Textar marks 110 years of braking business

TMD Friction’s aftermarket braking brand Textar celebrated its 110th anniversary this July, marking more than a century’s supply of high-end braking products.

Founded in 1913, Textar subsequently established itself in continental Europe following the start of production in 1934. The brand became the first German braking brand to supply as original equipment, and in the 1950s worked with Mercedes-Benz to develop brakes for racing in Formula One.

Across its 110-year history, Textar has solidified a strong heritage in braking, with original equipment applications of its friction material ranging from the first passenger cars to modern supercars such as the Bugatti Veyron.

Scott Irwin MIMI, head of technical training at TMD Friction IAM, said: “Reaching the milestone of 110 years is a real accomplishment but looking back at the quality of the product and longevity of the brand it’s easy to see how Textar has lasted the course.

“Textar continues to deliver high performance, optimum safety and driver confidence, and backs this up by engaging with the aftermarket to teach best practice for fitment.

“We’re grateful to all our customers who have worked with us on training and developing a quality portfolio. Textar is very proud of its history and looks forward to the next 110 years!”

Textar’s history has seen success both on the road, and on the track. Dating back to 1955, British racing driver Stirling Moss won his first British Formula One Grand Prix in a Mercedes-Benz W196 (Silver Arrow) fitted with Textar brake linings.

Almost 70 years later, Textar brake equipment can be found on racing trucks, in the hands of Newell and Wright Motorsport.

Each new Textar product is developed by going through extensive testing and quality assurance over a three-year development cycle before being released. Textar says knowledge gained from its original equipment development is cascaded to its aftermarket product lines, so customers know they’re getting the very best.