Type Subsidiary Products AGV
MDS Headquarters Alessandria, Italy Founded 1946 | Industry Motorcycle helmets Website Official Website Founder Gino Amisano Parent organization Dainese | |
 | ||
Profiles | ||
AGV SpA. (Amisano Gino Valenza) is an Italian motorcycle helmet firm, founded by Gino Amisano (1920–2009), which started out in 1946 making leather seats and motorcycle saddles. A year later, in 1947, the company started making its first motorcycle helmets. In July 2007, the company was acquired by Dainese.
Contents
- 1977
- 1978
- 1985
- 1990
- 1991
- 1992
- 1994
- 1997 1998
- 1998
- 1999
- 2001
- 2007
- 2010
- MotoGP
- Moto2
- Moto3
- Super Moto
- Isle Of Man TT
- MXGP
- Enduro
- References
The brand is most notably associated with motorcycle World Champions Valentino Rossi and Giacomo Agostini, both of whom have used AGV helmets throughout their career. In 2008, Rossi was made an honorary president of the company. The brand can also count past Formula One world champions such as Niki Lauda, Emerson Fittipaldi and Nelson Piquet as wearers.
1977
Michael Parrotte opened talks with AGV Helmets in Italy about a plan to launch the brand in the USA.
1978
Parrotte begins to import helmets into the US through his company Intersport
1985
AGV Helmets signed a long term licensing contract with Intersport, Inc. to use the AGV brand on apparel and related products. First product created under the AGVSPORT brand name (the CX-1 glove) was worn by GP racing star Randy Mamola.
1990
AGVSPORT brand name appeared on the products for the first time and replaced the AGV name and tri color logo.
1991
Loris Capirossi won his first GP World Championship wearing AGVSPORT brand leathers and AGV helmets.
1992
AGV Helmets purchases 51% of AGV Sports Group.
1994
AGV Sports Group repurchases it shares from AGV Helmets to regain independence.
1997-1998
AGV Sports Group sponsored riders include Mat Mladin, Ben Bostrom, Eric Bostrom, Miquel DuHamel, Aaron Yates, Thomas Stevens, Pascal Picotte, and Steve Crevier.
1998
New contemporary lettering and logo introduced and appeared on products worldwide until 2010.
1999
AGV Sports Group and AGV USA separated offices and AGV Sports Group became not only legally autonomous but commercially as well.
2001
The licensing program was terminated when AGV Helmets in Italy formally acknowledged that the AGVSPORT brand were a separate and unique brand from the AGV Helmet brand.
2007
Dainese purchases AGV Helmets from the Belgian investment group.
2010
AGV Sports Group began a long term exclusive licensing arrangement for the US market with San Diego-based company Motonation.