Hand built and customised in Italy, Colnago started selling steel framed bikes in the 1950’s, in the late 80’s in a collaboration with Ferrari the company started using more advanced materials like carbon fibre in their production.
By the late 80’s the company had made their first carbon fibre prototype. The first fruit of Colnago and Ferrari Engineering’s cooperation was the Concept bicycle with carbon fibre tubes, composite three-spoke wheels and a gear system enclosed in the chainrings. The unusual gears made it too heavy for production, but the ideas in its frame have been used in all subsequent Colnago carbon fibre bicycles.