ATS (''Auto Technisches Spezialzubehör'') is a German company that manufactures alloy wheels for road and racing cars. It is based in

Bad Dürkheim Bad Dürkheim () is a spa town in the Rhine-Neckar urban agglomeration. It is the seat of the Bad Dürkheim (district), Bad Dürkheim district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, and the site of the discovery of the element caesium, in 1860. Geogra ...

near the

Hockenheimring The Hockenheimring, officially Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg () is a motor racing circuit situated in the Rhine valley near the town of Hockenheim in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, located on the Bertha Benz Memorial Route. Amongst other mot ...

race circuit. ATS had a

Formula One Formula One (F1) is the highest class of worldwide racing for open-wheel single-seater formula Auto racing, racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA Formula One World Championship has been one ...

racing team that was active from 1977 to 1984.''Daily Express'' page 40 Saturday 18 March 1978

Wheel manufacturer

ATS stamp on the back spoke of an AMG alloy wheel

ATS was founded in 1969 by

Günter Schmid Günter Schmid (13 August 1932 – 29 May 2005) was the founder and principal of the Formula One Formula One (F1) is the highest class of worldwide racing for open-wheel single-seater formula Auto racing, racing cars sanctioned by the Féd� ...

. The company specialised in lightweight wheels for

Porsche Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, usually shortened to Porsche (; see below), is a German automobile manufacturer specializing in luxury, high-performance sports cars, SUVs and sedans, headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Th ...

, VW and

Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz (), commonly referred to simply as Mercedes and occasionally as Benz, is a German automotive brand that was founded in 1926. Mercedes-Benz AG (a subsidiary of the Mercedes-Benz Group, established in 2019) is based in Stuttgart, ...

automobiles. ATS manufactured the "Penta" wheel used by Mercedes tuning company AMG from 1979 into the 1980s. After sponsoring a string of national

motorsport Motorsport or motor sport are sporting events, competitions and related activities that primarily involve the use of Car, automobiles, motorcycles, motorboats and Aircraft, powered aircraft. For each of these vehicle types, the more specific term ...

events, Schmidt decided to enter

Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural ''Grands Prix'') most commonly refers to: * Grand Prix motor racing, a form of motorsport competition ** List of Formula One Grands Prix, an auto-racing championship *** Monaco Grand Prix, the most prestigious ...

racing with his own team.

The 1970s

In 1977, ATS purchased the remaining PC4 chassis from

Penske Racing Team Penske (formerly Penske Racing) is an American professional auto racing organization, competing in the IndyCar Series, NASCAR Cup Series, IMSA SportsCar Championship and FIA World Endurance Championship. Debuting at the 1966 24 Hours of Da ...

after the American team retired from Formula One.

Jean-Pierre Jarier Jean-Pierre Jacques Jarier (; born 10 July 1946) is a French former racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to . Jarier contested 143 Formula One Grands Prix for March, Shadow, ATS, Ligier, Lotus, Tyrrell, and Osella. He achieve ...

was signed to drive the car, and the team went off to an auspiciuos start, with Jarier finishing 6th on the team's debut at the

United States Grand Prix West The United States Grand Prix West was a race held at Long Beach, California, as a Formula 5000 race in 1975 and a Formula One World Championship event from 1976 to 1983 held in the same location throughout those years. The name of the Grand Pri ...

. A second car was entered in the

1977 German Grand Prix The 1977 German Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Hockenheimring on 31 July 1977. It was the eleventh race of the 1977 World Championship of F1 Drivers and the 1977 International Cup for F1 Constructors. The German Grand Prix was ...

for German touring car racer

Hans Heyer Hans Heyer (; born 16 March 1943) is a German retired racing driver who mainly raced touring cars. He is most commonly known for starting one Formula One World Championship race, the 1977 German Grand Prix, despite failing to qualify. Heyer's t ...

. Heyer failed to qualify, but famously took the start anyway in front of his home crowd at the

. The race organisers only noticed when he retired with a broken gear linkage.

