Pirelli

Pirelli - tyres 2026 - market overview, tests, reviews

• Origin: Italy
• Made in Romania, Italy, Russian Federation, Turkey

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The famous Italian brand inherently associated with racing tyres offers over 100 years of experience in the production of tyres for high-performance and sports cars. Pirelli tyres enhance the extraordinary experience of fast and aggressive driving.

About the company

Pirelli is a traditional European rubber brand that has managed to combine excellent driving performance, driving pleasure and tyre durability over its 140 years of existence. It is the fifth largest tyre manufacturer and one of the most profitable tyre companies. Pirelli has offices all over the world and employs over 37,000 people.

History

In 1872, Giovanni Battista Pirelli founded the company bearing his name. In its early days, the company manufactured equipment for divers. In 1890, production of Milano bicycle tyres was launched. The first Pirelli passenger car tyre was called Ercole and was produced from 1901. Shortly after the success of its passenger car tyres, Pirelli became involved in supplying tyres for racing cars. In 1913, cars fitted with Pirelli tyres took first and second place in the French Grand Prix Automobile race, giving the company recognition and prestige not only in the racing sphere. In 1922, the already very successful and famous Italian company was listed on the Milan Stock Exchange. In the inter-war years, the successful rubber company introduced the revolutionary Stella Bianca, which became the first tyre with a real tread pattern for the most powerful modern tyres. In the 1950s, Pirelli launched the Cinturato generation tyre, which brought radial technology to the tyre field and revolutionised the world of tyres. At the end of the 1950s, the tyre revolution was revolutionised. The company then decided to demonstrate its success by building its own skyscraper, the Pirelli Tower. In 1964, the company first published its legendary calendar with nudes, originally intended as a New Year's gift for its important clients. The next revolutionary tyre was the Pirelli P7 in 1972, a tyre originally designed for rally use, specifically for the Lancia Stratos, which became the model from which the new low-profile tyres were derived. Through its tyres, Pirelli thus contributed to a performance level that was unthinkable at the time. Since 2002, the Pirelli brand has been strengthened by the PZero technological cutting-edge project, designed for sports and high-performance cars.

Action

Pirelli is involved in an incredibly large number of motor racing events. For over 100 years, it has successfully participated in virtually every event in motor racing, including the Formula 1 series, where Pirelli was awarded the honour of being the exclusive tyre supplier from 2011-2013. Outside the world of cars, Pirelli is also actively involved in the field of modelling, through its famous calendar, which is almost as prestigious in the world of modelling as the Michelin star in the field of gastronomy. Its pages have featured world-famous models such as Jennifer Lopez, Kate Moss, Naomi Watts and Mila Jovovich.

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