Carlsson as a company, R.I.P.?

[Duh_Vinci]

I saw this post on FB...



I know Carlsson changed hands while back and basically "withdrew" from US market some time ago for the most part. I know some of you (particularly in Europe) are very familiar with large tuners... fake or real? I see no press releases, nothing on their www.carlsson.de page?

Regards,
D

 

[gsxr]

Looks like fake news to me. Who owns the account that posted this?

 

[Duh_Vinci]

Looks like fake news to me. Who owns the account that posted this?

Mercedes Benz / Lorinser Classic | Berlin

Mercedes Benz / Lorinser Classic, Berlin. 78,441 likes · 3,245 talking about this. - Inoffizielle Fanseite - weil nicht Stern * fähig ;) Mercedes-Benz Pressefoto Online Museum! MB-Exoten /...

www.facebook.com

I mean I understand that the days of "traditional" tunning of the 80's and 90's are long gone (as the days of the upgrades for ICE/Sound Systems), still, would be a shame if they were "done"

 

[195910]

Earlier this year it was restructuring. But lately I have been hearing a lot of bad news about various legendary names.. Including BBS

 

[Duh_Vinci]

Earlier this year it was restructuring. But lately I have been hearing a lot of bad news about various legendary names.. Including BBS

Sad indeed...

 

[Duh_Vinci]

A comment in that post:

“No the Showroom in Saarlouis is empty everthing Sold also the rare C25 (190 Base) . Sambo Motors keeps the rights of Brand.”

May be be the end, huh?

 

[195910]

A comment in that post:

“No the Showroom in Saarlouis is empty everthing Sold also the rare C25 (190 Base) . Sambo Motors keeps the rights of Brand.”

May be be the end, huh?

I have a video of the C25 from earlier this year. A super car based on the R230 SL65.

 

[195910]

Phones are disconnected ... I guess its the end.

 

[gerryvz]

I visited Carlsson many years ago in Saarlouis on one of my Euro Tours, and they gave me a tour. I took a lot of photos of their shops. I will post them as a tribute.

 

[Duh_Vinci]

I have a video of the C25 from earlier this year. A super car based on the R230 SL65.

Would love to see it if you could share!

Phones are disconnected ... I guess its the end.

Another one is gone... wow

I visited Carlsson many years ago in Saarlouis on one of my Euro Tours, and they gave me a tour. I took a lot of photos of their shops. I will post them as a tribute.

Look forward to these!

W201 of Carlsson is what I first fell in love with being a teenager.





And this is probably my favorite photo of W124 of theirs

 

[gerryvz]

I took these photos when visiting Carlsson on June 8, 2004.

Hard to believe it was almost 20 years ago !!

 

[Duh_Vinci]

So this is the spot

 

[gerryvz]

Yep, that's correct. The Carlsson HQ was an old horse barn/stable/estate that they repurposed to be their workshop.

They were very welcoming when I just showed up on their doorstep and asked if they would let me in to take photos of their premises. One fellow led me around, but after that I was pretty much free to roam the place, which I did for close to an hour. The photos I posted were taken with a very early digital camera (actually the same camera I use to take photos now for my HOW-TO articles) so the resolution is not the best, but it does the trick.

The thing I always appreciated about Carlsson is that its designs and tweaks were NEVER "over the top" but rather very functional, tasteful, aesthetically pleasing and honestly, performance-oriented. Carlsson modifications always had class, and never screamed "look at me !!!" like some of the other tuners did, and do.

It is a shame that they are going out of business. They were a class act.

 

[Duh_Vinci]

...The thing I always appreciated about Carlsson is that its designs and tweaks were NEVER "over the top" but rather very functional, tasteful, aesthetically pleasing and honestly, performance-oriented. Carlsson modifications always had class, and never screamed "look at me !!!" like some of the other tuners did, and do.

It is a shame that they are going out of business. They were a class act.

Well said Sir!

 

[Draginev]

Yep, that's correct. The Carlsson HQ was an old horse barn/stable/estate that they repurposed to be their workshop.

They were very welcoming when I just showed up on their doorstep and asked if they would let me in to take photos of their premises. One fellow led me around, but after that I was pretty much free to roam the place, which I did for close to an hour. The photos I posted were taken with a very early digital camera (actually the same camera I use to take photos now for my HOW-TO articles) so the resolution is not the best, but it does the trick.

