History

Over 100 years of winkler

From blacksmith/coach-builder to wholesaler for commercial vehicle spare parts – the winkler success story:

1901-1924
In 1901, Christian Winkler set himself up as a blacksmith and coach-builder in Stuttgart; five years later he was appointed blacksmith and coach-builder to the royal court at Württemberg and called to the royal stables. In 1914, his eldest son Ludwig entered the firm as an apprentice, in the same year as Christian Winkler went blind. Despite this cruel twist of fate, under the tutelage of their father, Ludwig and his younger brother Wilhelm, who also joined the company some time later, became true masters of their craft.

1925-1945
Following the enforced closure of the royal stables, the company faced ruin. Despite the poor economic situation, a new site was purchased. The car was the future, and this gave rise to the company’s new idea of producing and repairing car springs – “Winkler springs” were soon known all over the country. Development work for Porsche, Daimler-Benz, Kälble and Auwärter-Neoplan was as much one of the company’s tasks as was the serial production of springs, stabilizers and other parts. In the early 1940s, a new production hall was built. Axle repair was a pioneering service from winkler. Using newly-developed techniques, axles were straightened and axle bearing and stub axle bolt seats repaired. The new slogan “Winkler car springs – car axles” was on everyone’s lips.

1945 – 1962
The new production hall was the only building to survive the Second World War. Work started on rebuilding the company with the currency reform of 1948, and things improved rapidly thanks to the Marshall Plan. The old workshop was rebuilt and extended. In 1958, a large new building was erected. The repair technique was perfected and expanded in a new secondary factory at Weilimdorf.

1963 – 1985
1963 was the birth of the wholesale business in commercial vehicle parts – a new mainstay for winkler. Under a new generation of board members, the wholesale business rapidly developed into a dynamic growth area. In 1975, a modern operation was set up in Ludwigsburg to bring all the repair departments together. Administration, trading and the production and repair of springs were all accommodated in the parent house in Stuttgart. From 1972, there was a period of rapid expansion with new sites in Karlsruhe, Freiburg and Ulm.

1986 – today
The first central warehouse was set up in Ulm in 1987. A second central warehouse was set up in Kassel in 1996. winkler became a carrier of the full range, with branches all over Germany. The first site outside Germany was in Härkingen, in Switzerland. When the export company “winkler Truck and Trailer Parts” was set up, it formed the basis for international growth. Other winkler sites in Latvia, Poland and Austria followed over the next few years. A site in Prague is planned for 2011.