Carlsson (car company)

Last updated
CARLSSON FAHRZEUGTECHNIK GMBH
Company type Public
Industry Automotive
Founded1989
Defunct2023
Headquarters Merzig, Germany
Key people
Markus Schuster, Chief Technical Officer
Products Automobiles
Website www.carlsson.de
Carlsson Aigner CK65 RS Blanchimont Carlsson Aigner CK65 RS Blanchimont front view.jpg
Carlsson Aigner CK65 RS Blanchimont
Carlsson CK63 RSR Carlsson CK63 RSR front view.jpg
Carlsson CK63 RSR

Carlsson was a German car tuning manufacturer specialising in Mercedes-Benz cars. The Carlsson tuning house was founded by brothers Rolf and Andreas Hartge in 1989. Carlsson's products were available for the entire current range of Mercedes-Benz models including the R-Class, [1] SL-Class, [2] C-Class [3] and the GL-Class [4] along with many others. The company is most popular for its range of alloy wheels.

Contents

Through a new importer Carlsson began a more aggressive push into the US market in 2006 after debuting their newly modified CL500 (Euro-spec) vehicle at the 2006 SEMA Show. In their review, Modified Luxury & Exotics magazine said, "... the CL is starting to resemble something more in line with a Bentley Continental - even if it is a little shy when it comes to horsepower." [5]

History

The brothers, Rolf and Andreas Hartge, started a company in 1989 named Carlsson in honor of the Swedish rally driver, Ingvar Carlsson, who raced for the Mercedes Rally Team during the 1980s.

Carlsson also made cars based on Citroën, SAAB, Toyota, Lexus, Hyundai, and Genesis models. [6] [7] [8] [9]

In 2012, Zhongsheng Group Holdings Limited acquired 70% of the company's stake. [10]

In 2015, Sambo Motors Co. Ltd., a Korean company, took over with effect from December 4. [11]

Cars

Carlsson CK35 RS Race Car

Based on a Mercedes SLK350 the CK35 RS race car debuted at the Nürburgring 24 hour race in 2005. The Carlsson Racer produces 320 hp (240 kW) at 6500 rpm and 295 ft⋅lbf (400 N⋅m) of torque at 3500 rpm. It can sprint from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.8 seconds and reaches a top speed of 265 km/h (165 mph).

Carlsson C25 at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show Carlsson C25 (82).JPG
Carlsson C25 at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show

Carlsson C25

Carlsson's first supercar, the C25, made its debut at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. With a limited run of 25 units, the C25 is powered by a twin-turbocharged V12 engine that generates 753 hp (562 kW) and 848 ft⋅lbf (1,150 N⋅m) of torque. Estimated acceleration from 0–100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.7 seconds and top speed is 219 mph. (355 km/h) [12]

Carlsson C38

The Carlsson C38 was produced in 1998 in very limited numbers as it was incredibly expensive when new. Based on the 208 CLK320 with the Carlsson CM38 upgraded engine (hand built 3.8V6), strengthened chassis, braking system, exhaust, suspension, 18 inch three piece alloy wheels 9.5 (front) 11.5(rear), wide body and speedometer cluster. The C38 is seldom seen for sale and very sought after by collectors.

Carlsson Coachbuilding

In 2007, Carlsson began a coachbuilding program with fashion house Etienne Aigner. The first example of their work together was a coachbuilt Mercedes CL65, titled the Carlsson Aigner CK65 RS "Eau Rouge." The "Eau Rouge" refers to the famous turn at the Belgian race track Spa Francorchamps. Producing 700 hp (520 kW) from Carlsson's engineers the car has a two-tone paint scheme and features a hand crafted wine-colored interior from Etienne Aigner. [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Citroën SM</span> Car produced by Citroën from 1970 to 1975

The Citroën SM is a high-performance coupé produced by the French manufacturer Citroën from 1970 to 1975. The SM placed third in the 1971 European Car of the Year contest, trailing its stablemate Citroën GS, and won the 1972 Motor Trend Car of the Year award in the U.S.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren</span> Grand tourer jointly developed by Mercedes-Benz and McLaren Automotive

