In 1961 Emilio Bombassei and his brother-in-law Italo Breda founded a small mechanical workshop in Paladino, about 60 km north-east of Milan. Among others they were suppliers of Alfa Romeo. By accident 1964 a delivery of disc brakes from England reached the Alfa factory in Milan only imperfectly because of a truck accident. It was intended to test and repair it, but at the same time the two decided to enter in this relatively new product segment.

1965 the company had 28 employees, today (2017) by the way more than 6,000 in three continents. In the meantime, the range of disc brakes had been extended to all conceivable vehicle types. Heavy investment started in 1972. In the middle of the seventies the equipment of a Guzzi V7 Special and the first partnership with Ferrari in the Formula 1 opened the way into the motor sport.

Successful motorcycle companies like MV Agusta were added as clients. Aluminum conquers the brake caliper for Alfa road vehicles. The company was now called Brembo. Porsche came as a customer. Gilles Villeneuve won the GP of Monte Carlo 1981 with this new Brembo technology. Carbon became the new material for the brake discs of Formula 1 in 1984.

Towards the end of the eighties the company entered the series production and a first expansion to California, e.g. as an equipment supplier in the Indy Car Championship. The first equipped standard car there was a Chrysler Viper. Also in Europe Brembo spreaded out, e.g. with a plant in Czestochowa (Poland). The number of employees was well over 1,000.

The beginning of the "conquest" of South America took place in the mid-nineties in Puebla (Mexico). Motor racing, especially also of two-wheelers, remains the dominant theme. The company Marchesini is taken over, specialist for magnesium wheels of racing machines. With SKF they work together on 'Brake by Wire' (video above). China is the third continent.

After 2000 the cooperation with Daimler-Chrysler was strengthened in the field of ceramic brakes. The company became partial supplier of Harley Davidson, was committed to two-wheelers in India, build a futuristic development center, 'conquered' other important customers such as Ford and Toyota. The plant in the Czech Republic was created and deliveries to Land Rover, BMW, GM and Audi were added. Start-ups in all three continents. 05/17