The German company has been a long-time supplier of seats to many of the world’s most renowned automakers.
Recaro Automotive, an automotive seat manufacturer with a six-decade history of supplying car seats to various automakers, filed for bankruptcy on July 29th. Local reports indicate that company employees were unaware of the filing. According to German media outlet Heise Online, the company employs nearly 1,000 people.
Founded in 1906 as an automotive coachbuilder named Reutter Carosserie, the company provided car bodies for brands like Porsche and Volkswagen. In the 1960s, the company shifted its focus to seats and rebranded as Recaro in 1963. Recaro seats became renowned for their quality bolstering and safety features and were installed as standard equipment in various high-performance models from Ford, Volkswagen, Aston Martin, and many others. Additionally, the company produces aftermarket seats for racing and restoration markets, including FIA-approved racing seats and classic black leather and Pepita fabric seats for air-cooled Porsche 911s.
The news reportedly shocked the 215 workers in the IG Metall trade union at the factory in Kircheim unter Teck near Stuttgart, Germany. “The workforce and we were not informed about the step and found out about it via the intranet,” said IG Metall boss Alessandro Lieb, according to German news outlet Süddeutsche Zeitung.
The bankruptcy filing in Esslingen District Court will allow Recaro’s operations to continue under the supervision of an administrator, who will review the company’s financials and management practices. The separate Recaro Group, which manufactures and licenses child safety seats, aircraft seats, gaming chairs, and seats for soccer stadiums, is not affected by this filing.