The thing I always appreciated about Carlsson is that its designs and tweaks were NEVER "over the top" but rather very functional, tasteful, aesthetically pleasing and honestly, performance-oriented. Carlsson modifications always had class, and never screamed "look at me !!!" like some of the other tuners did, and do.

It is a shame that they are going out of business. They were a class act.

I'm just curious as to why they failed to advertise unlike Brabus? They may be a class act but didn't reach a lot of potential customers. It's such a shame but marketing is the key factor here.

 

[gerryvz]

I think they did have marketing; at least, in years past I've seen plenty of their ads in Mercedes-related magazines and such.

These tuning firms tend to cater to a very esoteric (moneyed) crowd, so I am assuming that there were just not enough customers to go around. And many customers want the "flash" (attention-getting mods) that other tuners provided. My guess is also that if Carlsson was having financial problems, then some of the other tuners also may be squeezed.

 

[Duh_Vinci]

I see no press releases, nothing on their www.carlsson.de page?

And now there is nothing to "see" on their page either, R.I.P.

 

[gerryvz]

And now there is nothing to "see" on their page either, R.I.P.

Wow, the page was working just yesterday !!

 

[Benzy Boy]

This is sad to hear.

I think part of the reason why they go out of business is bad marketing and failure to switch to online storefront. The same could be said for Lorinser.

Did you know Lorinser still makes all the parts (body kits, steering wheels, you name it) for the old mercs (R129, W140, W124, R107 etc...)? Except I bet you don't know, because they don't have it anywhere on their site. I just bought a body kit from them for 3300 EUR through telephone. The only reason I ever found out they still make them is because I called and asked. They don't advertise this anywhere! Not a single hint on their website.

Even when I wanted to order the body kit I had to give them the part numbers from some shady 30 year old Lorinser jpeg of some pixelated old 3rd party catalogue I found posted on some facebook fan page for reference. They didn't even have photos of their own products. I bet you even the guy who posted it doesn't know they still make those parts!

 

[asultan]

This is sad to hear.

I think part of the reason why they go out of business is bad marketing and failure to switch to online storefront. The same could be said for Lorinser.

Did you know Lorinser still makes all the parts (body kits, steering wheels, you name it) for the old mercs (R129, W140, W124, R107 etc...)? Except I bet you don't know, because they don't have it anywhere on their site. I just bought a body kit from them for 3300 EUR through telephone. The only reason I ever found out they still make them is because I called and asked. They don't advertise this anywhere! Not a single hint on their website.

Even when I wanted to order the body kit I had to give them the part numbers from some shady 30 year old Lorinser jpeg of some pixelated old 3rd party catalogue I found posted on some facebook fan page for reference. They didn't even have photos of their own products. I bet you even the guy who posted it doesn't know they still make those parts!

View attachment 175175

phone number?

 

[Benzy Boy]

phone number?

+49 7151 1360 or info@lorinser.com ask for Evangelos or just ask them about the part numbers you see in that chart I posted.
By the way for anyone else interested, their bodykits are great quality, with the same old OEM plastic from back in the day with full mounting kits. Not the fiberglass aftermarket garbage you see on ebay.

Scroll down for pictures

MERCEDES :: E Class :: W124 (85-95) :: Styling

!!! STOCK CLEARANCE !!! THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO GRAB A BARGAIN! These are the Highest Quality German Made parts for your W124 reduced to clear at half price or less! W124 230E to 300E 86-93 Est RRP Sale Price Qty Comments Body Styling and Spoilers Z5260023...

www.carshine.com.au

 

[gerryvz]

The real test with the Lorinser stuff, I think, is whether the chicks dig it or not.

 

[036]

I think it´s a wonder they survived so long producing low quality stuff.....

 

[BRN9121]

It doesn't matter if your product is quality or not, you just can't maintain a healthy revenue when your costs are through the roof.
Customers around the world have realized that they are tired of paying for the high european wages.

 

[036]

It doesn't matter if your product is quality or not

I doubt that.

