Spare parts supplier and tuner until the end of 2026 AC Schnitzer will no longer exist as the family-run Kohl Group takes control of the 39-year-old brand.
Rainer Vogel, Managing Director of AC Schnitzer: “Making a rational decision in such an emotionally charged business area is not easy, but as a family business we always think about the entire Kohl Group and its stable future.”
One of the main reasons for the decision to dissolve AC Schnitzer is the “extremely long approval process for parts in the German system,” which resulted in the company bringing components to market “eight to nine months after the (non-German) competition.”
Mr. Vogel also says: “We – like other tuning companies – have not succeeded in getting young customers excited about sporty driving with our brand to the same extent as their fathers’ generation.” However, the company also accused the press of portraying “purchasers of vehicle upgrades with aftermarket parts” as “eccentrics or buffoons.”
Global economic factors also played a role, including a sustained economic downturn that led to significant declines in sales in Germany, uncertain US tariffs, volatile exchange rates, rising raw material prices and the “gradual decline”.
of the internal combustion engine”.
AC Schnitzer was founded in 1987 by Willi Kohl and Herbert Schnitzer in Aachen and began tuning models from the BMW series. In addition, the company also competed in racing, modified motorcycles and produced many parts, including aero components, engine and exhaust systems, suspension improvements and forged alloy wheels, which are sold through BMW dealers in some countries.
AC Schnitzer currently also offers parts for the Mini, which belongs to the BMW Group, and the Toyota GR Supra, which is based on the BMW Z4 and is built together with its convertible brother in Austria. In the past, the company has also tuned Land Rover cars.
Discussions are apparently underway with potential buyers for the AC Schnitzer brand, but even if a sale takes place, the existing inventory will be sold out by the end of the year. Since the Kohl Group believes that it is “no longer economical to operate the tuning product business in Germany,” it is likely that the revived AC Schnitzer will be based outside German borders.
The Kohl Group says it will honor warranties and provide after-sales support for AC Schnitzer products “beyond the end of 2026.”
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