The Biggest Car Interior Makers Are Now Companies We've Never Heard Of

Aaron Cole
by Aaron Cole

On Monday, Magna International completed its sale of its interior business to Grupo Antolin, a Spanish firm that’s relatively unknown outside of Spain.

That’s on top of Johnson Control International getting out of the interior business, along with other automakers and suppliers, as John McElroy pointed out in a well-written column for Autoblog.

Magna’s sale underscores the fact that the car-making business — and especially their interiors — isn’t exactly lucrative for most suppliers.

For what it’s worth, the sale helps reduce Magna’s exposure to a recently volatile Canadian currency, but long-term, Magna didn’t see margins improving on interiors and got out.

Instead, Magna’s looking at transmissions and other automotive parts — like other suppliers — as a better source of revenue and margins for a healthier bottom line.

(His concern is shared by Sergio Marchionne, who has a few ideas about consolidation.)

Like McElroy points out, the large players in the interior business, now Grupo Antolin and Yanfeng, are relative unknowns in a business where sales are brisk and cheaper is always better.

In short, hold on to your door handles.


Aaron Cole
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  • APaGttH APaGttH on Aug 31, 2015

    So Coleman isn't making interior bits anymore for vehicles like the Camaro, Spark, FR-S, and Frontier? ;-)

  • Manic Manic on Aug 31, 2015

    Good points form Tresmonos and from ball40dtw. Still, John McElroy seems to automatically think that Grupo Antolin and Yangfeng are a bunch of morons, same time telling us that he even doesn't know the companies as they have been more active in Europe and in China respectively. Anyone he's not familiar with? Idiots! Nice way to show ignorance.... Both these co.'s have been in this biz years now and know what they're doing.

    • See 2 previous
    • Bball40dtw Bball40dtw on Aug 31, 2015

      @anomaly149 At one plant, they cracked their concrete floors by putting way too much weight on them (giant hilos with too large of loads). They were going to sue us until they took core samples and we had poured at least 4" of concrete more than spec'd out. Then they paid us to fix it and I made sure they paid a lot of overtime for my crew.

  • SoCalMikester SoCalMikester on Aug 31, 2015

    sounds like manufacturers are speccing more soft-touch stuff, but dont want to pay more. doesnt lear still do seats/interiors?

    • MBella MBella on Sep 01, 2015

      Lear does, and has to be the biggest player in the segment. I'm surprised they weren't mentioned in the article.

  • Pdl2dmtl Pdl2dmtl on Sep 01, 2015

    Interesting to see that Frank Stronach still makes cameo appearances although he cashed out of Magna a couple of years back.

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