 

[dionphaneuf]

That's sad to hear about Carlsson. I quite like the 3/6 wheel; they did a good job of doing a slightly different flavor aesthetically than what MB originally provided, with some edge but not too Over The Top as mentioned.

Crazy about Lorinser. I read an article a month ago that included the below line about paper copies being required in German business.....eugh.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/05/world/europe/chinese-automakers-iaa-mobility-german-auto-show.html

 

[Duh_Vinci]

And little "press" info from Germany

Carlsson tunt nicht mehr: Legendärer Mercedes-Veredler hört auf

Auch unter seinem neuen Eigentümer hat Carlsson kein Glück – der legendäre Mercedes-Tuner hört auf.

www.auto-motor-und-sport.de

 

[Duh_Vinci]

Lorinser still makes all the parts (body kits, steering wheels, you name it) for the old mercs (R129, W140, W124, R107 etc...)? Except I bet you don't know, because they don't have it anywhere on their site. I just bought a body kit from them

Good to know! Did you get it for R129 or W124? If R129, if you ever need the foglights or lens replacement for these



Re-badged C140 foglights (still available as far as I know, at least were last year, helped someone to do some digging, as Lorinser no longer offered those replacements...)

On the Carlsson note, in the early 2000's, they were also very accommodating. Someone on 190rev was building a W201 tribute, he did get a hold of front and rear bumpers, but not side skirts. After a phone call, Carlsson opened up the old molds made him a set of sideskirts to complete the car

 

[500AMM]

@Duh_Vinci - something for your W201 barometer!
For sale in Norway, 79700 km/ 49565 miles on the odo, USD 54700

Bruktbil til salgs: Mercedes-Benz 190 - 1991 - Svart - 194 hk - Sedan | FINN.no

Her har du en unik sjanse til å skaffe deg en 1 Eiers original 2.5-16V med bare 80.000km.Bilen fremstår som meget strøken utvendig som innvendig.Service heft...

www.finn.no

 

[Benzy Boy]

Good to know! Did you get it for R129 or W124? If R129, if you ever need the foglights or lens replacement for these

View attachment 175186

Re-badged C140 foglights (still available as far as I know, at least were last year, helped someone to do some digging, as Lorinser no longer offered those replacements...)

On the Carlsson note, in the early 2000's, they were also very accommodating. Someone on 190rev was building a W201 tribute, he did get a hold of front and rear bumpers, but not side skirts. After a phone call, Carlsson opened up the old molds made him a set of sideskirts to complete the car

Yes I bought the C140 foglights from ebay. Thank you. My kit was the one for the facelift cars without the chrome.

 

[500AMM]

Sad news about Carlsson. But as already mentioned this happens to several if not most of the good old tuners. I had a look at König Specials since the supercharging of my car was done by them, and most of it on their homepage are now on request only. Their golden era was late '80s to mid '90s and I think the König brothers have retired now and no successors bring it on.

On a general basis - the entire philosophy in the car business is far into a total change. Here in Norway some brands offer new cars only sold via internet and you next pick it up at an unmanned shop/storage location. And more and more brands are merging and use a third party running their sales business. Those companies have no branding and a genderless name like Car Service, Mobile etc... They also run the spare parts business and with all the chinese garbage floating around - who knows what they actually put in their OE boxes still sold at a premium..??

 

[gsxr]

It doesn't matter if your product is quality or not, you just can't maintain a healthy revenue when your costs are through the roof.
Customers around the world have realized that they are tired of paying for the high european wages.

On the flip side, some people are also tired of paying low prices for cheap offshore wages, and receiving terrible quality product. Companies hawking garbage like ÜRO, APA, FEQ, Hamburg Technic, etc all maintain healthy revenue, but you wouldn't want any of their parts on your vehicle...

 

[195910]

High costs, over regulation and dwindling of customer base has lead to the demise of the high quality tuning and customization market.
An approval certificate is required for each part, which costs thousands to issue and some even require a crash test using an actual car!

With exception to BB (now focuses on fashion rather than tuning!), the golden generation is almost gone. Replica carbon parts are easily available for 5% of the original "made in Germany" part value, re-branded replica exhaust systems are half price and finally the youtube-tuners scavenge for the $500-1000 ECU tunes and the one with the highest "likes" usually wins (yes, the most logical and scientific method of choosing who gets to destroy your $50k engine), until the mandatory EVs put them out of business.

