Sparco has two categories of products: racing safety clothing and vehicle accessories. Sparco's safety clothing product line includes helmets, gloves, suits, shoes, underwear, and pads. Within their vehicle accessories line, you will find seats, steering wheels, harnesses, pedals, shift knobs, light bulbs, and wheel spacers.
The company was founded in 1977 in Italy and today the ownership is still Italian; the company is one of the leading manufacturers of racing safety equipment.
In 1977, FIA decided to restrict their safety standards, in order to decrease injuries during races: the first product that brought fame to Sparco, was a fireproof racing suit,[3] that could withstand 11 seconds in fire, an absolute record for the time. This resistance was more than enough to meet new FIA 8856-2000 requests. Moreover, that was the only effective alternative to the cotton racing suits, which were not fireproof and did not meet the new requirements. Each year Sparco improved their technology, so the fire resistance of their suits increased yearly.
In 2009, Aldino Bellazzini acquired a majority stake in Sparco and assumed the role of Chairman. Following his appointment, Bellazzini initiated a series of technical improvements within the company. These enhancements contributed to Sparco obtaining the ISO/TS16949:09 quality certification in 2010.
Sparco, in collaboration with McLaren, developed the McLaren SP16+, a race suit that is notably at least 10 percent lighter than any other on the market. Since 2016, this innovative suit has been worn by drivers of the McLaren F1 Racing Team.
