggiore.
Established in 1942, the newly formed company SAME initially manufactured petrol and diesel engines for civil and industrial applications such as winches, cranes, ploughs and fire-fighting pumps. In 1946, SAME introduced its first motor mower models, powered by an 8 HP petrol engine.
At the Milan Trade Fair in 1946, SAME presented its first 3-wheeled petrol-powered motor mower, which could also be attached to other agricultural machinery and implements. This was the company's first “universal tractor”, catering for the needs of the market in the years immediately following the Second World War.
The SAME 3R/10, a universal small tractor powered by a single cylinder 10 HP petrol engine, was presented in 1948. This machine had two driving wheels and a single steering wheel, variable track and reversible drive. The tractor was awarded the gold medal by the Turin Agricultural Academy. On 24 October 1948, the “Giornale dell’Agricoltura” described it as “a gem of Italian industry”.
Production of the brand's petrol powered models began in 1950, with the introduction of the 10 HP SAME 4R/10 and the 20 HP 4R/20.
1952 saw the launch of the DA 25, the first mass-produced modern tractor with all-wheel drive, powered by a 25 HP, 2280 cm3 two cylinder diesel engine, with a 7 speed transmission and a top speed of 24.3 km/h. The name DA stood for Diesel Aria (Diesel Air), as the engine was air-cooled, in keeping with SAME traditions. Mass production of four-wheel drive tractors, with original dual traction system, already conceived in 1928, begins.