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. Twenty years later, they changed their name to Optyl International and devoted themselves to make motorcycle goggles and ski masks.

In 1964, Wilhhelm 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.