Savoy opens exhibit celebrating Pirelli
The Savoy Automobile Museum in Cartersville is hosting a special exhibit celebrating tire manufacturing company Pirelli.
In 1872, the 23 year old Giovanni Battista Pirelli founded “G.B. Pirelli & C.” in Milan, Italy. Fast-forward 150 years and Pirelli, an internationally recognized brand, is among the world’s major producers of tires.
To celebrate the company’s 150th anniversary in the United States, Savoy Automobile Museum and Pirelli are presenting an exclusive exhibition of Pirelli: The Story of a Company — A 150-Year History of Passion and Innovation.
Opening on Tuesday and on view through Sept. 4, the exhibition tells of the history and present-day world of Pirelli.
Starting from the first factory opened in Milan to produce rubber items, followed by the first Motorsport victory in 1907, aboard an Itala fitted that won the Beijing-Paris raid, to finally arrive at the international expansion of the company and recent successes on track and on the road. Visitors will experience a three-century journey of technology and innovation.
The exhibit tells the history of Pirelli through the creative elements of artists, designers, masters of communication and advertising, and through the works of leading photographers — from photos of the factories to the great names behind the iconic Pirelli Calendar. Many of these images come from Pirelli Foundation.
Savoy Museum will host a specially curated collection of automobiles that showcase Pirelli’s wide range of tires as well. From beautiful vintage cars to Motorsport jewels, they range from a Trans Am vehicle and modern-day Formula 1 car developed for the 2022 season — including for the upcoming Miami Grand Prix — to the fully electric Rivian that gives a glimpse of how the future of mobility is taking shape.
The exhibition is also the opportunity for Pirelli to celebrate 20 years of its presence in Georgia.
Pirelli inaugurated its plant in Rome in 2002. The factory is a robotized production facility focused on premium specialty tires for cars, light trucks, and SUVs.
The Pirelli factory in Georgia is also the first tire plant in the world to be certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. FSC forest management certification confirms that the natural rubber plantations Pirelli sources from are managed in a way that preserves biodiversity and benefits the lives of local communities and farm workers, while ensuring economic viability.
The full lineup of vehicles on display includes:
♦ 1947 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Cabriolet (On loan from Jim Taylor)
♦ 1962 Lancia Flamina GT 3C Touring Coupe (On loan from Ivan & Myrna Ruiz)
♦ 1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS (Savoy Collection)
♦ 1967 Iso Grifo — Series 1 (On loan from Ivan & Myra Ruiz)
♦ 1970 Maserati Ghibli Spyder (On Loan from Ivan & Myra Ruiz)
♦ 1987 Lamborghini Countach (On loan from Ron Green)
♦ 1991 Ferrari F40 (On loan from the Mauzy Family and 1thirtyone Motorcars)
♦ 2022 Formula 1 race car (with 18-inch wheels, an update for the 2022 season)
♦ 2022 Rivian R1T (On loan from Rivian, LLC)
♦ 2022 Trans Am Spec Chevrolet Camaro (On loan from Trans Am Championship presented by Pirelli 150th Anniversary Trans Am Class Camaro)