Brabus Founder Dies

Bodo Buschmann, the founder and CEO of German tuning specialist Brabus GmbH, died last week from an unspecified illness at the age of 62.

Buschmann started Brabus in 1977 out of a small workshop behind his family’s car dealership when he was just 22. The company specializes in high-performance Mercedes-Benz variants.

Brabus also has worked with several other carmakers, including Aston Martin, Bentley, Jaguar, Maserati, Tesla and Daimler’s Maybach and Smart brands. Recent creations include the 888-hp Mercedes-AMG S65 Cabrio and G65 models.

Buschmann's son Constantin, who had headed Brabus’ sales and marketing, will become the company’s CEO. Stefan Hosters and Ulrich-Joachim Gauffres will continue in their positions as chief financial officer and chief technical officer, respectively.