Pirelli in Turkey through the pages of Turk Pirelli’s magazine
On 26 April 1960, the Pirelli Group expanded once again with Turk Pirelli Lastikleri SA, a new subsidiary headquartered in Istanbul. Just two years later, the company opened a factory in Izmit to produce radial textile tyres for cars, trucks and agricultural vehicles, making Pirelli the very first tyre manufacturer in Turkey. The move was prompted by the commercial success of its products, which had been imported into the country ever since 1948, and by the rapid growth of the local market driven by the rise of mass motorisation. This, too, was a bold decision, as Leopoldo Pirelli recalled 25 years later, for it was a time of political uncertainty—Turkey had just witnessed the first coup d’état in its history as a republic—and of “a general lack of confidence in the country’s economic and social future”. By 1985, the results spoke for themselves: the plant was producing 1.2 million tyres a year, employing 1,000 people, and had opened a new department for metal-belted radials. Pirelli had established a leading market position, supplying original equipment for every car model manufactured in Turkey and dominating the replacement market through a widespread network of over 500 dealers nationwide. In the 1960s, the Turkish subsidiary launched its own in-house publication. In 1965, the magazine Pirelli made its debut—the official voice of Turk Pirelli, as the subtitle proclaimed. Today, the entire collection can be browsed digitally in the Historical Archive section of our website. It was one of the later Pirelli house organs, coming after those published in Argentina, Brazil, Spain, the UK and, of course, the original Italian magazine Fatti e Notizie. The Turkish edition was unlike other magazines for employees, right from its name, and was something of a hybrid: part in-house publication, part glossy magazine like the Italian Pirelli. Rivista d’informazione e di tecnica. Together with company news, profiles of retailers, reports on company events, and technical articles on tyres and how to fit and maintain them, readers also found articles on cinema, theatre, art, music and sport. There were also many in-depth analyses of Turkish history, traditions and places, including a serialised feature on “The Legend of the Bosphorus”, which came out in 1967 and 1968, and illustrated articles on Atatürk, which were often previewed in evocative cover images. The early issues featured glamorous portraits of actresses such as Hülya Koçyiğit, Gina Lollobrigida, Sylva Koscina and İnci Çayırlı on the cover. Over time, these gave way to pictures showcasing Turkish landscapes and sites of historical and artistic significance.
The last page featured cartoons by Kemal Akkavuk, as well as a tribute to the Turkish cartoonist Cemal Nadir (issue no. 31, 1967), and there was a humour section titled “Let’s Laugh a Little”, edited by Engin Nur.
Each issue included a summary in French, and until 1968, several articles were also published in French—especially those on art and history, and reports, such as the one on the congress for 500 retailers in Yalova (issue nos. 21–22, 1966). From 1969 onwards, some articles were accompanied by abstracts in French.
The magazine came out once a month and was edited by Emil Elâgöz (later Nami A. Elâgöz), followed by Mustafa Özalay and Uğur Canal. Its run ended in 1979 after 183 issues. Pirelli, however, remained in Turkey, as did its communications activities, which have now gone digital. Today, the Turkish arm of the Pirelli Group celebrates 65 years. Its Izmit plant, affectionately known as “the factory of champions” due to its role in motorsport tyre production since 2007, now supplies every major racing series in which Pirelli competes—including Formula 1.
On 26 April 1960, the Pirelli Group expanded once again with Turk Pirelli Lastikleri SA, a new subsidiary headquartered in Istanbul. Just two years later, the company opened a factory in Izmit to produce radial textile tyres for cars, trucks and agricultural vehicles, making Pirelli the very first tyre manufacturer in Turkey. The move was prompted by the commercial success of its products, which had been imported into the country ever since 1948, and by the rapid growth of the local market driven by the rise of mass motorisation. This, too, was a bold decision, as Leopoldo Pirelli recalled 25 years later, for it was a time of political uncertainty—Turkey had just witnessed the first coup d’état in its history as a republic—and of “a general lack of confidence in the country’s economic and social future”. By 1985, the results spoke for themselves: the plant was producing 1.2 million tyres a year, employing 1,000 people, and had opened a new department for metal-belted radials. Pirelli had established a leading market position, supplying original equipment for every car model manufactured in Turkey and dominating the replacement market through a widespread network of over 500 dealers nationwide. In the 1960s, the Turkish subsidiary launched its own in-house publication. In 1965, the magazine Pirelli made its debut—the official voice of Turk Pirelli, as the subtitle proclaimed. Today, the entire collection can be browsed digitally in the Historical Archive section of our website. It was one of the later Pirelli house organs, coming after those published in Argentina, Brazil, Spain, the UK and, of course, the original Italian magazine Fatti e Notizie. The Turkish edition was unlike other magazines for employees, right from its name, and was something of a hybrid: part in-house publication, part glossy magazine like the Italian Pirelli. Rivista d’informazione e di tecnica. Together with company news, profiles of retailers, reports on company events, and technical articles on tyres and how to fit and maintain them, readers also found articles on cinema, theatre, art, music and sport. There were also many in-depth analyses of Turkish history, traditions and places, including a serialised feature on “The Legend of the Bosphorus”, which came out in 1967 and 1968, and illustrated articles on Atatürk, which were often previewed in evocative cover images. The early issues featured glamorous portraits of actresses such as Hülya Koçyiğit, Gina Lollobrigida, Sylva Koscina and İnci Çayırlı on the cover. Over time, these gave way to pictures showcasing Turkish landscapes and sites of historical and artistic significance.
The last page featured cartoons by Kemal Akkavuk, as well as a tribute to the Turkish cartoonist Cemal Nadir (issue no. 31, 1967), and there was a humour section titled “Let’s Laugh a Little”, edited by Engin Nur.
Each issue included a summary in French, and until 1968, several articles were also published in French—especially those on art and history, and reports, such as the one on the congress for 500 retailers in Yalova (issue nos. 21–22, 1966). From 1969 onwards, some articles were accompanied by abstracts in French.
The magazine came out once a month and was edited by Emil Elâgöz (later Nami A. Elâgöz), followed by Mustafa Özalay and Uğur Canal. Its run ended in 1979 after 183 issues. Pirelli, however, remained in Turkey, as did its communications activities, which have now gone digital. Today, the Turkish arm of the Pirelli Group celebrates 65 years. Its Izmit plant, affectionately known as “the factory of champions” due to its role in motorsport tyre production since 2007, now supplies every major racing series in which Pirelli competes—including Formula 1.
