RACINGLINE GROUP JOINS EMPI AND 034MOTORSPORT
Milton Keynes, UK – 21 September 2020
The RacingLine group of companies has joined the Euro Motorparts Group (EMP), California USA, alongside 034Motorsport and EMPI Inc. The acquisition builds the platform for an unrivalled partnership of specialist automotive brands. With shared values built upon a common passion for customer experience, product excellence and technological advancements, this partnership promises the perfect fit.
RacingLine has an illustrious history. Formed in Great Britain in 1997 as Volkswagen Motorsport UK Ltd, owned by Volkswagen Group AG in Germany, the company moved into private ownership in 2001 under Managing Director Sam Roach, continuing to operate the manufacturer’s factory motorsport programmes for many years.
Today, RacingLine is a vibrant group of companies and remains a Tier-1 partner to Volkswagen Group. To many around the world, RacingLine is best known for its fast-growing Performance division. Offering a premium branded, high-performance parts and software range for Volkswagen and Audi vehicles, it has evolved directly from RacingLine’s ‘works’ motorsport experience, resources and ethos.
RacingLine’s Events division delivers premium corporate events each year for the automotive sector. Meanwhile RacingLine’s Motorsport heritage continues with its management of the UK’s prestigious FIA Formula 4 Championship.
“To open RacingLine’s next chapter alongside such esteemed brands as EMPI and 034Motorsport allows us to truly realise our vision for the company’s future. It represents the natural progression for our team, our dealers and our current and future customers,” explained Sam Roach, Managing Director of RacingLine.
“We’re proud of the rapid growth that our company has enjoyed over the past five years. Through this acquisition we can unlock the resources to continue this momentum unabated. The ‘powerhouse’ that the partnership with EMPI and 034Motorsport represents will deliver us many opportunities to leverage ever more design, technology and manufacturing expertise to delight the Volkswagen and Audi enthusiast market. For us, it’s the right step, at the right time, with the right partners,” continued Roach.
Behind the scenes, the partnership will enable increasing stock levels of RacingLine’s products alongside the sharing of best-practice expertise in such areas as order fulfilment, component sourcing, purchasing and logistics.
Matthew Walker, Technical Director of RacingLine Performance explains “The success that we’ve enjoyed from ongoing strong sales growth has also presented us with new challenges. This partnership puts the financial resources behind RacingLine to realise those growth opportunities. We are thrilled to have found partners who can support us in our vision to continue our expansion into new premium, aspirational products for the Volkswagen and Audi enthusiast market.”
Javad Shadzi, President of 034Motorsport adds "We cannot be more thrilled to join with RacingLine Performance, a competitor we've always respected and now can collaborate directly with to do more of the things that have made us both successful. By sharing resources, expertise and the drive of both companies to innovate, we feel we have created a force that the industry has never seen before."
Peter Guile, CEO of EMP Group summarised, “RacingLine is the perfect addition to the EMP family. As an established business with a 50+ year history, EMP Group is ideally placed to partner with RacingLine which is a high growth company, to provide the resources to accelerate product innovation and enhance logistics and product fulfilment. The positioning of RacingLine alongside 034Motorsport in the EMPI family of brands reinforces our mission to fuel enthusiast’s passion, whether owners of classic VWs right through to contemporary performance vehicles. It's a perfect fit that allows the whole to be much more than the individual parts.”
About Euro Motorparts Group (EMP)
Whilst EMP Group is a new name in the automotive aftermarket, it brings a 50 year pedigree derived from its leading portfolio of brands, including: EMPI Inc, JayCee Enterprises, 034Motorsport alongside its newest member the RacingLine Group of companies.
In October 2019, 034Motorsport joined EMP Group. Founded in 2005, 034Motorsport has built an enviable reputation for performance parts, tuning, and service, with a passion for bringing motorsport-quality performance upgrades and tuning to Audi, Volkswagen and BMW vehicles.
The addition of RacingLine to the EMP Group family of brands reinforces our mission to fuel enthusiasts’ passion - whether classic Bug owners or drivers of contemporary performance vehicles.
About EMPI, Inc.
EMPI Inc. is recognised by enthusiasts Worldwide as the premier brand of VW Performance and Appearance aftermarket products for the air-cooled market. For over 45 years EMPI has been the supplier of choice, building on the company’s racing and restoration heritage to provide the best in quality, design, performance and product available. EMPI is committed to Air-Cooled VW’s, while expanding the product offering to include a wide range of Water-Cooled VW products and Porsche performance parts.
About RacingLine Group
RacingLine was formed by Volkswagen AG, Wolfsburg in 1997 as Volkswagen Motorsport UK Limited. The company was formed to run the manufacturer’s 'works' motorsport programmes in the prestigious British Rally Championship and selected World Rally Championship events.
In 2001 Sam Roach, himself an experienced motorsport driver, purchased the full operation from Volkswagen AG in Wolfsburg, renaming to RacingLine Ltd.
Today, based in Milton Keynes UK, the RacingLine Group is a vibrant group of companies. With RacingLine Events incorporated in 2007 and RacingLine Performance added to the portfolio in 2015, the Group remains a Tier-1 partner to Volkswagen Group and a number of automotive blue-chip brands.
The Group has earned a proud reputation amongst its clients for delivering exceptional products and services, founded upon a deep understanding of all aspects of the automotive sector amongst its team of experienced professionals. With the opportunity to join the EMP Group of brands, the RacingLine team is sure to build upon the firm foundations laid over the past 23 years.
