When the young chemical engineer Giulio Castelli founded Kartell in 1949, he immediately had product innovation in mind, making the most of the potential offered by the available materials. The first Kartell product that already shows all the logic of the industrial system is the "K 101" ski rack. The product comes from the opportunity to use a new semi-finished product produced by Pirelli Pneumatici, the Nastrocord, a resistant and elastic sandwich tape, which is made up of two layers of canvas interspersed with a layer of rubber. The new material is used for the two bands that make up the ski rack, equipped with eyelets to attach the skis and metal buckles to be fixed to the car's gutter. The "K 101" immediately presents itself as a much more elegant product than the Marche products on the market, easy to hook and unhook with a few simple moves, it is immediately appreciated and will remain in the catalog until the end of the 60's when the limit speed on the motorway will increase, no longer allowing the use of this formidable but far too light product. The Kartell Car Accessories Division will be active until 1967 and will offer dozens of items including tow ropes, luggage straps, venetian blinds, car covers, representing the beginning of a new adventure in the history of materials and technological innovations.

ph. credit: Santi Caleca