Tony Kart S.n.c. was established in 1958 by Antonio "Tony" Bosio (23 February 1923 – 12 June 2015) in Prevalle, Lombardy, Italy. Bosio was known for precision craftsmanship, attracting drivers to his workshop directly. In 1965 he constructed a special kart using a 100 cc Parilla engine modelled on land-speed-record designs; driven by Livio Bolis at Monza, it set a kart world speed record of 214.286 km/h (133.151 mph). Bosio also collaborated with the Italian Winter Sports Federation on bobsleigh construction and is credited with introducing the "floating" brake caliper to kart design.
The original chassis were painted Savoy blue. In 1983 Roberto Robazzi and Carlo Cancarini purchased the company, repainting it in what became known as Tony Kart Green. The Robazzi family would steer the brand for the next four decades.
Tony Kart's first CIK-FIA World Championship came in 1986 when Fabrizio Giovanardi won the Formula C (FC) gearbox class in a Pavesi-powered chassis. The brand then dominated through what is widely regarded as the "Golden Era" of the 1980s and 1990s, establishing itself as the second-most successful chassis marque in World Championship history, behind only CRG.
Over that period the brand accumulated 23 CIK-FIA World Championship titles, making Tony Kart the single most prolific individual chassis line across the group. Multiple-time champions Davide Forè and Marco Ardigò were among the headline winners during this era. Notable Formula One drivers who raced on Tony Kart chassis include Michael Schumacher, Ralf Schumacher, Jarno Trulli, Sebastian Vettel, Lucas di Grassi, and Lando Norris.
In addition to outright World Championships, the broader OTK group — of which Tony Kart is the original and primary brand — also accumulated 14 CIK-FIA World Cups, three CIK-FIA International Super Cups, and 44 CIK-FIA European Championships.
In the mid-1990s the company began expanding beyond the Tony Kart marque. Vortex Engines was founded in 1995 as OTK's in-house engine division, operating the ROK line of single-manufacturer engines contested worldwide. The following year the Kosmic Kart brand was created, followed later by Redspeed, Exprit, and EOS. OTK also partnered with Formula One drivers on dedicated chassis: the Trulli chassis (1997–2003) with Jarno Trulli, the FA Kart line (2009–2020) with Fernando Alonso, the LN Kart (2021–present) with Lando Norris, and CS55 Racing (2024–present) with Carlos Sainz Jr.
In 2020 OTK acquired Gillard, the only British brand to have won a non-superkart CIK-FIA World Championship. In 2023 it acquired Vega Tyres, producing over one million tyres per year, representing approximately 40 percent of the competitive kart tyre market. A merger with engine manufacturer TM Kart followed in 2025.
A 70 percent stake in OTK was acquired by QCapital and BIC Capital in 2022, with Crédit Agricole Italia supporting the transaction. The Robazzi family retained 30 percent and strategic control. By 2023 OTK generated over 90 percent of its sales outside Italy through subsidiaries in the United States, Japan, and Singapore, serving more than 130 distributors across 70 countries and reaching €45 million in annual revenue.
All chassis and engines across OTK's brands are produced at a 17,000 m² factory in Prevalle, with frequent testing conducted at the nearby South Garda Karting circuit in Lonato del Garda.
Tony Kart remains the parent identity of the world's most expansive kart manufacturing group by title count and market reach. The brand's lineage from a single craftsman's workshop in Lombardy to a multi-brand group with Formula One partnerships and a global distribution network reflects karting's journey from grassroots origins to the main talent pathway for professional motorsport.