| Type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Motorcycle helmets |
| Founded | 1947 |
| Founder(s) | Gino Amisano |
| Headquarters | Alessandria, Piedmont, Italy |
| Products | AGV MDS |
| Parent | Dainese |
| Website | Official website |
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, it started making motorcycle helmets. In 2007, the company was acquired by Dainese.[1]
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.[1] The brand can also count past Formula One world champions such as Niki Lauda, Emerson Fittipaldi and Nelson Piquet as wearers.[2] Through the years, AGV has raced and won with a number of motorcycle and auto racers including Giacomo Agostini, Barry Sheene,[3] Kenny Roberts, Angel Nieto, Marco Lucchinelli, Franco Uncini, Fausto Gresini, Niki Lauda, Nelson Piquet, Emerson Fittipaldi, Randy Mamola, Luca Cadalora, Troy Corser, Max Biaggi and Manuel Poggiali.
In the 1970s, AGV started the AGV Cup, which was born as a three race endurance Championship raced in Daytona. In 1985, AGV signed a worldwide licensing agreement with AGV Sports Group a US corporation to design and develop a full line of AGV brand motorcycle apparel.