A view of the new semi-automated
fl exible caliper assembly line at
AP Racing, part of a £1.5m upgrade.
Inset: a caliper progresses along the line
Capacity, fl exibility,
consistency,traceability
AP Racing is a designer, manufacturer and supplier of high-performance auto parts, most signifi cantly
disc brake calipers. It has recently installed a new advanced semi-automated assembly line to manage
its volume auto segment and motorsport capabilities, allowing it to continue providing high quality
components to both sectors. Andrew Allcock called by to discover more
Globally present performance car and
race brake caliper and clutch
specialist AP Racing is a name that
has a pedigree stretching back to 1920 (see
p26), when Automotive Products was
established. Headquartered in Leamington
Spa for many years, since 1990 AP Racing
has been based in Coventry. In 2000, Italy’s
Brembo Group bought the operation, also a
brake caliper specialist but in the mass
production area. AP Racing has not, however,
seen its product range ‘globalised’, as can
often be the case in such acquisitions.
The 190-employee £50m turnover rm
AUTOMOTIVE SECTOR NICHE OPERATOR AUTOMATES ASSEMBLY
remains a centre of design and manufacturing
expertise for its own product range. It is
known for its exibility and willingness to work
with customers on creating new designs or
modifying standard products, which leads Joe
Bennett, marketing and product group
engineer, to say: “If others have two or three
of something, we’ll have six versions.”
Alongside its core products of brake
calipers and associated pads and discs,
AP Racing designs and supplies other parts
and assemblies, including, most signi cantly,
clutches and associated driven plates, plus
related parts that include race car brake
discs, pedal boxes and air jacks, together
with special items. The company serves three
distinct markets: race, niche original
equipment manufacturers and the
performance car upgrade aftermarket.
For the race area, this takes in: F1, where
AP Racing supplies products to eight of the
10 F1 teams with either brakes or clutches;
NASCAR, where it supplies 60% of the discs
and calipers; all global touring cars series,
such as the British Touring Car
Championship, V8 Supercar in Australia,
World Rally Series, plus Deutsche
Tourenwagen Masters. Among its OE road car
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