page_title: Recaro
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Recaro / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Passenger Experience Week 2018, Hamburg
context_page_description: Recaro Holding, as the parent company of the Recaro Group, owns the Recaro brand and the independently operating companies Recaro Aircraft Seating based in Schwäbisch Hall and Recaro eGaming based in Stuttgart, Germany. The business areas Recaro Automotive Seating and Recaro Kids are operated by licensees.
context_section_description: Founded on 1 October 1906 by Wilhelm Reutter as Stuttgarter Carosserie und Radfabrik, the company became known for building limousine bodies during the 1920s. In 1909 Wilhelm's brother Albert Reutter joins the company as a partner and commercial manager. Change of name to "Stuttgarter Karosseriewerk Reutter & Co.", owner W. & A. Reutter. On July 24, 1909, the patent for a "folding roof with canopy, especially for motor vehicles" is filed. This so-called "reform body" was a constructive forerunner of the convertible. The result is bodies including interior fittings for almost all well-known manufacturers of the time, in particular Daimler-Benz (and predecessor) as well as the Chemnitzer Wanderer-Werke. In 1919, the gradual conversion from individual production to mass production takes place. 1930 Reutter enters into a partnership with the Porsche design office. From 1931 Reutter manufactured the first bodies for Porsche types 7, 8, 9, 12 and 32. 1936 After the capacity limit of the main plant in Augustenstraße had been reached, a second plant is built in Zuffenhausen. A year later in 1937 Reutter receives the order to produce the Volkswagen prototype pre-series VW 303. A couple years later in 1939 the company now has around 900 employees. 1944 the main factory in Augustenstraße is severely damaged in an air raid. The workforce shrinks to 94 people. In 1949 Porsche began engaging the company to build their Porsche 356 sports car bodies.
  In 1953, the company registered a patent for "a hinge fitting for upholstered seats with adjustable backrest", the Reutter reclining seat fitting. 1954 Completion of the 5,000th body for the Porsche 356. In 1956 the "Stuttgarter Karosseriewerk Reutter & Co. GmbH" celebrates its 50th anniversary. In the same year the 10,000. Porsche body, left the factory, which now employs 900 people.
  In 1963, Porsche acquired the car body factory. What remained was renamed to Recaro (REutter-CAROsserie), changing its focus to high-end seats. The company began producing both OEM seats for Porsche and a separate line of after-market seats. 1965 Recaro presents the first Recaro sports seat at the Frankfurt Motor Show. In 1967 Recaro starts the construction of a production facility in Schwäbisch Hall. In 1969, the Reutter family sold the company to three companies, Keiper, Huber & Wagner and Metzeler, due to economical problems. 1971 Recaro produces the first aircraft seats under the name Recaro Aircomfort under license of the American manufacturer Hardman Aerospace. Shortly afterwards Recaro launches its first own aircraft seat, the so-called Recaro 2020, and sells it to Lufthansa, among others. In 1974, the first motor sport seat was based on the Recaro professional full shell seat. In 1983, Keiper purchased all shares in Recaro and established Keiper Recaro in Kirchheim.
  After a restructuring in 1997 Recaro becomes an independent company again. This results in four legally and economically independent companies, including Recaro Aircraft Seating GmbH & Co. KG. A year later, in 1998, Recaro introduces the first ever-growing child seat. In 2004 Recaro bought the traditional company "Storchenmühle", which concentrates on the production of child seats. The company celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2006. In June 2011 Recaro sold the automotive seating division to the US automotive supplier Johnson Controls. The acquisition gives Johnson Controls as licensee of the RECARO brand in the automotive industry the exclusive unlimited right to market Recaro seats for cars and commercial vehicles. All other brand companies now belong to RECARO Group, Stuttgart, which is the brand owner and licensor of RECARO Automotive Seating.
  2013, after restructuring, Recaro Holding relocates its registered office back to its place of foundation, Stuttgart. After its spin-off from Johnson Controls in 2016, Recaro Automotive Seating belongs to the automotive supplier Adient. The Recaro Group continues to act as licensor. In 2018, Recaro Child Safety ceases business operations (including Storchenmühle). Also 2018 the Recaro Holding en
caption: Recaro Aircraft seats
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