In March, famous BMW tuner AC Schnitzer announced that it’d be closing its doors. After decades of developing some of the most iconic aftermarket parts for BMWs, and countless race cars, it seemed like the end of the line. Now, though, in what would feel like a dues ex machina if it were in a novel, the tuner is getting a last-second lifeline from a new owner to keep its doors open, according to BMWBlog.
AC Schnitzer was previously owned by the German company Kohl Group, who was originally going to shut the tuner down. However, a deal has been made by Dutch holding company AM Group to acquire AC Schnitzer and not just in name. AM is buying everything: all of its equipment, tech, and TÜV approvals. It’s unclear if its facilities are part of the deal, and if its existing employees will be retained. Hopefully everyone gets to keep their jobs.
As for Schnitzer Motorsport, the racing division of the company with a long history of fantastic race cars, it will be handled by a Germany company with Imran Arshad as managing director. Arshad is the founder of Evolve Automotive and Eventuri, and has been tuning BMWs in the UK for many years. So he knows a thing or two about making Bimmers go fast. It’ll be interesting to see what he does with the historic Schnitzer Motorsport brand.
While it’s good news that AC Schnitzer lives on, it’s fair to wonder for how long. There’s a reason it was ready to close up shop. The aftermarket isn’t the same anymore, and there aren’t as many young buyers who want the sort of equipment, parts, and tunes AC Schnitzer was selling. Perhaps the brand got stale and new ownership, with fresh eyes and modern tastes, can bring the brand back to glory. Or maybe the new owners will run into the same problems. For now, though, it’s nice to know the longstanding tuner has another chance.
