TERZO

TERZO (テルッツォ) is a Japanese car-carrier brand owned by PIAA Corporation. It supplies roof boxes, cycle carriers, ski and snowboard carriers, and a broad range of other vehicle carrier products, marketed through PIAA's dedicated TERZO product site. Within Japan it is widely described as one of the three major car-carrier brands, alongside Thule and INNO. The brand's growth was closely tied to Japan's ski boom that followed the 1987 film "Watashi wo Ski ni Tsurete tte." Demand for rear-mounted system carriers in particular expanded strongly, and TERZO's attachments for that format became effectively dominant in the Japanese market. In the 1990s the brand used Italian alpine ski racer Alberto Tomba as its image character. Later, a shrinking ski and snowboard population, plus the spread of advanced driver-assistance systems such as parking sensors and rear-view cameras, weighed on the popularity of rear carriers, since those carriers can interfere with such equipment. In response, TERZO has put more emphasis on roof boxes, including the height-adjustable Lowrider series, and has continued to develop new product lines. One notable technical characteristic is that the bar — a key base-carrier component — uses a size unique to TERZO (31 × 21 mm), differing from the other two major brands and limiting cross-brand compatibility. TERZO also supplies Honda's genuine carrier line under the TYPUS name as an OEM product.

TERZO is the car-carrier brand of PIAA Corporation, a Japanese company. It is positioned in the Japanese market as one of the three major car-carrier brands, together with Thule and INNO. The brand's expansion was driven by the ski boom in Japan that followed the release of the 1987 film "Watashi wo Ski ni Tsurete tte." During this period, TERZO's attachments for rear-mounted system carriers became effectively the only option in the market, giving the brand a dominant position in that product category. In the 1990s, TERZO used Italian alpine ski racer Alberto Tomba as its image character, reinforcing its association with winter sports. From the late 1990s onward, however, the brand faced headwinds. The population of skiers and snowboarders declined, and advanced driver-assistance systems such as parking sensors and rear-view cameras became more common. Rear carriers, which had been a flagship product, could interfere with these systems, contributing to a decline in their popularity. In response, TERZO shifted more emphasis toward roof boxes. The Lowrider series, featuring adjustable height, was launched in 2002, and the Big Rider series followed in 2005. These product lines represented the brand's effort to develop new categories as the market for rear carriers softened. A notable technical characteristic of TERZO products is the size of the bar, a key component of the base carrier. TERZO's bar measures 31 × 21 mm, which differs from the other two major brands, resulting in limited compatibility between TERZO carriers and those of competitors. TERZO also has an OEM relationship with Honda, supplying the automaker's genuine carrier line under the TYPUS name. The brand continues to be marketed through PIAA's dedicated TERZO website, which presents its roof boxes, cycle carriers, ski and snowboard carriers, and other carrier products.

• 2005

  The Big Rider series is launched.

• 2002

  The Lowrider series of roof boxes is launched.

• 1990

  TERZO uses Italian alpine ski racer Alberto Tomba as its image character during the 1990s.

• 1987

  Japan's ski boom following the film "Watashi wo Ski ni Tsurete tte" drives TERZO's sales expansion.

One of Japan's three major car-carrier brands, focused on roof boxes and vehicle carrier systems for the domestic market.

• Roof boxes

  Including the height-adjustable Lowrider series.

• Cycle carriers

  Carriers for transporting bicycles.

• Ski and snowboard carriers

  Carriers for winter sports equipment.

• Base carriers

  The bar component measures 31 × 21 mm, unique to TERZO.

• Rear-mounted system carriers

  Once effectively dominant in the Japanese market; attachments were virtually exclusive to TERZO.

• TYPUS (OEM for Honda)

  Genuine carrier line supplied to Honda as an OEM product.

• 2021.08.12

  Reported2021.08.12

  Terzo launches its VRM platform[4]Terzo推出供应商关系管理平台prnewswire.com

  Terzo announced its launch from stealth mode and introduced its enterprise Vendor Relationship Management platform.

Read more

1. 1PIAA株式会社｜キャリア＆ルーフボックス製品情報 TERZO（テルッツォ）piaa.co.jp
2. 2TERZO - Wikipedia (Japanese)ja.wikipedia.org
3. 3TERZO - Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4Terzo推出供应商关系管理平台prnewswire.com