Hans Binder Hans Binder (born 12 June 1948) is an Austrian former Formula One driver who raced for the Ensign, Wolf, Surtees and ATS teams. He won the European Formula Ford Championship in 1972 and moved into Formula 2 in 1976. During this year he raced a ...

would then take the second car for the rest of the season, though the team elected to sit out from the final three races of the year in

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

and the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. In 1978 Schmidt hired former

March Engineering March Engineering was a Formula One constructor and manufacturer of customer racing cars from the United Kingdom. Although only moderately successful in Grand Prix competition, March racing cars enjoyed much better success in other categories ...

designer

Robin Herd Robert John "Robin" Herd (23 March 1939 – 4 June 2019) was an English engineer, designer and businessman. Herd studied at St Peter's College, Oxford, having turned down an offer to play cricket for Worcestershire at the age of 18. He initia ...

to build the first genuine ATS

car, the HS1. Jarier was retained and paired with German driver

Jochen Mass Jochen Richard Mass (; 30 September 1946 – 4 May 2025) was a German racing driver and broadcaster, who competed in Formula One from to . Mass won the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix with McLaren. In endurance racing, Mass won the 24 Hours of Le Ma ...

. The season proved to be turbulent. Jarier finished 8th at the

South African Grand Prix The South African Grand Prix was first run as a Grand Prix motor racing handicap race in 1934 at the Prince George Circuit at East London, South Africa, East London, Cape Province. It drew top drivers from Europe including Bernd Rosemeyer, Ri ...

, but was fired after an argument with Schmidt, and replaced by

Alberto Colombo Alberto Colombo may refer to: * Alberto Colombo (racing driver) (1946–2024), Italian racing driver * Alberto Colombo (composer) Alberto Colombo (November 27, 1888 – March 24, 1954) was an American film composer and music director. He was n ...

for the

Belgian Grand Prix The Belgian Grand Prix (; ; ) is a motor racing event which forms part of the Formula One World Championship. The first national race of Belgium was held in 1925 at the Spa region's race course, an area of the country that had been associated ...

. After two failures to qualify, Colombo was let go and replaced by

Keke Rosberg Keijo Erik "Keke" Rosberg (; born 6 December 1948) is a Finnish former racing driver and motorsport executive, who competed in Formula One from to . Rosberg won the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in with Williams, and won five Grand ...

until the

German Grand Prix The German Grand Prix () was a motor race that took place most years since 1926, with 75 races having been held. The race has been held at only three venues throughout its history: the Nürburgring in Rhineland-Palatinate, Hockenheimring in B ...

. There, Jarier returned, having patched up his differences with Schmid, only for them to re-emerge following Jarier's failure to qualify. Binder returned for one race, before

Michael Bleekemolen Michael Bleekemolen (born 2 October 1949) is a Dutch racing driver who currently competes in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series, driving for the family-owned Team Bleekemolen in the No. 72 Ford Mustang in the EuroNASCAR 2 class. He previously raced fo ...

took over. After breaking a leg during testing, Mass was replaced with

Harald Ertl Harald Ertl (31 August 1948 – 7 April 1982) was an Austrian racing driver and motorsport journalist. He was born in Zell am See and attended the same school as Grand Prix drivers Jochen Rindt, Helmut Marko and Niki Lauda. Ertl sported an 'Impe ...

. Ertl didn't qualify for the race, and Rosberg returned for the final two races. Despite the introduction of the new D1 chassis designed by John Gentry that featured skirts, wider track and side pods, the team's fortunes didn't improve. The D1 was used in the last two races of the 1978 season. In 1979 the team reverted to the idea of fielding one single car, with

Hans-Joachim Stuck Hans-Joachim Stuck (; born 1 January 1951) is a German former racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to . Nicknamed "Strietzel", Stuck won the World Sportscar Championship in 1985 and is a two-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans ...

as the driver. The new D2 designed by John Gentry and Giacomo Caliri arrived mid-season but it was an ill-handling car. Another chassis designed by Nigel Stroud, the D3, was swiftly introduced and Stuck took the team's only points score of the season with a 5th place at the

United States Grand Prix The United States Grand Prix is a motor racing event that has been held on and off since 1908, when it was known as the American Grand Prize. The Grand Prix later became part of the Formula One World Championship. , the Grand Prix has been held ...

