Almost a quarter of Brembo's sales come from Germany, dwarfing the share for Italy, at 15%.

CNN: No brakes on growth at Brembo

Now Brembo makes brakes for Audi and Mercedes-Benz, both premium auto-makers in Germany, the company's largest export market.

CNN: No brakes on growth at Brembo

I'd be remiss if I didn't also note the giant 15-inch, six-pot Brembo brakes that gleam through the front alloys.

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Brembo's total sales increased 10.7% last year, far outpacing the 7.8% drop in car sales across Europe shown by European Automobile Manufacturers' Association figures.

CNN: No brakes on growth at Brembo

Brembo is a world leader when it comes to high performance brakes, with a high profile at Formula 1 and other motor car racing events.

CNN: No brakes on growth at Brembo

According to Marescotti, family-born businesses like Brembo are the backbone of Italy, and a reason not to worry about the political malaise hovering over the country.

CNN: No brakes on growth at Brembo