The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren is a grand tourer jointly developed by German automotive manufacturer Mercedes-Benz and British automobile manufacturer McLaren Automotive and sold from 2003 to 2010. When the car was developed, Mercedes-Benz owned 40 percent of the McLaren Group and the car was produced in conjunction between the two companies. The "SLR" name is an abbreviation for "Sport Leicht Rennsport", and was a homage to the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR which served as the car's inspiration. The car was offered in coupé, roadster and speedster bodystyles, with the latter being a limited edition model.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercedes-Benz 300 SL</span> Mercedes gullwinged coupé/roadster (1954–1963)

The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL is a two-seat sports car that was produced by Mercedes-Benz from 1954 to 1957 as a gullwinged coupé and from 1957 to 1963 as a roadster. The 300 SL traces its origins to the company's 1952 racing car, the W194, and was equipped with a mechanical direct fuel injection system that significantly increased the power output of its three-liter overhead camshaft straight-six engine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class</span> Compact luxury crossover SUV

The Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class is a Compact luxury crossover SUV produced from 2008 to 2015, debuting at the 2008 Beijing Auto Show. The name GLK is an acronym for Geländewagen Luxus Kompaktklasse, taking its name from the larger Mercedes-Benz GL-Class, which in turn was named after the G-Wagen or Geländewagen. Thus, the GL is the luxury-oriented version of the G, and GLK is the compact version of the GL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercedes-Benz CL-Class</span> Grand tourer car

The Mercedes-Benz CL-Class is a line of grand tourers which was produced by German automaker Mercedes-Benz, produced from 1992 to 2014. The name CL stands for the German Coupé Luxusklasse (Coupé-Luxury). It is considered by Mercedes as their premier model.

Mercedes-AMG GmbH, commonly known as AMG, is the high-performance subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz AG. AMG independently hires engineers and contracts with manufacturers to customize Mercedes-Benz AMG vehicles. The company has its headquarters in Affalterbach, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brabus</span> German high-performance automotive aftermarket tuning company

Brabus GmbH is a German high-performance automotive aftermarket tuning company founded in 1977 in Bottrop. Brabus specialises mainly in Mercedes-Benz, Maybach and Smart vehicles. They have also modified other vehicles including Porsche.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geneva International Motor Show</span> Annual Swiss auto show

The Geneva International Motor Show was an annual auto show held in March in the Swiss city of Geneva.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercedes-Benz E-Class (W210)</span> Second generation of Mercedes-Benz E-Class

The Mercedes-Benz W210 is the internal designation for a range of executive cars manufactured by Mercedes-Benz and marketed under the E-Class model name in both sedan/saloon (1995–2002) and station wagon/estate (1996–2003) configurations. W210 development started in 1988, three years after the W124's introduction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercedes-Benz E-Class (W211)</span> Third generation of Mercedes-Benz E-Class

The Mercedes-Benz W211 is the third generation Mercedes-Benz E-Class made from 2001 to 2009 in sedan/saloon and station wagon/estate configurations – replacing the W210 E-Class models and superseded by the Mercedes-Benz W212 in 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercedes-Benz SL-Class (R129)</span> Roadster which was produced by Mercedes-Benz from 1989 until 2001.

The Mercedes-Benz R129 SL is a roadster which was produced by Mercedes-Benz from 1988 until 2001. The R129 replaced the R107 in 1989 and was in its turn replaced by the R230 SL-Class in 2002 for the 2003 model year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercedes-Benz SL-Class (R230)</span> Motor vehicle

The R230 generation of the Mercedes-Benz SL-Class was introduced at the 2001 Frankfurt Motor Show and 2001 Bologna Motor Show, replacing the R129. The R230 underwent revisions in 2006 and 2008, and was superseded by the new SL-Class R231 in 2011.

Renntech Inc. is an American high-performance automotive aftermarket tuning company founded in 1989, with their headquarters located in Stuart, Florida. RENNtech specializes in engineering, designing and manufacturing parts for Mercedes-Benz, AMG, Maybach and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vehicles as well as other European luxury and performance vehicles. RENNtech also operates a full motorsport division named RENNtech Motorsports fielding a Mercedes-AMG GT4 racecar in SRO's North American GT -series. RENNtech Classics was founded to offer a wider range of services for owners of early RENNtech, Pre-Merger AMG, and collectible Mercedes-Benz vehicles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercedes-Benz W111</span> Motor vehicle

