1986, HelmutNewton
Italy
“Pioneering innovation to stay
ahead of the game”
Marco Tronchetti Provera
CELEBRATING 140 YEARS WITH PRESIDENT NAPOLITANO
9 october 2012
Marco Tronchetti Provera
CELEBRATING 140 YEARS WITH PRESIDENT NAPOLITANO
9 october 2012
Founded in 1872 by the young Giovanni Battista Pirelli, Pirelli & C. began diversifying its products well ahead of its time (producing insulated conductors for telegraph communications, submarine telegraph cables and a range of technical items), and investing in the promising automotive industry.
Pirelli's "marca stella" bicycle tyres were a symbol of innovation and cutting edge technology. The company launched its debut car tyre, the "Ercole", in 1901.
One of the first participants at the Milan Expo in 1906, Pirelli made a stylish debut in the world of graphic design, capitalising on the potential of advertising with the first billposters.
The first sporting victories confirmed the enduring success of the Pirelli brand: the 1907 Peking-Paris was a key opportunity for reputation building.
The 1920s saw the development of the innovative Cord technology, successfully applied in the most important competitions of the day (Formula 1, Rally, Superbike and Mille Miglia), and definitively associating the brand with high performance products.
The Pirelli magazine was launched in 1948, an innovative communications tool that blended industrial culture with promotional activities.
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In the early 1950s Pirelli developed the revolutionary Cinturato radial tyre, still in production today, and also excelled in the cable industry, winning a contract to lay coaxial cables for the new long distance telephone network and Italian television communications.
1952: Pirelli Cinturato
1960: Pirelli Center(Gio Ponti)
Reflecting the Group's strong commitment to international expansion, 1960 saw the opening of the new headquarters in Milan, the "Pirelli Centre", in the skyscraper designed by Gio Ponti.
A communications icon for more than 40 years, the Pirelli Calendar made its debut in 1964, celebrating the female form and contemporary ideals of beauty, and once more "pioneering innovation to stay ahead of the game".
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In the 70s and 80s the "low profile" design revolutionised the very concept of the tyre, leading to the creation of the P7, a ground-breaking product for the industry.
In 1977 the first experimental telephone connection using fibre optic cable was made, and in '81 the first fibre optic telephone line was installed on the national network, between Padova and Mestre.
The 1987 Sanremo Rally saw the launch of "P Zero": the new tread design set to replace the classic rain tyre was exclusively fitted on the Ferrari F40.
In 2002 Pirelli decided to deploy its industrial design expertise in the world of fashion, launching the PZero project. The name chosen for the apparel brand comes directly from the tyre invented in 1987.
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Pirelli blazed back into F1™, signing in 2011 an important agreement as sole supplier for the 2011-2013 period, renewed for the next three years up to 2016, and continuing to invest in communications activities to promote its pioneering industrial and technological innovations for Formula 1™.
