Apollo Tyres‘ Vredestein brand and Italian design firm Italdesign are celebrating 27 years of partnership in creating innovative tyre design at Milan Design Week, held from April 20 to 26, 2026. The all-new Vredestein Quatrac Pro all-season tyre, which goes on sale this summer, is being showcased alongside other notable examples of the collaboration, such as the Vredestein Ultrac Sessenta.
From Sportrac to Quatrac Pro 2: Vredestein’s 27-Year Journey with Italdesign
Vredestein and Italdesign first worked together to design the Vredestein Sportrac in 1999. Styled by renowned automobile designer Giorgetto Giugiaro, the tyre pioneered an asymmetric look that enhanced its sporty visual character. Since then, the two parties have combined creative expertise with technical innovations in multiple collaborations that produced visually appealing, high-performance tyres.
One of the best examples of the two companies’ collaboration is the Ultrac Sessenta, which was launched in 2006. The ultra-high-performance (UHP) tyre was specially designed to celebrate sixty years of the Vredestein brand. It features a unique tread design that enhances performance and handling.
The Quatrac Pro 2 marks the most recent collaboration between Vredestein and Italdesign. The all-season tyre incorporates a unique sidewall design which depicts the seasons as a “seamless interplay of solids and voids“, with graphical elements evoking leaves, snow, and rain.
“The overall ‘Passage’ theme of the Quatrac Pro 2 reflects the cyclical nature of the seasons and the concept of journey and transition from hot, dry landscapes to snow-covered surfaces. Visual elements such as ripples on water and cues of wind and movement reference the advanced all-season capabilities of the new tyre,” Vredestein said about the tyre.
Udyan Ghai, Head of Marketing at Apollo Tyres Ltd., commented that Vredestein‘s partnership with Italdesign has endured because they share the same ethos regarding the union of performance and aesthetics. “Both the Ultrac Sessenta and Quatrac Pro 2 demonstrate how tyre design can enhance not only function, but also visual identity,” he added.
