BBS Kraftfahrzeugtechnik

BBS Kraftfahrzeugtechnik AG (English: BBS Automotive Technology AG) is a high-performance automobile wheel design company headquartered in Schiltach, Germany. BBS serves North America through BBS of America, located in Braselton, Georgia, adjacent to the Road Atlanta Racetrack. BBS produces wheels for motorsport, OEM, and aftermarket applications.

BBS Kraftfahrzeugtechnik AG
TypePublic ISIN: DE0005196232
IndustryAutomobile manufacturing
Founded1970; 51 years ago
HeadquartersSchiltach, Germany (Global) Braselton, Georgia (United States)
Key people
  • Heinz Bartosch (Germany)
  • Tobias Schleicher (Germany)
  • Craig Donnelly (USA)
  • Kenny Baynes (USA)
  • Jesse Hemans (USA)
Productsalloy wheels
Revenue163 Mio. Euro (2006)
Number of employees
1,200
Websitehttp://www.bbs.com
BBS wheels on a Porsche 911 GT3 Coupe.

The company employs approximately 1,200 employees worldwide (2018).[1] BBS trades on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (Symbol: BKS3) with a market capitalization of €8.15M[2]

1985 BMW M635CSi wearing the stock BBS RS007 wheels.

History

BBS Kraftfahrzeugtechnik AG began in 1970 in Schiltach, Germany, by Heinrich Baumgartner and Klaus Brand as a manufacturing plant for plastic auto body parts. The initials BBS are based on the last names of the two founders and the city in which the company was founded (Baumgartner, Brand, Schiltach).[3]

In 2007, BBS went bankrupt and was taken over by the Belgian firm Punch International.[4] As of July 1, 2015, South Korean firm Nice Corp became the majority owner.[5] In 2020, BBS GmbH filed for bankruptcy but is still operating.[6]

Technology

In 1972, BBS pioneered the development of a three-piece racing wheel, a revolution in motorsport design.[3] Most recently BBS has engineered the Air Inside Technology (AIT) where hollow chambers are created within the wheel structure to compensate for the small air volume in modern ultra-low-profile tyres, reduce unsprung weight, improve handling dynamics, and increase fuel efficiency without sacrificing strength and rigidity. This innovation earned BBS Kraftfahrzeugtechnik the Automechanika Innovation Award 2006 in the tuning segment.[7] BBS entered into a technical cooperation agreement in 1990 with ASA, a Korean company that was starting wheel production.[8]

OEM applications

Japanese company "Washibeam Co., Ltd" manufactures the BBS F1 Magnesium wheel and All racing Aluminum wheels.[9] Since BBS is a customer of Washibeam, manufacture of the wheel will not be discontinued if BBS goes bankrupt.[10]

BBS has and continues to supply OEM wheel applications to a number of automobile brands. In street vehicles, their products can be seen on brands such as BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Ferrari, Maserati, Mitsubishi, Rolls Royce, Jaguar, Infiniti, Renault, Saab, Subaru, Volkswagen, Toyota, and Volvo. Lexus began using BBS wheels on its IS-F when launched in 2008, updating the design for the 2010 model year and again for 2012.

BBS forged aluminium wheel on a 2002 Mazda RX-7 Spirit R Type A

The cross-spoke design (pictured), which superficially resembles a wire wheel and was common on sports cars produced from the 1980s to the early 1990s. This design is light in weight compared to many other styles of the time. One of the most popular BBS produced wheels was the three-piece RS released in 1977,[11] which became a popular aftermarket wheel and was often replicated by other manufacturers. Another popular and commonly replicated wheel design is the RG, the company's first wheel produced.

The company also supplies motorsports applications and is also the largest supplier of wheels for IndyCar Series and the main supplier of Formula One teams.[3] BBS will supply wheels for the NASCAR Cup Series starting in 2021, when the Next Gen car makes its debut.[12]

References
  1. "BBS Kraftfahrzeugtechnik AG, BKS3:FRA profile - FT.com". markets.ft.com. Retrieved 2018-07-27.
  2. Yahoo! Finance UK. Retrieved on 2007-03-08
  3. BBS Homepage. Retrieved on 2007-03-08
  4. "Punch takes over leading wheel manufacturer BBS". Punch International. 29 June 2007. Retrieved 11 April 2008.
  5. Barber, Will (2 June 2015). "NICE Holdings Co. Becomes Majority Shareholder of BBS GmbH". VWVortex. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
  6. "Wheel Manufacturer BBS Has Gone Bankrupt". Car Throttle. Retrieved 2020-07-20.
  7. Automechanika Innovation Awards Archived 2007-10-26 at the Wayback Machine August 16, 2006. Retrieved on 2007-03-08
  8. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2008-10-10. Retrieved 2009-04-23.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  9. Washibeam manufacturing BBS wheels
  10. BBS is an exclusive customer for Washibeam
  11. https://www.bbswheels.info/en/rim-models/bbs-rs
  12. Albert, Zack (March 2, 2020). "NASCAR moving to single lug-nut design for Next Gen car". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
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