Wheels maketh the car. It doesn’t matter how stanced it is or the body kit on it, a good set of wheels will completely transform the look of any vehicle. That’s indisputable. What is however are the origin of the wheels you slap on your car.
BBS GmbH, the legendary German wheelmaker that allowed many of your dream vehicles to actually drive, has filed for bankruptcy to prevent an imminent insolvency in the coming months.
Unsurprisingly, the economic downturn brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic was behind the move as the company explained in a statement on their website; “a necessary step to prevent an imminent insolvency within the coming months due to the sudden omission of confirmed payments.” That, alongside the temporary shutdown of its two plants, were the major factors that played into the filing.
This isn’t the first time BBS has filed for bankruptcy, with the first being in 2007 and the last in 2011. However, on a possible positive note, it has been appointed two insolvency administrators; one of which was responsible for its turnaround in restructuring following the 2011 filing.
Furthermore, BBS confirmed it “initiated an extensive turnaround strategy for the whole company,” prior to the filing and the move should help it overcome the financial instability.
Before you start pouring your life savings into buying a genuine set of BBS wheels in the misguided hopes that it’ll keep the company afloat, BBS has reassured us that they’ll most likely survive the filing under restructuring and continue producing wheels that make blood flow into our nether regions.
BBS was founded in 1970, meaning 2020 was to be its 50th anniversary but the universe had other plans. It gained fame from its innovative three-piece racing wheels designed two years later. They went public in 1980 which preceded rapid growth into the heart of the automotive scenes; namely Japan, Italy and the American markets.
Among the trophy in their classy hats include championship-winning Formula 1 wheels and the legendary BBS turbofan wheels on Japan’s Super Silhouette rockets. You’ll find BBS wheels on most motorsports and road applications.
The question now is if you’ll be able to in the future. BBS assures us their wheels aren’t going anywhere but at the rate 2020 is going, can we really be sure. Either way, it’s probably time to rethink purchasing replica wheels.