| MOMO | |
|
|
|
Technology
and passion, elegance, style and sport... Road wheels, steering wheels and
prestigious accessories have made MOMO a constant presence in the dreams and
wishes of those who consider their car a way to express their personality.
MOMO began in the 1960's; its history is an example of the creative, imaginative entrepreneurship that has allowed small Italian businesses to expand and conquer international markets. It all began with a passion for motor racing. One day Giampiero Moretti, a politics student at the University of Pavia and amateur racing driver had a friend of his make a very special steering-wheel for his racing car. It was smaller than the normal ones used but what was most original about it was the handgrip, a very large handgrip that gave a much better hold, making the car easier to handle and to drive. This odd steering-wheel attracted the attention of many racing drivers, among them John Surtees of Ferrari. The English driver tried it, was enthusiastic and had it mounted on his single-seat Formula One car. That was a happy year for Surtees and Ferrari, who won the F.1 championship, and also for Moretti's steering-wheel, which had its share in the glory. Requests for it began to pour in, and what had begun for passion grew into a business. In 1966 a plant in Tregnano, near Verona, was opened to produce these steering-wheels, giving birth to MOMO (initials that stand for Moretti-Monza). The first order was from Ferrari, which had decided to use MOMO steering-wheels on all its racing cars. With this formidable entree, MOMO could begin to scale the international market. Initial sales of the steering-wheel were limited to the racing world, but in 1970 MOMO began to widen its horizons. On the one hand it diversified production and on the other it broadened its steering-wheel range. It began to produce light-alloy wheels, a product to which MOMO brought new concepts in marketing and Design, while in the steering-wheel sector it created new lines for the after-market and for use as special original equipment on top-class sportscars, Ferraris in the first place. At the end of the eighties MOMO signed a contract with Rolls-Royce to supply its original equipment. And then came orders for original equipment on top-of-the-line cars built by Aston-Martin, Citroën, Daihatsu, Ferrari, Fiat, Honda, Isuzu, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Opel, Porsche, Peugeot, Renault, Saab, Subaru, Suzuki, Toyota, Volkswagen (Votex), Volvo.
In 1964 a
MOMO steering wheel won the Formula One world championship on John Surtees’
Ferrari. It was the first success
for a name which over the following thirty years was destined to become the
world leader in car accessories. Each year, for nearly half a million consumers
in 45 Countries, a MOMO steering wheel represents the choice of a charismatic
brand associated with top quality production. MOMO leather undergoes extensive
testing and is specially selected at the tannery for its suitability for
handcrafting of MOMO steering wheels. The leather is then colored with special
substances to give the same quality look year after year. Momo wood steering
wheels today, as twenty years ago, are built with the same art, passion and
skill for wood craftsmanship. In the hands of our expert artisans, the wood
takes form and becomes a luxury driving instrument. African mahogany, zebrano
wood, briar wood (after a long aging period) are selected to form part of the
rim and pads. The wood is rolled, after being sliced in very fine sheets, under
incredible pressure making for greater safety.
MOMO
DESIGN
Aspiring
to the concept of diversification, MOMO has created a line of personal
accessories signifying the lifestyle of those who enjoy and live the life of
speed, with the unique MOMO taste for design.
They are Momo Design products: sunglasses, watches, leather products and
shoes, carbon fiber and titanium pens, snowboards with a revolutionary look, and
the new leather jackets; products which take Momo style outside the automobile.
The
importance of Design in the success of MOMO products led to creation of a
separate division in 1982, MOMO DESIGN,
specializing in Design R&D. MOMO DESIGN not only deals with all sectors of
car Design from interiors to new shapes and fittings, but is also involved in
sectors outside car manufacture. MOMO DESIGN's first creation was a steel
wristwatch, later made with ultra-modern materials like titanium and carbon
fiber. Diversification strategy went towards new accessories, and has continued
to do so until today, with the creation of MOMO CORSE (Racing).
MOMO
CORSE
In 1964
Ferrari won the Formula One world championship with a steering wheel created by
Gianpiero Moretti. This was the first MOMO steering wheel, and the first success
for a brand destined to become world leader in car accessories over the next
thirty years. Gianpiero Moretti, MOMO’s President, but also an expert driver,
is the ideal link between the Company and the racing world. On the racetracks,
MOMO finds a unique technological and qualitative testing ground to check the
total security of its products. Over 100 victories on the racetracks assure the
very high level of competitivity and efficiency reached by MOMO. Momo Corse was
born out of the hundreds of victories won by MOMO products on racetracks the
world over, and from the direct experience of the MOMO team in the best known
American races. The company has been set up to design, study and produce high
technology road and competition accessories, and to import and distribute the
very best in racing products from around the world.
MOMO
CORSE, which got its
start in 1993, is a company that designs and produces hi-tech racing accessories
and also imports the best of the world's racing fittings, from bucket-seats to
jumpsuits, thermal caps for tires and special exhaust pipes.
After a few years in business, MOMO CORSE exports its products to 20
countries in Europe, the Americas, Asia and Australia. Design, innovative and
vanguard technology, safety, quality control, the right kind of distribution
strategy and careful imaging are at the basis of MOMO's success. Right from the
start, design was a prime key to this success.
Design with a strong character, easily recognizable abroad for its
inimitable Italian styling. The use
of vanguard technology guarantees the superior quality that MOMO products are
acknowledged universally. Particularly in the wheel sector, MOMO's continual
innovative philosophy has allowed it to win out over even the toughest
competition. Since 1970 all MOMO products have been certified by the TÜV,
Germany's quality control and product-safety institute. Safety is a prime
concern at MOMO, and product development and Design research are carried out in
full observance of safety standards, without detracting from the style and
elegance typical of MOMO products.
MOMO'S
WHEEL
In as
difficult and extremely competitive a sector as that of light alloy wheels, MOMO
has rapidly won the leader’s position in the top segment of the international
market. With a steady stream of new and creative designs the company has been
able to win the favor of customers the world over, showing a tremendous capacity
for understanding and interpreting a market in a state of constant and frenetic
evolution. The advanced "Research and Design Center" of MOMO is one of
the nerve centers of the company. The designers operate in strict contact with
the technicians in charge of engineering, thus ensuring the ultimate in
efficiency and professionalism. In addition, the R&D Center maintains close
and qualified relationships with the Experimental Institutes of the leading
Universities, continuing in-depth research of the most advanced technology and
the behavior of all alloys. A road wheel design can deeply modify and affect the
general appearance of a car. It is therefore vitally important to have a wide
range of products with strong personalities. The latest road wheel collection
was designed and created by MOMO with a very precise object: to launch onto the
international market a line of very diversified wheels, which are able to reply
to the different individual requirements of different customers. Each design
suggested by MOMO "Design Center" has had to prove its particular
capacity to match with the design of several different cars. This makes possible
a variety of style and technical combinations between wheel and car.
MOMO’s
experience in styling and in the development of anatomic grips for steering
wheels, with the use of special woods and selected leathers, now brings a
complete range of shift knobs, which responds to the various individual
requirements of different driving styles. The anatomic models have been designed
for the sporting enthusiast, and ensure thanks to their specific shapes, a
secure and comfortable grip for the fastest gear shifts.