Carburetor maker Weber celebrates 90th birthday

Weber -- one the great names in automotive carburetion -- has just turned 90. The company was founded by Edoardo Weber in Bologna, Italy in December 1923.

In 1920, Weber got his start producing kerosene conversion kits for Fiat trucks (gasoline being relatively expensive in Italy at the time). Fabbrica Italiana Carburatori Weber's first side-draft double-throat carburetor was part of an upgrade kit for the Fiat 501.

The company was bought by Fiat subsidiary Magneti Marelli in 1952, but production continued in Bologna under the Weber name.

It was only natural that Italian marques employed Webers; everyone from Autobianchi to Zagato (along with the likes of Ferrari, Lamborghini and Lancia) put 'em underhood. Other automakers like Aston Martin, Porsche, Lotus and Ford got in on the act, too, to say nothing of the racing and aftermarket applications for the company's carbs. Motorcycle manufacturers including Moto Guzzi, Ducati and Harley Davidson also employed Webers.

In case you've got a project that would benefit from some enhanced carburetion, you can still buy brand-new Webers today. They've got models to fit everything from your Plymouth Sapporo to your Porsche 356, and by all accounts they're making them as good as they used to (albeit in Spain rather than Italy).

By Graham Kozak