BILSTEIN

In the cut and thrust world of automotive manufacturing, it’s a genuine achievement for any company to get a decade of sustainable trading under its corporate belt, particularly during these trying times. With this in mind, the fact suspension manufacturer, Bilstein, has remained at the top of its game for almost 150 years tells us much about the people and the products behind the iconic German brand.

Bilstein was created by its eponymous founder, August Bilstein, in Germany’s Westphalia region back in 1873. Nobody could have guessed the company’s products would one day have such a critical influence on the comfort and safety of transport, primarily because Bilstein was made famous by its metal window fittings, which were sold under the name AUBI, an abbreviation of August’s full name. A series of technical innovations followed, and the revenues earned through patents provided a solid basis for the later successes of what was still a young company.

In order to meet exacting quality demands during the preliminary design and manufacturing of his products, August established his own strip iron rolling mill in 1919. A short while later,