The Chemical Spark of Speed: The Verri Brothers and Arexons in Milan, 1925

Milan in 1925 was the beating heart of European motorsport: Alfa Romeo, Isotta Fraschini, and Maserati were transforming mechanical engineering into high art. Yet everyday motorists and racing mechanics faced constant challenges: cooling circuits cracked under thermal stress, seizing bolts halted pit stops, and paint finishes deteriorated quickly. Operating initially from a workshop near Porta Nuova, Achille Verri formulated the first Italian anti-freeze compounds and metallic radiator sealants (*Turafalle*), tested directly on the engines competing at the Mille Miglia and Monza.

Their greatest technical triumph occurred in the late 1930s with the development of a miraculous penetrating and releasing fluid: *Svitol*. Designed to dissolve oxidation and free rusted mechanical linkages with capillary action, Svitol became so synonymous with mechanical troubleshooting that its name entered the Italian dictionary as an everyday verb.

From its artisanal Milanese origins, Arexons expanded into modern industrial plants across the western periphery of Milan, centering operations along Via Bensi and eventually Cernusco sul Naviglio. The corporate archives preserve early lithographed tin cans, vintage marketing posters illustrated by renowned commercial artists, and technical manuals that guided generations of Italian mechanics.

Today, the Arexons brand remains an indispensable presence in every professional workshop and domestic garage in Italy, representing the indispensable chemical counterpart to Italy’s celebrated tradition of automotive engineering.