Yesterday

Recaro Automotive gets new investment

Italian Proma Group will take over Recaro GmbH; production to resume across Europe in January

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The news of Recaro’s bankruptcy was a real shock in the summer. It’s such a well established name in the automotive sector that we all sort of assumed that it’d be around forever. Perhaps 2024’s most salient lesson will be never to assume anything, especially when it comes to cars. There was a knock on effect for Ineos, as well, who had to pause production due to Recaro’s halt. But there’s some good news around the sorry saga, because there’s been investment in Recaro Automotive - and production should resume in the new year. 

Proma Group has signed an investment agreement with Recaro Automotive GmbH to ‘take over business and have begun the transition period.’ Nobody is hanging around, either, as Proma believes relaunch could happen as soon as January. Furthermore, its press release has suggested that several of the Stuttgart employees in Sales and Tech will be retained; helps those folk out with a job back, and benefits them with a ‘more seamless transition of support to meet customer needs.’ Training new people will take forever, which would clearly be suboptimal given the urgency of the announcement, so good news all round. The Proma acquisition leaves Recaro’s North American and Japanese operations untouched. 

Proma describes itself as a ‘leader company in the production of components for the automotive sector’, so this move makes a good deal of sense. A huge amount, in fact, given it specialises in ‘the development and fabrication of seat structures and mechanisms’. A match made in heaven, really. Founded in 1980, it employs 3,300 people across a pair of R&D centres, 26 manufacturing plants and nine E-coat painting lines. CEO of the Proma Group Luca Pino said of today’s news: “Our investment in Recaro Automotive will strengthen our ability to deliver a premium seating product, while embracing the most cutting-edge innovations in the automotive sector.

The Recaro name is renowned throughout the world as a benchmark of German industrial technology, and Proma Group, a symbol of Italian manufacturing excellence, is excited about the future and the quality that will be expressed in the automotive market thanks to the union of two first-class companies”. Nice to have a bit of cheer in the current doom and gloom - presumably Ineos will be able to resume operations early in 2025 as well. And for those keen to celebrate Recaro’s relaunch already, check this out: a Focus RS Red Edition, one of just 300, complete with those brilliant shell seats. Good to have you back, folks.

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[V8 FOU]

Good to see this. Usual story, I suspect, of manufacturers demanding low prices and therefore very little profit to the company. Happens all too often.

[ChrisCh86]

Surely good news, Recaro is such an important brand to the automotive world - it would be a real shame to lose it entirely.

Their products seem to be quite good too (having sampled a few of them over the years).

[EmailAddress]

Looking forward to the bolsters wearing even faster going forward.

[benjidog]

Great news.

[ChrisCh86]

EmailAddress said:

Looking forward to the bolsters wearing even faster going forward.

[cerb4.5lee]

I love Recaro seats, so I'm really happy about this.

[CG2020UK]

Great news.

Tough market at the moment.

[GreatScott2016]

cerb4.5lee said:

I love Recaro seats, so I'm really happy about this.

Yep, me too trouble is, I find it increasingly difficult to exit one if I’m honest

[RabidGranny]

The brand name is still very strong, i had a guy buy a recaro childseat off me a few weeks back basis the name. doubt his kids gave a st about the name on the seat, mine certainly didnt.

[GTRene]

I like a lot of Recaro seats, most famous this model, I sat in a few, very good, also came standard in the Artega GT which I tested to see if I liked the car, its lovely :-)

and ow, the Ford RS seats from recaro have my name initials in their logo RS hah



here in such very rare but great cars, Artega GT with their great proportions

[DonkeyApple]

V8 FOU said:

Good to see this. Usual story, I suspect, of manufacturers demanding low prices and therefore very little profit to the company. Happens all too often.

The usual story here is the PE firm that held the rights to use the name loaded itself up with far too much debt and then couldn't refinance at the new higher rates so folded putting all its employees in jeopardy.

[Abarth131]

Great name, superb seats. Had a few car's with these fitted as standard.
Reckon the best set were in my Clio RS200

[Steve loves Esprit]

There are excellent substitutes. As long you can avoid Airbag and electric…
The glory days were long over for RECARO.

Great in the past: Honda NSX Type R!!!

(sorry for blackening the image)

[stevie777777]

Great News - I have a Lotus & Mini both with Recaros - iconic name

[Cryssys]

Given their popularity I was very surprised to hear that they had gone bust earlier this year. Good to hear that they have been rescued and that some existing personnel will be retained.

[howardhughes]

I've been wanting a set of Recaro CS Sportsters for my JCW for a while now, but the prices are north of £2.5k for a second hand set.
A lot of money indeed. Gorgeous though, especially in Leather and Alcántara

[Midgster]

Great news. The automotive world would be worse off without Recaro in it. I have fond memories of my 18 year old arse sat in my fishnet Recaro seats in my RS2000 in the early 90's.

[BrownEaredDog]

This news makes me happy. I always thought Recaro seats looked so exotic in the early 1980s Ford brochures - those headrests! - and I've had a soft spot for them ever since.

[Xenoous]

Loved the Recaro's in my old Megane. Thing I miss most about that car is the seats. Wonderful things. Glad to hear the brand will continue.

[BrownEaredDog]

RabidGranny said:

The brand name is still very strong, i had a guy buy a recaro childseat off me a few weeks back basis the name. doubt his kids gave a st about the name on the seat, mine certainly didnt.

Good point, hadn't thought about that; every time I see a Recaro child seat my subconscious is saying "that'll be good quality". I think it also has something to do with the fact that the Recaro logo has basically stayed the same for decades, there's something immediately recognisable and...trustworthy (for want of a better word)...about it.