The Mercedes-Benz W111 was a chassis code given to a range of Mercedes-Benz vehicles produced between 1959 and 1971, including four-door saloons (1959–1968) and two-door coupés and cabriolets (1961–1971). Their bodywork featured distinctive tailfins that gave the models their Heckflosse nickname — German for "fintail".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercedes-Benz C-Class (W204)</span> Third generation of Mercedes-Benz C-Class

The Mercedes-Benz C-Class (W204) is the third generation of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class. It was manufactured and marketed by Mercedes-Benz in sedan/saloon (2007–2014), station wagon/estate (2008–2014) and coupé (2011–2015) bodystyles, with styling by Karlheinz Bauer and Peter Pfeiffer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercedes-Benz Vito</span> Light commercial van produced by Mercedes-Benz

The Mercedes-Benz Vito is a mid-sized light commercial vehicle (LCV) produced by Mercedes-Benz, available as a panel van, chassis cab, or multi-purpose vehicle (MPV), carrying cargo or up to eight passengers. In the Mercedes-Benz van lineup, it is positioned between the larger Sprinter and the smaller Citan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Novitec Group</span>

Novitec, located in Stetten, Bavaria, Germany, is a tuner that specializes in modifications for Italian marques such as Ferrari, Fiat, Alfa Romeo, and Lamborghini. In 2007, Novitec also spawned Novitec Tridente, an arm of the business dedicated to Maserati tuning. Another division of the company, Spofec, focuses on tuning Rolls-Royce vehicles. For Lamborghinis, the tuning is handled by Novitec's Torado division, whereas for Ferraris, the modifications are undertaken by the Rosso division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercedes-Benz C-Class (W202)</span> First generation of Mercedes-Benz C-Class

Mercedes-Benz W202 is the internal designation for a compact sedan/saloon manufactured and marketed by Mercedes-Benz between 1992 and 2001, as the first generation of the C-Class, now in its fifth generation. Replacing the 190 series/W201 in June 1993, the C-Class sedan was Mercedes' entry-level model until 1997, when the company launched the A-Class. Production reached 1,847,382 over model years 1994–2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercedes-Benz S-Series</span> Motor vehicle

The Mercedes-Benz S-Series (W06) was a successful line of sports cars produced from 1927-33 that bore the nickname, the "white elephants."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupé</span> Motor vehicle

The Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupé is an executive car (E-segment) introduced in 2018 by Mercedes-AMG. It is marketed as a five-door variant of the AMG GT two-door sports car. Despite the name and style, the GT 4-Door Coupé is closely related to E63 wagon with its performance chassis, and is featured by the AMG-specific rear frame and a different front axle for better kinematics.

References

  1. "EMercedesBenz - the Unofficial Mercedes-Benz Weblog". Archived from the original on 28 September 2007.
  2. "EMercedesBenz - the Unofficial Mercedes-Benz Weblog". Archived from the original on 28 September 2007.
  3. "EMercedesBenz - the Unofficial Mercedes-Benz Weblog". Archived from the original on 3 July 2007.
  4. "EMercedesBenz - the Unofficial Mercedes-Benz Weblog". Archived from the original on 28 September 2007.
  5. Modified Luxury & Exotics Tier-One Tuning, PP. 100 to 106, By Colum Wood. Photos by Joost Demuynck. June 2007
  6. "Saab 9000 Carlsson – Performance with Responsibility". saabplanet.com. 19 November 2017. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
  7. "Citroën at the Frankfurt Motor Show - C5 Break by Carlsson". citroenet.org.uk. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
  8. "Carlsson PENINSULA Hyundai i30 N Tuning". carlsson-peninsula.de. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
  9. "Mind-boggling: Toyota Camry tuning by Carlsson". motoringconbrio.com. 11 June 2013. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
  10. "Carlsson bought by Chinese". Motor1.com. Retrieved 2018-09-11.
  11. Mitrache, Vlad (2015-12-07). "Long-Time Mercedes-Benz Tuner Carlsson Saved from Bankruptcy by South Korean Company". autoevolution. Retrieved 2018-09-11.
  12. Serious Wheels - 2010 Carlsson C25 Development
  13. Modified Luxury & Exotics Fast Fashion, PP. 46 to 52, By Dustin A. Woods. Photos by Joost Demuynck. May 2008