The first AGV helmet dates back to 1947, a leather protector modeled on wooden molds and left to dry for an extended period to obtain a rigid, protective shell. It had a soft, padded inner lining for comfort and to increase impact absorption.
In 1954, AGV experimented with and presented the first fiberglass helmet, a more modern material, lighter and more protective than leather. The shell was still bowl-shaped.
In 1956, the first AGV open-face arrived, aiming to replace the outdated bowls. The open-face offered a more protective shell, more snug especially in the ear area and at the back of the head.
At the end of the 1950s, company founder Gino Amisano proved himself an innovator once more and came up with the idea of promoting the brand by exploiting the visibility of competitions. It was only the beginning of a trend that everyone imitated shortly afterwards and is still popular today.
AGV made contact with Giacomo Agostini when he was 25 years old and one-time world champion. The partnership between the company and the Italian professional rider was to take both to the heights of the motorcycle world in the following decade and in the years to come, through all eras of motorcycle racing.
AGV X3000 was the first full-face on the European market, a revolution in the world of helmets. The solution covered the whole head, immensely more protective and modern. It would soon be taken to the track by the champions, Agostini, Sheene and everyone else.
AGV reached the peak of auto racing, too. On the head of Brazilian Emerson Fittipaldi, AGV picked up the first and second F1 world titles in its history, beginning a tradition of victory also in this arena.
AGV continued its F1 winning streak and in 1975 was on top of the world with Austrian Lauda.
After Ago, Barry Sheene too was world champion in the 500 class with the full-face AGV X3000. The Australian would put in a repeat performance the following year, still wearing the Italian helmet.
Dr. Claudio Marcello Costa’s Mobile Clinic was established through the support of AGV. This flexible, ever-ready structure is at the service of professional riders on World Championship circuits.
AGV is a point of reference in safety also outside of paved circuits. For the third time in his career and the second time wearing AGV, Russian professional rider Guennady Moiseev was 250 class motocross world champion.
From the world of engines to the world of skiing. AGV research produced a specific helmet for the extreme speeds of the flying kilometer, optimized for minimal air resistance. Steve McKinney was a multiple-time overall record holder in the discipline, and in 1978 became the first man to break the 200 km/h barrier on skis.
After Agostini and Sheene, AGV also won in 500 with Kenny Roberts. The American professional rider came to Europe in 1978 and thrashed the competition for three seasons running. Roberts also introduced a whole new style of riding. He was among the first to corner with his knee to the ground.
In 1980, AGV was back on top of the world in auto racing. With Alan Jones, the Italian brand was F1 champion once again.
Keke Rosberg and his AGV helmet were Formula 1 world champions.
Angel Nieto won his thirteenth World Championship title wearing an AGV helmet. The Spanish champion, second in history only to Agostini, like his Italian colleague witnessed the fundamental transition from the bowl helmets of the 1960s to the safer, more modern full-face helmets.
Following on from its success in motocross, AGV also played a leading role in ‘the’ off-road competition, the Paris–Dakar Rally. AGV protected the Belgian former motocross world champion Gaston Rahier, twice winner of the grueling competition, in 1984 and 1985.
In 1987, AGV won its sixth Formula 1 World Championship title on the head of Nelson Piquet.
AGV rode together with three-time 500 class champion Wayne Rainey. The AGV Quasar helmet that Rainey wore was a definite step toward the protective performance offered by modern helmets, moving ever further from the simplicity of 1980s models.
In 1996 AGV, began its collaboration with Valentino Rossi. The pairing would go on to make motorcycling history over four different decades, from the 1990s to 2021. Together, AGV and Rossi took the concept of the helmet where it is today, an advanced safety system able to make a difference to performance as well as safety.
In 2007, AGV became part of the Dainese Group. The two companies, working in parallel on the mission to protect motorcyclists for over thirty years, became one, with the goal of offering motorcycle riders the most advanced integrated protection system from head to toe.
Valentino Rossi won his ninth world title wearing an AGV helmet. From the beginning of his professional career, Rossi has been an ambassador for the AGV brand and so for motorcycle safety, actively contributing to the continuing development of new solutions to protect motorcycle riders.
Pista GP revolutionized the world of helmets, just as full-face helmets did compared to open-face. Pista GP resulted from research into achieving the perfect balance between protection, aerodynamics, wide field of vision and ride comfort. It was developed in a wind tunnel, its 100% carbon fiber shell achieves unprecedented safety levels, and the wide visor provides a 190° horizontal field of vision.
AGV and James Hillier won the world’s most extreme road race, the Tourist Trophy on the Isle of Man. The innovative Pista GP offered maximum protection and ensured superior performance even in the unique road racing context.
Extreme Standards is the AGV design protocol that aims to achieve the perfect balance of safety, performance and comfort. Increasingly advanced helmets are created, capable of combining MotoGP™ protection, aerodynamics, lightness, compactness and comfort.
Founded in 1947, AGV celebrated its 70th year of activity.
Sportmodular revolutionized the world of touring helmets. It was the first modular that could combine the comfort of a touring helmet with the performance of a racing model. Its 100% carbon fiber shell made it the lightest modular in the world. The level of safety achieved by Sportmodular was comparable to that achieved by MotoGP™ helmets.
Pista GP RR, the latest development of Pista GP, breezily obtained strict FIM homologation, mandatory for all helmets worn in MotoGP™ racing since June 2019. FIM homologation proved a clear step forward in terms of protection compared to the standard helmet homologation required for road use.
AGV accompanied Thomas Chareyre in his eighth supermoto world title win. The French professional rider was the most successful in the history of the discipline.
AGV Pista GP RR climbed to the top of the MotoGP™ podium with Joan Mir. The Spanish professional rider was world champion teamed with the latest development of ‘the’ racing helmet, in its version with FIM homologation and regularly available on the market.
The Tourmodular was created, the new modular helmet designed for maximum safety and superior long-range riding comfort. Compliance with ECE22-06, the latest European legislation, demonstrated the excellent level of protection that Tourmodular could offer.
6-time world champion Max Biaggi wore an AGV Pista GP RR on an electric motorcycle speed record attempt. The aerodynamic performance of Pista GP RR, developed in the wind tunnel, helped the professional rider to boast this title as well.
At the Beijing Winter Olympics, the Italian national bobsled team took to the track with AGV motorcycle helmets. They proved the perfect combination of protection, lightness and practicality, even in a discipline far removed from the one for which they were designed.