 

[Draginev]

It doesn't matter if your product is quality or not, you just can't maintain a healthy revenue when your costs are through the roof.
Customers around the world have realized that they are tired of paying for the high european wages.

While the Europeans citizens are trying to accommodate the inflation and high fuel cost. There is no win-win situation here.

 

[500AMM]

High costs, over regulation and dwindling of customer base has lead to the demise of the high quality tuning and customization market.
An approval certificate is required for each part, which costs thousands to issue and some even require a crash test using an actual car!

With exception to BB (now focuses on fashion rather than tuning!), the golden generation is almost gone. Replica carbon parts are easily available for 5% of the original "made in Germany" part value, re-branded replica exhaust systems are half price and finally the youtube-tuners scavenge for the $500-1000 ECU tunes and the one with the highest "likes" usually wins (yes, the most logical and scientific method of choosing who gets to destroy your $50k engine), until the mandatory EVs put them out of business.

very well explained, Ahmad!
Put in a nutshell this is how it develops. I think 12++ years ahead from now it will be global regulations for utilization of fossile based fuel, which dictates production volume, availability and price level. So enjoy your cars while you can folks.

A side note;
Two brothers across the street in the end of the '20s have one Tesla each, Model S and Model X, and a friend visiting them regularly has a Model S as well. One day I was sitting on the balcony I saw them walking around their three Teslas and talked eagerly. I just sat there and thought, what are you guys discussing about your rubber wheeled Duracells - the colour? various air fresheners? wheels? maybe put "racing air" in the tires? My DD is a max equipped, pristine Volvo XC40 Recharge Pro and I would say besides range & battery capacity, it is nothing to discuss about an electric car, it's just a nice thingy for body transportation with a range like an half full fuel tank.

 

[gerryvz]

Companies hawking garbage like ÜRO, APA, FEQ, Hamburg Technic,

You forgot MTC (Mission Trading Corp.)

 

[gsxr]

You forgot MTC (Mission Trading Corp.)

 

[gerryvz]

End of an Era: Carlsson Ceases Operations - MBWorld

Legendary Mercedes tuner Carlsson may officially be over, according to numerous sources. Here are our Top 4 favorites!

mbworld.org

 

[BRN9121]

Sad news about Carlsson. But as already mentioned this happens to several if not most of the good old tuners. I had a look at König Specials since the supercharging of my car was done by them, and most of it on their homepage are now on request only. Their golden era was late '80s to mid '90s and I think the König brothers have retired now and no successors bring it on.

On a general basis - the entire philosophy in the car business is far into a total change. Here in Norway some brands offer new cars only sold via internet and you next pick it up at an unmanned shop/storage location. And more and more brands are merging and use a third party running their sales business. Those companies have no branding and a genderless name like Car Service, Mobile etc... They also run the spare parts business and with all the chinese garbage floating around - who knows what they actually put in their OE boxes still sold at a premium..??

Oh yes!

 

[Draginev]

very well explained, Ahmad!
Put in a nutshell this is how it develops. I think 12++ years ahead from now it will be global regulations for utilization of fossile based fuel, which dictates production volume, availability and price level. So enjoy your cars while you can folks.

A side note;
Two brothers across the street in the end of the '20s have one Tesla each, Model S and Model X, and a friend visiting them regularly has a Model S as well. One day I was sitting on the balcony I saw them walking around their three Teslas and talked eagerly. I just sat there and thought, what are you guys discussing about your rubber wheeled Duracells - the colour? various air fresheners? wheels? maybe put "racing air" in the tires? My DD is a max equipped, pristine Volvo XC40 Recharge Pro and I would say besides range & battery capacity, it is nothing to discuss about an electric car, it's just a nice thingy for body transportation with a range like an half full fuel tank.

They are measuring their range...... I will let myself out

 

[yao500e]

I was very sad to hear this. I think this business model is very difficult to maintain. Moderm Benz already offering their own performance upgrade packages as well as these super HIGH TECH cars which makes it quite challengeing for after market mod companies add more to it. An end of an era for many companies both in Benz and BMW tuning. Alpina recently closed shop too.

My favorite Carlsson is the C37 RS.