OZ Group

The OZ SpA is an Italian manufacturer of alloy wheels. The company is known mainly by the strong involvement in motor sport under the brand OZ Racing.

The company was founded on January 4, 1971 in a garage in Rossano Veneto, Vicenza, Silvano Oselladore and Pietro Zen. Their initials gave the company name OZ. In 1978 the company was converted into a public limited company and a plant in San Martino di Lupari, Padova built. As an exclusive customer won OZ 1982 the luxury sports car manufacturer Lamborghini. Two years later, the foundation of the racing department and the entry into Formula 1 as a supplier of Alfa Romeo. Since then, there was also world champion title for equipped with OZ wheels for teams and drivers as Alain Prost ( Williams F1) and Fernando Alonso (Renault F1). The Formula 1 involvement holds up to the present to enter - 2008 BMW Sauber F1 and Red Bull Racing to use special wheels from OZ.

Due to the large growth in the 1980s, the factory was established in 1992 substantially increased. 1998 acquired OZ as one of the first Italian production company the ISO 9001 certification. To OZ group includes the two branches OZ Japan Ltd.. and the OZ Germany GmbH. According to company site 70 million Euros turnover were last generated with 400 employees.

Except in Formula 1 OZ is also active in numerous other racing series. Especially the rally sport where equipped with OZ wheels driver won numerous titles is known - last Sébastien Loeb 2007 Other successes are victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 500 miles of Indianapolis, the FIA ​​GT Championship. and in the DTM. With Aprilia in the late 1990s, a motorcycle team was equipped.