The Timeline Behind The Brand “Carrera”
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1956
Inspired by the world’s most dangerous race, Wilhelm Anger named his sports goggles company after Carrera Panamericana in 1956. He believed that this race, being the longest and fastest in the world, was the future, just as he saw his cutting edge company.
1964
An innovative plastic called Optyl was patented in 1964. It weighed 20% less than acetate and other thermoplastic materials. It was more durable and had the ability to adapt to the face.
1970
The production of ski helmets and goggles was started at Carrera in 1970.
1974
Interchangeable lenses were first added to ski goggles in 1974.
1977
A new line of sports glasses was offered by Carrera in 1977.
1979
Carrera collaborated with Ferdinand Alexander, Porsche car designer, in 1979 to create the Carrera Porsche Design Collection. This revolutionary line of sunglasses was the first foldable glasses, and they featured interchangeable lenses as well.
1981
In 1981, prescription glasses were launched by Carrera. The sales network at Carrera expanded, including 16 countries with products sold in 80 countries.
1986
The Boeing and Sunjet collection were introduced in 1986—two exclusive lines produced by Carrera.
1987
In 1987, Carrera took a huge step forward in the world of athletics when they became the official sponsor of the America’s Cup in Perth, Austria.
1988
Carrera saw more success in sports in 1988 as a sponsor for the Winter Olympic Games. Their ski masks were the most popular among the winning athletes. They also sponsored Formula One driver Gherardi Berger that year.
1989
Carrera introduced its cycling collection in 1989 at the infamous Paris-Roubaix race. That year, they were also the most popular ski mask producer for the World Cup ski championships.
1990
Carrera introduced their cycling goggles and helmet collection in 1990.
1996
Carrera joined forces with the leader in the production of high-quality frames—the Safilo Group—in 1996.
1997
In 1997, Carrera supported some of the best cycling teams at the Tour of Italy (Giro Italia).
2000
Hermann Mayer from Austria won the World Cup in 2000.
2002
Carrera sponsored Max Biaggi, Louis Capirossi, Roberto Locatelli, and Marco Melandri in 2002. These drivers were some of the most popular in the motorcycle circuit at that time.
2005
The fiber helmet was released by Carrera in 2005—considered to be the ultimate in innovation technology.
2006
The 50th anniversary celebration of Carrera was celebrated in 2006.
2007
The first iconic style, the Champion was relaunched by Carrera in 2007.
2008
Following the huge success that the Champion brought, Carrera led the fashion world in 2008 with its launch of the heritage models—Champion Endurance and Safari.
2009
Carrera brought back the style and edge of their sunglasses when they began making optical glasses again in 2009.
2010
Continuing on the path to success, Carrera ventured into the U.S. market in 2010.
2011
In 2011, Carrera brought back their iconic Carrera 86 model with an updated package similar to the original.
2012
Carrera launched one of its most popular models to date in 2012—the Carrera 6000. It features a distinctive design made in Optyl and has a bone temple.
2013
Carrera began selling their revolutionary foldable helmet in 2013—it’s perfect for city life. The helmet is paired with their exclusive Carrera 6008 sunglasses. The iconic sunglasses were inspired by Carrera’s unique history.
The iconic Carrera 80 was also released in 2013. Its design is very similar to the Carrera80 aviator; it has a double bridge and is lightweight. It also comes with a cover that features the Carrera Victory C logo.
2014
Following the previous year’s success of the Carrera women’s capsule collection by Jimmy Choo, Carrera and Choo collaborated to design the exclusive capsule collection for men.
2015
In an attempt to rewrite their history and improve their brand, Carrera improved their popular Champion model by giving it new proportions, a better fit, and a more updated look.
Check out our carrera collection here.