Carrera was founded in 1956 in Austria by Wilhelm Anger as the sports eyewear maker Wilhelm Anger Werker inspired by the Carrera Panamericana auto race.
In 1964, Wilhelm Anger developed and patented the ‘Optyl' material, which was a heat-hardened plastic weighing 20% less than acetate resulting in a reduction of allergic reactions and improved fit through a memory effect that provided permanent elasticity and dimensional stability.
In 1974, the company was renamed Carrera International and established a headquarters in Traun, Austria, and went to partner with automobile designer Ferdinand Alexander to develop the sunglass collection Carrera Porsche Design.
In the 1980s, Carrera sponsored sporting events such as the America's Cup, the 1988 Winter Olympics, and Formula 1 racing.
In 1996, Safilo Group S.p.A. purchased Carrera and now have headquarters in Padova, Italy. In the same year, the company established its assembly industry in the province of Henan in China.
The brand is popular among celebrities and they are often spotted on various day events, sports events flaunting their pair of Carrera eyewear. Celebrities like Paris Hilton, Madonna, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Usher etc. etc. are seen wearing Carrera sunglasses. The brand has not taken over the music industry but also the acting industry. Hollywood is full of celebrities that prefer Carrera as their sunglass brand. Gwen Stephanie, Brad Pitt, Britney Spears, they are spotted with Carrera sunglasses. Carrera sunglasses have been featured in many movies, such as Al Pacino in Scarface, Sylvester Stallone in Cobraor actors Chris Hemsworth (who plays Hunt) and Daniel Brühl (who plays Lauda) spend just as much time in Carrera shades in Rush.
A complete collection of Carrera eyewear is collected by Safilo Private Collection.