Italian race car driver Gianpiero Moretti founded MOMO in 1964 after he commissioned a local craftsman to produce a custom steering wheel for his own race car. This special steering wheel – the first MOMO steering wheel in the company’s history – had a superior grip compared to traditional race steering wheels of the time. Drivers from other teams quickly noticed Moretti’s new steering wheel and wanted the same for their cars, and the Moretti steering wheel quickly gained fame in the racing community. The steering wheel also caught the attention of Ferrari Formula One driver John Surtees, who wanted to mount it on his single-seater car. John Surtees’ Ferrari, equipped with Moretti’s race steering wheel, won the Formula One world title in 1964. Gianpiero Moretti turned his passion into a manufacturing reality, and MOMO (short for Moretti Monza) was born.