Performance 40 – Rudy Project’s 40th Anniversary Special

Rudy Project is marking its 40th anniversary with the launch of the Performance 40. These new high‑end glasses blend modern optics with the unmistakable DNA of the brand’s earliest designs. 

Alongside the new eyewear, Rudy Project is also celebrating a story that many riders may not know, thereby connecting its latest innovation to the origins of the brand. This was a chance meeting in a bar that helped set the company’s trajectory for decades to come.

A bar, a race and the spark that shaped a brand

Long before Rudy Project became a fixture in the pro peloton, founder Rudy Barbazza found himself in a bar on the eve of the 1986 UCI Road World Championship in Colorado Springs. 

Legend says that Rudy Barbazza, met Moreno Argentin – one of the Italian riders of the 1980s – the night before the race at a pool table. Argentin, already a star and known for his sharp eye for equipment, was discussing the eyewear options available to riders at the time. They were functional, yes, but hardly optimised for racing.

Rudy saw his opportunity and struck a deal with Agrentin saying: “Wear these glasses tomorrow. Win the World Championship, and I’ll sponsor you!” The agreement was sealed with a simple handshake. 

Argentin won, outpacing Mottet in a final sprint that lasted over a kilometer, his eyes hidden behind Rudy Project sunglasses. He became a brand ambassador, and his victory turned the Super Performance into a cult classic.

That conversation planted the seed for what Barbazza believed cycling eyewear could become. Not just protective lenses, but performance equipment: lighter, sharper, more aerodynamic, and designed with the athlete rather than the manufacturer in mind.

The Performance 40 is Rudy Project’s nod to that moment. It’s a reminder that the brand wasn’t born in a boardroom. Rather it started with a rider, a problem, and a founder with a solution.

Performance 40: modern tech with heritage cues

Rudy Project’s limited‑edition Performance 40 – 3D‑Printed Titanium Edition is a genuine showcase piece. It’s been created to mark both the brand’s 40th anniversary and the 40 years since its iconic Colorado Springs victory. Only 100 pairs exist, each individually numbered, and the engineering behind them is far more ambitious than a commemorative colourway.

The frame is built entirely from hypoallergenic, noble‑grade titanium, produced using advanced 3D‑printing techniques. This manufacturing approach allows Rudy Project to create a hollow internal structure, impossible to achieve through traditional machining. The result is a chassis that feels almost impossibly light in the hand. While weighing just 36 grams, it still has the rigidity and durability expected from titanium.

The glasses come in a metallic grey finish and include an adjustable nosepiece for fine‑tuning the fit. Their toric lenses replicate the curvature of the original 1980s model. This gives the Performance 40 a clear visual link to Rudy Project’s early racing heritage. Each lens carries laser‑engraved detailing: the Rudy Project logo, Rudy Barbazza’s signature, and a unique serial number from 1 to 100. It’s a level of precision that reinforces the collector‑grade nature of the piece.

Simone Barbazza, the brand’s Marketing and Sustainability Director, describes the Performance 40 as a bridge between eras. A product that honours the design language established by his father while embracing the materials and technologies that define Rudy Project’s future. It’s both a tribute and a statement of intent.

The glasses are available exclusively through rudyproject.com, priced at €950, and with only 100 units worldwide, they are likely to disappear quickly.

Athlete‑driven development

Rudy Project continues to refine its products through feedback from elite athletes across multiple sports. The brand’s partnerships with Bahrain Victorious, the Italian Cycling Federation, and a wide roster of endurance athletes ensure that real‑world racing conditions shape the final product.

All Rudy Project eyewear is still manufactured in Italy’s Veneto region – a detail that matters to riders who value traceability and craftsmanship.

RideToZero: sustainability in the background

Alongside the anniversary product, Rudy Project is rolling out its RideToZero initiative. This is a long‑term sustainability vision aimed at reducing the environmental impact of its manufacturing and operations. It’s a quieter part of the announcement, but it signals the direction the brand intends to take as it looks beyond its 40‑year milestone.

We also tested Rudy Project’s Rebel helmet, read it here.