Brembo broadens horizons with 530M acquisition of Öhlins

The world's largest manufacturer of braking systems has merged with the Swedish giant producing suspension components.

The acquisition decision was announced on Friday, October 11. Italy's Brembo, one of the largest European automotive industry powerhouses, has brought Sweden's Öhlins—a specialist in suspensions, particularly sporty ones—under its wing.

The agreement, valued at approximately 530 million Canadian dollars, was signed after Brembo sold a minority stake (5.6%) to tire manufacturer Pirelli.

"Öhlins is a perfect match for Brembo. It's a brand known worldwide, with a solid business and an unmatched reputation, both on the racetrack and on the road," said Brembo's CEO, Matteo Tiraboschi.

"By joining forces with Brembo, we're thrilled to open up new development opportunities and leverage our strengths and assets to drive innovation and provide even greater value to our customers and employees," stated Tom Wittenschlaeger, CEO of Öhlins Racing.

The merger is not surprising, as products from both companies have been an inseparable pair in many cars and motorcycles. It's likely this will become even more common. Regular customers probably won't notice this merger.

More may happen, however, in the world of motorsport, where Öhlins holds a stronger position than Brembo. It is possible that the Italians will decide to use this opportunity to intensify their presence in racing with their products.