Gemballa Comes Back to Life

Following several months of uncertainty caused by the financial problems and the disappearance of its founder Uwe Gemballa, the German tuning house wearing the same name will come back to life with a new leadership.

The official announcement regarding the resurrection of the company was made public today by CEO Andreas Swartz and investor Steffen Korbach. The two have purchased the rights and assets of Gemballa and are hoped to bring the company back where it belongs.

According to autoguide.com, the new leadership of the company aims to bring Gemballa into the world of aftermarket manufacturers, with the emphasis to be placed on the Porsche Panamera and Porsche Cayenne.

Otherwise, the tuners will use the same importers as it has until the beginning of the year. The first model created by the new Gemballa will hit the streets this October. Gemballa will also begin manufacturing stand alone aftermarket parts for vehicles, including body kits, wheels and brakes.

Five of the models created so far will be continued: Avalanche, Mirage GT, GT Aero 3, Tornado and MIG-U1.

"The main target of all of this is long-term establishment of the Gemballa brand as a manufacturer," Swartz was quoted as saying by Prestige Cars.

"Currently, we are making plans in the field of engine tuning and the marketing of parts such as bodykits, wheel rims, and chassis frames. We see an enormous amount of potential in this field, which has to be exploited."

As for the founder of the tuning house, he is still missing. Uwe Gemballa disappeared earlier this year in South Africa, sending the tuner into the arms of German authorities, which seized pretty much everything.