The information on this page of the site is presented solely to familiarize yourself with the history of the brand.
Information article in the section.
Car showroom ABT Sportsline recently celebrated its centenary. The most surprising thing is that the company that modifies famous cars was born even before the latter were designed. Although the family business began with horses, it was not with mechanical horses, but with real ones. In 1896, in the suburbs, the small town of Kempton, a blacksmith shop was built that engaged in shoeing horses.
But technology did not stand still, and gradually horse power was replaced by machine power, and shod hooves replaced rubber wheels. In the early 20s of the last century, the forge was retrained as an auto repair shop, and then everything went according to the well-worn scenario according to which all European machine production developed at the beginning of the 20th century. 
In the 1930s, a store was built near the workshop, where manufactured products were immediately sold. There was no talk about tuning in those days, but the store’s assortment included cars from famous manufacturers, but not original, but slightly adjusted by mechanics from a car repair shop. Some models have been improved chassis, and some acquired more powerful engines. All this was purely symbolic and did not claim to be modified cars. 
1935 was also an important year in the development of the auto repair shop in the small town of Kempton. This year was the year of birth of Johan Abt - a man who would play an important role in the development of the family business. But this will be a little later, in the early 60s, during the dawn of post-war Germany. 
And so, in 1939, the auto repair shop suffered the fate that befell the entire technical industry in Germany in those years - it was partially privatized by the state and completely directed towards military production. 
Already in the early 1950s, young Johan began to take part in racing. He wins several races in his native Bavaria. With gold medals comes fame and recognition. 
Young Abt understood that in order to constantly win in such a sport as racing, it is necessary to constantly keep up with the times and have a perfect car. It was then that Johan became deeply interested in mechanics and engineering, sometimes applying the acquired knowledge by sitting for hours in the garage before important competitions. 
In the 1960s, the young mechanic racer Johan received an offer to lead sports division famous German company Karl Abarth, he will spend the entire period from 1967 to 1070 in his new position, simultaneously participating both in the development of new components and spare parts, and in a number of important races already on cars from Abarth. 
IN automobile business In Germany in the 60s, everything happened very quickly and rapidly. Johan Abt is invited to head one of Audi's sports divisions, to which he agrees. In 1975, he took the place of the head of the racing team of this company and, concurrently, the place of the first pilot. Over the next two years he will manage his own team and successfully compete in a number of very important competitions. In addition, his family business, the Auto-Abt auto repair shop, was inherited by Johan, which he quickly hastened to rename Abt tuning GmbH. 
Having devoted more than 25 years of his life to motor sports, in 1977 Johan Abt decided to turn off his engine forever and concentrate on running his company. During his entire participation in racing, he won more than 300 victories in various races. 
In 1980, the car dealership's racing team, led by Johan, successfully competes in Volkswagen Golf GTI. The result of these performances was holding first place for 3 years and winning the title of champion of the International Golf Cup. 
At the end of the 1980s, Johan's two sons, Christian Abt and Gnas-Jürgen Abt, took their first steps as racing drivers. In the early nineties they will head the tuning division, which will be called Abt tuning GmbH. The branch of the tuning salon is located in the same Kempton, where a century ago their great-grandfather opened a forge. IN this moment The area allocated for a family car dealership is 12,000 square meters. By the end of the 90s, Abt tuning GmbH annually produces up to 2,000 fully or partially modified cars from its garages. Its products are represented by more than 50 sales offices around the world. 
In the early 2000s, the Abt brothers are attracted to new idea. They are starting to develop a series gas engines. The company is celebrating the release of 400 vehicles specially designed for this type of fuel.
Currently, the company continues its development. In the mid-2000s, another division of the company was created in Switzerland, which is called Abt Sportsline Schweiz AG.
If you are the owner of such prestigious cars like Audi, Volkswagen, Seat, Skoda and want to tune your “favorite”, unique projects and tuning programs are at your service atelier ABT Sportsline . The company's specialization in given time aimed at fine-tuning Skoda, Audi, Volkswagen, Seat. To this amount of work is added the preparation of cars for racing.
This company has extensive experience since 1970. Offers car enthusiasts an optimal range of modifications, including, in addition to interior and exterior changes, significant modifications to the engine, thanks to which its power will increase significantly.
Tuning studio ABT Sportsline considered the “oldest” tuner. Its history of development began back in 1896 in the Abt family, which was engaged in blacksmithing. With the advent of the first cars, the company's activities focused on working with auto mechanics, and after 1920, the blacksmith's workshop was transformed into an automobile workshop. Ten years later, the family opens its own car store.
Since 1950, Johan Abt has been taking part in various auto races, victories in which bring fame to the small company and, at the same time, orders for car upgrades. A little later, Johan heads the sports division of the company and produces sports cars. The father's career was continued by his sons, who have managed Abttuning GmbH since 1990. A year later the company renamed AbtSportslineGmbH. In 1998, thanks to a joint project with Volkswagen Ag, preparatory work by car VWLupoCup.
