The choice of the famous Number 10 of the Italian national team, a radiant example of sporting excellence, perseverance, and generosity, contributes to reinforcing the slogan at the center of the Antera’s new campaign: “Where instinct meets genius, the myth becomes legend”. Indeed, Roberto Baggio, the winner of the 1993 Ballon d’Or and a playmaker with refined technique and unique style, has proven that the most important goals, as regards both sport and everyday life, are achieved through commitment and quality which does not take shortcuts, but rather prizes dedication, courage, and vision. These are the same ingredients of the ‘No Compromise’ philosophy which G.M.P. Group, a company specialized in the global design and production of alloy wheels, intends to employ to bring the historic Panther brand back to its former glory.
Marco Mancin, Head of G.M.P. Group, states: “Originally, the founder Marco Muzzarelli’s vision guided the Antera brand via the principle of ‘No Compromise’, creating a place where dreams and reality could come together and desire be turned into creation. This led to prestigious and invaluable products which reached across space and time to achieve the most authentic expression of excellence. Today, with the same winning mindset and an important five-year plan, we are writing a new page in Antera’s history that will bring the brand back to the Mt. Olympus of light alloy-wheel producers.”
Marco Finazzi, Chief Commercial Officer: “We have always been innovators and visionaries in our field, and we aim to restore luster to the Brand through the development of innovation, identification, and a process of concrete internationalization. One thing that will never change is our loyalty to the fundamental values which forged the brand’s world-renowned identity, and the determination to pursue our business vision whatever the challenges that emerge along the way. And we are sure other companies of the group will want to share a common path towards growth and development in their fields, always relying on the philosophy of ‘No Compromise’. With this frame of mind, we want to challenge the status quo in order to offer unconventional products that are able to anticipate the needs of an exclusive clientele.
The origins of a myth forged over the years in pursuit of ‘No Compromise’
World-renowned for its innovative design and meticulous attention to detail, the Antera Brand is still remembered for developing some of the most celebrated models in the industry, such as the Type 109 three-spoke wheel which brought home numerous prestigious international awards—including the highly coveted “Alloy Wheel Design of the Year 1994” title. Founded in 1991 in Milan by Marco Muzzarelli, the Panther brand has been a major player on the automotive scene in the past decades, offering elite wheels globally which are made with new standards in design and production. Later, the brand continued its steady and progressive rise and, at the end of 2011, was enriched with a wide range of products with exemplary technical and stylistic features to perfectly reflect the essence and uniqueness of the Italian brand. The basis of Antera’s success has always been the continuous search for excellence, both in the creative and executive fields, without ever compromising and with an eye on tomorrow. After all, the name Antera is made up of the Latin words Ante (before) and Aera (era), which perfectly sum up its vision: getting ahead of the times with authentic masterpieces forged by the skilled hands of master craftsmen who imbue the quality and precision of Italian design into every detail. That is why these designs are a living testimony to a cultural heritage and a deep-rooted passion that, through the use of cutting-edge technologies and a rigorous manufacturing philosophy, are shaped and perfected in Italian factories. Antera is an ambassador of luxury which encapsulates time, history, and innovation without boundaries.
A premium Made-in-Italy brand: timeless design, cutting-edge technology and a winning attitude
From conception to design and engineering to production, Antera’s entire industrial process takes place “in house” and is powered by renewable energy in a virtuous circuit that internalizes processes, optimizing them to achieve maximum efficiency. The company’s trademark is the synergistic work between the various departments that allows for the best design ideas to be transformed into unique and prestigious products. Underlying this creative process, in which the art of creating forms meets the most innovative technology to materialize them, daily dialogue between designers and engineers takes place using advanced design software, FEM calculations, and modeling systems in a direct line with the production department. This synergy between creativity and technology results in products with a unique personality that are an ideal extension of the character of the car for which they were designed and made. This leads to the Casting department where state-of-the-art equipment transforms the raw material into a tangible form. The industrialization of production processes on the basis of “lean-production” allows for both the normal success of G.M.P. Group wheels and high and efficient productivity. The same approach to excellence is again found in the departments where machining is carried out on semi-finished products from the foundry.
This is where prestigious finishes are made to create unique products through a fully automated processing cycle that guarantees serial quality at every single stage. The creation of these ingenious Italian masterpieces ends in the innovative painting plant, which is perfectly integrated into the factory and ensures the highest quality of execution and full control of the production chain at all stages. Finally, it should be mentioned that all G.M.P. Group products are approved and certified in compliance with international standards and are the result of company processes which are marked by excellence to ensure compliance with strict quality regulations.
HPE LAB, hyper-technology meets Renaissance values
Inspired by the Renaissance concept which sees the combination of Art and Science as not only possible but also desirable, G.M.P. Group has placed the combination of the latest manufacturing technologies and an innovative and creative approach to design & engineering at the heart of the relaunch of Antera. This new and key part of creating cutting-edge products takes shape through the activities of the team that makes up the new HPE LAB division—an acronym for High Performances Engineering Laboratory—where ideas become authentic masterpieces with Made-in-Italy appeal. Specifically, HPE LAB is not only the pinnacle of engineering dedicated to the creation of high-performance products, but also embodies an empathetic approach to design and manufacturing, going beyond the simple pursuit of performance. It is, in fact, about deeply understanding customers’ needs and expectations, integrating innovative solutions that meet not only functional, but also emotional and aesthetic demands. This led to the revolutionary process of the Antera HPE LAB team which, by overcoming the conventional limits of low-pressure casting, opened up new design possibilities without affecting the very high levels of strength and lightness. So, the new division not only thinks outside the box, but also sets new standards of excellence, allowing the Style Center to fully express the beauty of every single alloy-wheel model.
