Racecomp Technology Partners: BILSTEIN

Not many suspension companies can boast a 140-year history, but the BILSTEIN company was founded in 1873, and made its first automobile parts in 1927. In 1957 the company introduced the world's first monotube gas pressure shock absorber, and BILSTEIN has been leading automotive damper technology ever since.

BILSTEIN dampers can be found on cars from manufacturers including Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lotus, Mercedes, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Opel, Subaru, Tesla, and Volkswagen -- among others.

BILSTEIN's entree into racing came in 1960, when Walter Schock (!) and Rolf Moll won the 29th Rally Monte Carlo in a Mercedes 220 SE equipped with BILSTEIN gas-pressure shock absorbers. BILSTEIN dampers were installed in Formula 1 racing cars starting in 1961.

Over the decades, BILSTEIN has won countless race events, and drivers such as Klaus Ludwig, Hans-Joachim Stuck, and Walter Röhrl raced on BILSTEIN. The company celebrated a special triumph in 2012 when all three podium teams at the 24-hour race at Nurburgring were BILSTEIN-equipped.

Today, BILSTEIN produces around 10 million shock absorbers annually. BILSTEIN combines original equipment and motorsport development with aftermarket and tuning competence in a very special way. This can be seen by the wide range of quality suspensions for series installation to tuning and professional motorsport applications. 

BILSTEIN's partnership with Subaru began in 1997, when Subaru released the Legacy GT-B, with the B standing for BILSTEIN. Subsequent BILSTEIN-equipped special editions including the US-market Legacy Spec B in 2006. To this day, Subaru's highest-spec models, including the 2019 flagship S209, are equipped with BILSTEIN suspension.