ABT Sportline 120 year timeline

1896-Johann Abt founds a blacksmith‘s shop in Kempten

1950-His grandson does his first race on the Kempten grass track, followed by more than 300 motorsport victories…

1967-ABT Tuning is founded. With the Abarth, Johann Abt is very successful in hill climbs.

1978-VW launches the Golf. ABT becomes one of the leading car-tuning companies. ABT team scores a double triumph at the ‘Trophée l’Avenir’ touring car series.

1980-Chip tuning sees the light of day and is perfected by the ABT specialists. First formula racing successes.

1991 / 1992-Christian and Hans-Jürgen Abt now manage the company and in 1991 found ABT Sportsline GmbH. Christian Abt evolves into a successful racing driver and in 1991 wins the Formula Junior title. In 1992, he becomes Formula 3 (B) champion and in 1999 the STW champion.

1999

1999-Following Audi’s withdrawal from the STW, ABT Sportsline assumes control of the programme itself and with great success: at nine of 10 races either Christian Abt or team-mate Kris Nissen mounts the podium, sometimes both together. The season is dominated by the fierce battle staged between Christian Abt and Opel driver Uwe Alzen. An equally deserving and sensational champion is Christian Abt, who records the greatest sporting victory to date in the company’s history as a result.

2000-As the STW era concludes, the greatest motorsport adventure begins for ABT Sportsline: the squad moves up to the DTM as a private team and brings four in-house designed and built Abt-Audi TT-R cars to the grid. The tuning business grows constantly year for year: ABT Sportsline GmbH employs some 200 people, is represented in almost 70 countries spread across all five continents and to this day is the world’s largest tuner of vehicles for the Audi, VW, SEAT and Škoda brands.

2002

2002-In addition to Christian Abt, Laurent Aiello, Mattias Ekström and Martin Tomczyk, the former Formula 1 driver Karl Wendlinger from Austria completes the quintet. The season starts with a 1-2 at Hockenheim – ABT Sportsline heads the DTM standings for the first time. At nine of the 10 races at least one ABT driver joins in the celebrations on the podium. In the end the man with the most victories, most qualification race wins, most pole positions (4 in each case) and the highest number of fastest race laps (3) is champion: Laurent Aiello. A dream is fulfilled for the private ABT Sportsline team after beating Mercedes-Benz and Opel.

2004-Adria, Lausitzring, Zandvoort, Brünn: Mattias Ekström wins four races and in the end is 17 points ahead to win the DTM championship. Ekström scored in every race and only three times did he not end up among the top three.

2007-The duel is between Bruno Spengler and Mattias Ekström, with ‘Eki’ finishing just three points ahead. Mattias Ekström won the first race, at Hockenheim, and was always at the front of the field. Audi Sport Team ABT Sportsline also won the team event.

2008-ABT defends the title: This time the champion is Timo Scheider, winning at Oschersleben, Brands Hatch and the Hockenheim final after outperforming his chief rival, Paul di Resta.

2009-The third triumph. Christian Abt finishes his active career; Daniel starts his. The son of ABT Sportsline managing director Hans-Jürgen Abt wins the ADAC Formel Masters before he has even turned 17.

2009-A title hat-trick: Timo Scheider repeats his previous triumph and becomes champion again. For ABT, it was  the third DTM title in a row and part of a particularly successful year. Another title: The ADAC GT Masters is the ideal setting for Christian Abt. The former DTM pro is a masterful Audi R8 helmsman and at the end of the season has won by 12 points, a superb performance by the 42-year-old.

2010-Daniel Abt is promoted to the German Formula 3 cup and again shows what he is capable of, finishing second overall. 2010 Although missing the overall victory, the ABT Sportsline team makes its way in ADAC GT Masters and reaches for the overall teams’ competition title.

2011-The DTM was a duel between Audi and MercedesBenz since 2006. ABT Sportsline concluded this era with yet another title, with Mattias Ekström and Mike Rockenfeller bringing the team championship to Kempten. For 2012, BMW enters the DTM, with every manufacturer building new cars. Mattias Ekström and Timo Scheider spearhead Audi Sport Team ABT Sportsline in the new Audi A5 DTM.

2012-After finishing the GP3-Racing Season as runners-up, Daniel Abt signs a contract with Team Lotus GP to start in the renowned GP2-series for next year. GP2 is regarded as the top-level junior category below Formula 1. The race drivers are guiding Dallara GP2/11-cars that are powered by a 612 hp V8.

2013

2013-From the race track to the street: Cars like the impressive RS5-R are proving ABT’s know-how and are celebrated by both media and customers. Among other things, about 100 kg lighter than the serial car, was awarded ‘Best Coupe Tuning’ at the ‘Sportscars of the Year’ election of the renowned magazine Auto Bild.

2014

2014-ABT Sportsline has had a successful start into a completely new motorsport era. With several top-three places the only German team in the international Formula E and its drivers Lucas di Grassi and Daniel Abt have already left their mark. A top speed of 230 kph, from 0 to 100 kph in less than three seconds, a sound like a jetliner during takeoff and some extra excitement through a unique FanBoost that’s the Formula E.

2015

2015-The RS6-R created a lot of hype in 2015. Customers as well as journalists both agreed that it is the perfect mix of supercar feeling and suitability for daily use. Thanks to its 730 hp, 920 Nm, 320 kph top speed and a lot of carbon fibre the RS6-R won a lot of prizes…