Italy's Brembo acquires Sweden's Öhlins in $390m merger

The world's largest manufacturer of braking systems has merged with a Swedish giant specializing in suspension components.

The acquisition was announced on Friday, October 11. Italy's Brembo, a leading European automotive industry powerhouse, has taken Sweden's Öhlins under its wing—a specialist in suspensions, particularly for sporty vehicles.

The agreement, valued at $390 million, was finalized 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 often been used together in many cars and motorcycles. It's likely this will now become even more common. Regular customers probably won’t notice much change from this merger.

However, more significant changes might occur in the world of motorsport, where Öhlins has a stronger position than Brembo. It is possible that the Italians will decide to leverage this strength to increase their presence in racing with their products.