The company reached scale in the late 90s. The scope of work started from automotive design, accepting orders, to finding a market for marketing. Special attention was given to the team of athletes AbtSportslineGmbH, which turned out to be the winner in STW.
The studio achieved success in modernizing gas engines in 2000.
Exclusive ABT Sportsline wheels
| ABT - DR-SPORT ALLOY WHEEL | ABT - ER-C SPORT ALLOY WHEEL |
 |
|
The ABT Sportsline tuning studio is a family business of Hans-Jürgen and Christian Abt, started in 1970. However, the tuners themselves consider the founding date of the company to be 1896, when the ancestor current owners Johan Abt founded a blacksmithing company. In fact, it’s also tuning, but for horses.
Today ABT Sportsline is a major player in the field of car tuning Volkswagen concern(Audi, Skoda, SEAT and Volkswagen). About 160 people work at the headquarters in Kempten, Bavaria. In addition, based on the tuning studio, there are several racing teams participating in the DTM and Formula E series.
Cars subject to tuning get to the masters in two ways - either the clients themselves bring their cars “for tuning”, or they buy ABT specifically for the customer’s needs the desired model for modification directly from the manufacturer.
1 / 4
2 / 4
3 / 4
4 / 4
ABT Sportsline deals with almost every possible type of car modification. For example, they modify engines, not limiting themselves to just “reflashing the brains,” but installing their own intake and exhaust parts, including their own turbochargers. ABT also develops and manufactures body parts, produce their own line rims and remodel the interiors with their own hands, upholstering the interior with leather or Alcantara and even introducing their own multimedia.
It takes about three months to fully develop the entire set of tuning solutions for a specific model. But when the project is finished, and it’s just a matter of putting the developments into practice, the guys from Kempten need no more than three days to turn an ordinary car in "ABT Car".
There are three in Russia official dealer ABT Sportsline, and the car dealer is not among them. ABT told Koles that they sell 99% of their products with installation on a car, but Russia clearly spoils these statistics - the company’s products in our country are promoted and sold by two online stores and only one studio that sells and installs components of various manufacturers.
In other words, our people prefer to buy a car separately, a tuning kit separately, and then install it themselves or by a handicraft workshop.
Volkswagen Golf GTi and Audi RS6 before and after tuning at ABT Sportsline
The site's correspondent spoke with the boss of the ABT Sportsline tuning studio, Hans-Jürgen Abt, asking about his own tuning preferences, a future without internal combustion engines, and which ABT-treated cars customers from Russia prefer.
- Hans-Jurgen, what is your company working on now?
As always, on new cars Audi brands, Volkswagen, SEAT and Skoda. Currently in work is the new Audi TT and A6/RS6 Facelift models, Volkswagen Passat and other VW models. Of course, we're already making plans for the models that are about to appear this year - we want to be the first to introduce great tuning products when new cars first hit the market!
1 / 3
2 / 3
3 / 3
On the picture: ABT Volkswagen Golf GTI 3-door
- Please describe your typical client? Why does he need to tune his car?
It is important for all our clients to have “personality on wheels”, and this is exactly what we offer. I'm talking about modified engines, cool wheels, body paint, or even a completely redesigned interior to suit any customer's whims. Almost everything is real!
- Do you have many clients in Russia? How important is this market for ABT Sportsline?
Russia? Of course, this is an important market for us! For example, our clients in Russia really like what we do with large SUVs like an Audi Q7! In general, we are always happy to find friends of ABT in Russia, and throughout the world.
- Can we say that you admire one of your business competitors?
No. I don't feel that way about any of our competitors. But it's always important to stay updated and see what they're creating and working on. Sometimes I'm impressed by what a cool idea they came up with that we didn't. And that’s normal, it’s a business!
-What about other brands, would you like to work with some other brand?
No. Audi, Volkswagen, SEAT and Skoda have plenty of great models in their portfolio. Thus, at this moment I would say that we are satisfied and do not have the need to expand our range of interests to other manufacturers that are part of the Volkswagen Group ( Porsche, Bentley, Lamborghini - approx. website). However, you never know what the future has in store for us!...
1 / 2
2 / 2
- By the way, about the future. When gasoline engines die and the world only needs electric cars that drive themselves, what will your company do?
You know, we are already well prepared for this! For several years, in addition to building cars using conventional fuel, we have been working hard to create a completely electric machines, for example, for the German postal service. In addition, ABT Sportsline is the only German team that participates in Formula E. This is a championship in which single-seater all-electric cars compete, and races take place all over the world (by the way, the race will be held in Moscow on June 6, 2015 - website note) .
- What kind of personal car do you have?
At the moment I'm driving "our" RS6-R (tuning project based on new Audi RS6, - approx. Kolesa.Ru). By the way, 730 hp! I love the combination of station wagon practicality and sports car power. The RS6-R shoots from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.3 seconds! It's always impressive when you can feel that kind of power behind the steering wheel of your car.
