Carlsson is a German car

tuning Tuning can refer to: Common uses * Tuning, the process of tuning a tuned amplifier or other electronic component * Musical tuning, musical systems of tuning, and the act of tuning an instrument or voice ** Guitar tunings ** Piano tuning, adjusti ...

manufacturer specialising in

Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz (), commonly referred to as Mercedes and sometimes as Benz, is a German luxury and commercial vehicle automotive brand established in 1926. Mercedes-Benz AG (a Mercedes-Benz Group subsidiary established in 2019) is headquartere ...

cars. The Carlsson tuning house was founded by brothers Rolf and Andreas Hartge in 1989. Carlsson's products are available for the entire current range of

models including the R-Classbr>

SL-Class The Mercedes-Benz SL-Class (marketed as Mercedes-AMG SL since 2022) is a grand touring sports car manufactured by Mercedes-Benz since 1954. The designation ''SL'' derives from the German ''Sport-Leicht'' (English: Sport Light). Initially, th ...

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Mercedes-Benz C-Class, C-Classbr>
and the

GL-Class The Mercedes-Benz GLS, formerly Mercedes-Benz GL-Class, is a full-size luxury SUV produced by Mercedes-Benz since 2006. In each of its generations it is a three-row, seven-passenger vehicle positioned above the GLE (formerly Mercedes-Benz M-Class ...

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along with many others. The company is most popular for its range of alloy wheels. Through a new importer Carlsson began a more aggressive push into the US market in 2006 after debuting their newly modified CL500 (Euro-spec) vehicle at the 2006 SEMA Show. In their review, Modified Luxury & Exotics magazine said, "... the CL is starting to resemble something more in line with a Bentley Continental - even if it is a little shy when it comes to horsepower."

History

The brothers, Rolf and Andreas Hartge, started a company in 1989 named Carlsson in honor of the Swedish rally driver,

Ingvar Carlsson Gösta Ingvar Carlsson (born 9 November 1934) is a Swedish politician who twice served as Prime Minister of Sweden, first from 1986 to 1991 and again from 1994 to 1996. He was leader of the Swedish Social Democratic Party from 1986 to 1996. He ...

, who raced for the Mercedes Rally Team during the 1980s. Carlsson also made cars based on Citroën, SAAB, Toyota, Lexus, Hyundai, and Genesis models. In 2012, Zhongsheng Group Holdings Limited acquired 70% of the company's stake. In 2015, Sambo Motors Co. Ltd., a Korean company, took over with effect from December 4.

Cars

Carlsson CK35 RS Race Car

Based on a Mercedes SLK350 the CK35 RS race car debuted at the Nürburgring 24 hour race in 2005. The Carlsson Racer produces at 6500 rpm and of torque at 3500 rpm. It can sprint from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.8 seconds and reaches a top speed of 265 km/h (165 mph

Carlsson C25 (82)

Carlsson C25

Carlsson's first supercar, the C25, made its debut at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. With a limited run of 25 units, the C25 is powered by a twin-turbocharged

V12 engine A V12 engine is a twelve-cylinder piston engine where two banks of six cylinders are arranged in a V configuration around a common crankshaft. V12 engines are more common than V10 engines. However, they are less common than V8 engines. The f ...

that generates and of torque. Estimated acceleration from 0–100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.7 seconds and top speed is 219 mph. (355 km/h)

Carlsson C38

The Carlsson C38 was produced in 1998 in very limited numbers as it was incredibly expensive when new. Based on the 208 CLK320 with the Carlsson CM38 upgraded engine (hand built 3.8V6), strengthened chassis, braking system, exhaust, suspension, 18 inch three piece alloy wheels 9.5 (front) 11.5(rear), wide body and speedometer cluster. The C38 is seldom seen for sale and very sought after by collectors.

Carlsson Coachbuilding

In 2007, Carlsson began a coachbuilding program with fashionhouse

Etienne Aigner Étienne Aigner (November 8, 1904 – November 5, 2000) was the founder of Etienne Aigner US and Etienne Aigner AG, two presently separate high fashion houses, based respectively in New York City and Munich, Germany. Both companies produce luxury ...

. The first example of their work together was a coachbuilt Mercedes CL65, titled the Carlsson Aigner CK65 RS "Eau Rouge." The "Eau Rouge" refers to the famous turn at the Belgian race track

Spa Francorchamps The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps (), frequently referred to as ''Spa'', is a motor-racing circuit located in Stavelot, Belgium. It is the current venue of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix, hosting its first Grand Prix in 1925, and has held ...

. Producing from Carlsson's engineers the car has a two-tone paint scheme and features a hand crafted wine-colored interior from Etienne Aigner.''Modified Luxury & Exotics'' Fast Fashion, PP. 46 to 52, By Dustin A. Woods. Photos by Joost Demuynck. May 2008

References

External links

Carlsson Official HomepageCarlsson Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd.
{{Automotive industry in Germany Mercedes-Benz Automotive companies of Germany Automotive motorsports and performance companies Companies based in Saarland