Wheel company may have new buyer soon



BBS, the famous German wheel-maker, has been attracting plenty of buyer interest in recent weeks. The firm has been in receivership since February, but bankers have collected 35 bids for the firm, according to an Autocar story.

“We hope to announce a buyer in the next six to 10 weeks. We are talking to several investors and competitors and are very hopeful of securing BBS’s future,” said Marc Hornung, a lawyer with administrator Wellensiek.

The main problem for BBS has been the rise in price of aluminium. “There are other issues like management problems and other cost problems, but the basic business is strong,” Hornung added.

BBS has supply contracts with prestige manufacturers such as Jaguar and Maserati, and last season Ferrari, Honda, Toyota, Midland and Super Aguri used BBS wheels in F1 – as well as supplying many other forms of motorsport. About half of BBS’s business is with car-makers; the rest is with aftermarket retailers and tuners.

BBS was set up in the 1970s by Heinrich Baumgartner and Klaus Brand to make plastic body panels, basing itself in the town of Schiltach. Together, the three initials gave the company its name. Since then its thin spoke alloy wheels have become easily recognisable on performance cars all over the world.


source - http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default....ryId=16250