2022 marks the 150th anniversary since Pirelli started operations in 1872, and to celebrate this momentous milestone, Pirelli, together with with the direction of the Piccolo Teatro of Milan, put together a theatrical story full of testimonials, voices and images to represent a history of industry, culture, tradition, technology, and passion that epitomises its glorious history that spans three centuries – 1800s, 1900s, and 2000s.

“Today we wanted to take a journey together through history but with our eyes on the future. Anticipating change is what Pirelli has done for 150 years thanks to the solidity of its entrepreneurial culture and ability to be a protagonist of the present. These things have allowed us to reach this milestone with a brand established around the world. We felt it important to share this story with our city, our country and all the international groups and communities that we work with every day. A thank you to all the 30,000 people who every day at Pirelli build our history”, said Marco Tronchetti Provera (above), Executive Vice Chairman and CEO of Pirelli.

Front and centre of this celebration is Pirelli’s 150^th Anniversary logo, unveiled in November 2021 at the launch of the 2022 Pirelli Calendar by Bryan Adams. The logo featured recently at the Rallye Monte Carlo, where it adorned the car that opened the rally stages, the stunning Kimera EVO37 restomod, based on the Lancia 037 Group B rally car.

Also seen on the vests of competitors in the World Ski Cup in Cortina and at San Siro at the Inter-Venezia game, the logo will continue Pirelli’s 150th anniversary celebrations through Pirelli sponsorships throughout the rest of 2022.

Prior to the event at Piccolo, Milan, an international countdown began on 24 January in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, continuing on the following days with the logo being projected across the 180 metres of the CITI Tower in Shanghai, and with a 3D animation of a tyre rolling down a decline and stopping before shooting off-screen on the Times Square Nasdaq Tower in New York, and on Palazzo Venezia between Via dei Mercanti and Piazza Cordusio in Milan.

This then kicked off the celebrations in Milan. If you’ve watched The Godfather 2, then you’ll have a pretty good idea of how Italian theatre goes. ‘twas no different at the Piccolo Teatro, with a nod to modern times and technology coming courtesy of five large screens. Four actors told the story of Pirelli beginning with its history on 28 January 1872 when Giovanni Battista Pirelli, who at only 23 years of age bet on something absolutely new: rubber. In the beginning, the company produced insulators for telegraphs and cables, and then moved into everyday items like swimming caps, toys and raincoats, to tyres for wagons and bicycles.

Pirelli’s roots in producing insulators for telegraphs and cables meant that internationalism was inevitable. Born in Milan, it quickly became a multinational, to the point of being considered English in the UK, Brazilian in Brazil and American in the USA. Through its factories, Pirelli sowed its roots in many countries. Numbering 18 today, these factories are modern and feature new-fangled technological advancements such as simulators, artificial intelligence and MIRS robots that were invented by Pirelli itself.

Such movements could not be sustained unless the mover is constantly innovative. This is Pirelli’s story, to “look inside to understand,” an ethos that has kept the company moving with its eyes always on the future. Pirelli holds over 6,700 patents registered in 150 years and this does not happen unless a company is willing to re-look, rediscover and reinvent itself. Pirelli’s collaboration with over 50 leading universities and its more than 2,000-strong workforce in Research & Development stand testament to this ethos.

What drives Pirelli, however, is its deeply-rooted heritage in motorsports and its passion for sport. Take for example the Beijing-Paris Rally of 1907, covering 17,000km and won by Prince Scipione Borghese, driving an Itala equipped with Pirelli tyres 20 days ahead of the team that finished in second place. Today, Pirelli can be found actively participating in over 350 motorsport competitions from GT, rallies, superbikes to Formula 1. However, Pirelli is not limited to motorsports and is also involved in football, cycling, winter sports and famous sailing events with Luna Rossa.

“Power is nothing without control.” We at AUTA agree wholeheartedly with this creed. Pirelli’s history, steeped not only with wins and advancements but also obstacles and failures such as the proposed mergers with Continental and Dunlop in the 1990s has forced the company to return to its core competencies and laser-focus on them. This has led to Pirelli growing stronger and stronger over the decades and centuries that it has been in existence. We hope to see many more fruitful years to come for Pirelli and the world at large that knows the company for its tyres, high-fashion and famous calendars. Happy 150th anniversary Pirelli!

Pirelli makes some objectively great tyres. Click here to find out how Pirelli rubber performed at AUTA’s 2022 tyre test!