Tire Rack

By Chester Sims

As modern cars have become more sophisticated and complex, they've also become more difficult to individualize. What with emission regulations and computerized engine control systems, hopping up a motor has become nearly impossible. Customizing a car's body is equally difficult since contemporary cars use unit bodies that don't lend themselves to much modification.

But there's still one thing on a car that can be individualized easily and affordably. Well, four things, to be accurate, and these are a car's wheels. They can change the look of a car considerably without altering its basic integrity of compromising its performance.

A generation ago, custom wheels were something of a cult thing, seen only on hot rods and sports cars. But over the past few decades, the use of custom wheels has proliferated. This has created a booming business for wheel manufacturers from all over the world.

In 1962 Peter Wilhelm Borbet, today's president, began production in a newly built works in Hesborn, Germany, manufacturing sand-cast, gravity die-cast and also low-pressure die cast parts for many different industries.

In 1977, Borbet began making light alloy wheels for cars and commercial vehicles. Today the company is specializing more and more in the development and manufacture of wheels - from design to production - and makes all its wheels under one roof.

Using modern production methods, a comprehensive quality assurance system and a staff of able and dedicated employees, Borbet has established a significant market position. On December 21st 1994, Borbet became one of the first light alloy wheel manufacturers to be certified successfully according to the DIN ISO 9001 standard for its quality management system. Since then Borbet has earned ISO 14001 certification for its environmental management system as well as both ISO/TS 16949 and ISO 9001 certification for quality management.

Borbet employs approximately 2,500 people, including the staffs of its six sister companies in Munich, Germany and Ranshofen, Austria as well as in Port Elizabeth, South Africa and Auburn, Alabama in the United States. Borbet Group has a total capacity to produce approximately 13 million wheels per year.

In addition to producing aftermarket wheels, the company is also an Original Equipment supplier to the auto industry. Its clients include BMW, Volkswagen, Audi, Ford and more.

Borbet's main plant is in Hesborn. A modern facility, which has 24 die-casting machines that run 24 hours a day. Its sister company, AAG, also has a state-of-the-art plant with 18 casting machines and a number of robots which perform the final machining of the alloy wheels. The AAG plant alone can produce 5,000 wheels a day. All Borbet facilities use helium to test its wheels for imperfections instead of the traditional water bath.

Aside from making wheels, Borbet is also actively involved in motorsports, supporting the FIA WTCC (World Touring Car Championship) SEAT team. Another of Borbet's extracurricular interests involves a different kind of horsepower; the company was the official sponsor of Germany's equine dressage team that won the gold medal at the 1996 U.S. Olympic games in Atlanta.