Pirelli was founded by Giovanni Battista Pirelli in 1872 in Milan. Until 1901, the company produced scuba diving gear and rubber products before specializing in tires. The last 100 years have seen the manufacturer push the performance and innovation boundaries for both motorcycles and racecars.
Pirelli is now the sole supplier of the Superbike World Championship (WSBK) and Formula 1. This year, the multinational corporation is celebrating its cultural impact for the last 150 years.
It commemorated the achievement with a special event held at Piccolo Teatro in Milan. The hosts included TV presenter Ilaria D’Amico, Ferruccio De Bortoli, Annamari Testa, Renzo Piano, Paolo Mieli, Ferruccio Resta, and Stefano Domenicali.
“Today we wanted to travel together on a journey through history looking to the future,” stated Pirelli CEO Marco Tronchetti Provera. “Anticipating change is what Pirelli has been doing for 150 years thanks to the solidity of its business culture and its ability to always be the protagonist of the present. Elements that today allow us to reach this goal with an established brand all over the world. It seemed important to us to share this story with our city, our country, and with all the international realities and communities we deal with every day. Thanks to all the 30 thousand people who build our story every day at Pirelli.”
Pirelli launched an advertising campaign for 150 years that goes with the slogan “Power is Nothing Without Control.” It will include print, social media, digital, and television. The brand’s website will also showcase a video series and provide interactive web pages to test the firm’s “Sustainability”, “Sport”, “Product, Research & Development”, and “Art & Culture”.
Last year, the company released the Diablo Rosso IV and the Diablo Rosso Corsa IV Pirelli tires. It also improved the Diablo Superbike lineup with new products. We await the next development as the brand continues to push the limits.