The 1980s

The team stepped up to a two-car operation again in 1980, with

Marc Surer Marc Surer (born 18 September 1951) is a Swiss former racing driver and broadcaster, who competed in Formula One from to . Born in Arisdorf, Surer began kart racing aged 20. He moved to Germany in 1974 to compete in Formula Vee, as motor raci ...

and

Jan Lammers Johannes Antonius "Jan" Lammers (born 2 June 1956) is a Dutch racecar driver, most notable for winning the 1988 24 Hours of Le Mans FIA World Endurance Championship, world endurance race, for Silk Cut Jaguar Cars, Jaguar/Tom Walkinshaw Racing, TW ...

signed to drive the D3 while

Gustav Brunner Gustav Brunner (born 12 September 1950) is an Austrian Formula One designer and engineer. Career Born in Graz, he started his career in racing car design at the German-based constructor McNamara (constructor), McNamara. He first entered F1 in a ...

was hired to design the new D4. Surer finished 7th at the

Brazilian Grand Prix The Brazilian Grand Prix (), currently held under the name São Paulo Grand Prix (), is a Formula One championship race which is currently held at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace in Interlagos neighborhood, Cidade Dutra, São Paulo. The in ...

, but suffered broken legs after an accident in practice at the

. The team chose not to replace Surer and run one single car. Lammers managed to qualify 4th for the

but retired after a collision at the start. Surer returned for the

French Grand Prix The French Grand Prix (), formerly known as the Grand Prix de l'ACF (Automobile Club de France), is an auto race held as part of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile's annual Formula One World Championship. It is one of the oldest ...

and replaced Lammers, though the team failed to score points for the rest of the season. The team started the 1981 season with Lammers at the wheel of the D4. At the

San Marino Grand Prix The San Marino Grand Prix () was a Formula One championship race which was run at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari in the town of Imola, near the Apennine Mountains, Apennine mountains in Italy, between 1981 and 2006. It was nam ...

, a second car was fielded for

Slim Borgudd Karl Edvard Tommy "Slim" Borgudd (; 25 November 1946 – 23 February 2023) was a Swedish musician and Formula One driver who raced for the ATS and Tyrrell teams. Biography Borgudd was born in Borgholm, Öland, on 25 November 1946. His first ...

, who brought sponsorship from Swedish pop band

ABBA ABBA ( ) were a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. They are one of the most popular and successful musical groups of all time, and are one of the List ...

as he had drummed with the band in the 1970s. After outqualifying Lammers, Borgudd was retained for the rest of the season. Halfway through the season the team debuted the new HGS1 designed by

Hervé Guilpin Hervé is a French masculine given name of Breton origin, from the name of the 6th-century Breton Saint Hervé. The common latinization of the name is Herveus (also ''Haerveus''), an early (8th-century) latinization was ''Charivius''. Anglicized ...

. Borgudd finished 6th at the

British Grand Prix The British Grand Prix is a Grand Prix motor racing event organised in the United Kingdom by Motorsport UK. First held by the Royal Automobile Club (RAC) in 1926 British Grand Prix, 1926, the British Grand Prix has been held annually since 1948 ...

but otherwise results were poor. Schmid made a major effort to get the team together for 1982. Two D5 cars (a heavily upgraded version of the HGS1) were fielded for

Manfred Winkelhock Manfred Winkelhock (6 October 1951 – 12 August 1985) was a German racing driver, who competed in Formula One between and . Born and raised in Waiblingen, Winkelhock was the older brother of Joachim and Thomas. Winkelhock participated in ...

and

Eliseo Salazar Eliseo Salazar Valenzuela (; born 14 November 1954) is a Chilean former racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to . Salazar remains the only Chilean driver to compete in Formula One. Salazar made his Formula One debut at the 1981 Uni ...

. This brought better results, with Winkelhock 5th at the

and Salazar 5th at the

. (Winkelhock would have taken 7th at the former, but due to both

Nelson Piquet Nelson Piquet Souto Maior (, born 17 August 1952) is a Brazilian former racing driver and businessman, who competed in Formula One from to . Piquet won three Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, which he won in , , and , and won 23 ...

and

being disqualified after the race, Winklehock moved up to 5th, while most of the teams boycotted the latter race, with ATS being one of the few who did race). Salazar also earned unwanted publicity when he collided with the race-leading Brazilian

while being lapped at the

. Piquet physically attacked Salazar once out of the car, and the incident was widely televised.

BMW engines

In 1983 Schmid secured a supply of

BMW Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, trading as BMW Group (commonly abbreviated to BMW (), sometimes anglicised as Bavarian Motor Works), is a German multinational manufacturer of vehicles and motorcycles headquartered in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. Th ...

's powerful

BMW M12 The BMW M12/13 turbo was a 1,499.8 cc four-cylinder turbocharged Formula One engine, based on the standard BMW M10 engine introduced in 1961, and powered the F1 cars of Brabham, Arrows and Benetton. Nelson Piquet won the FIA Formula One ...

/13 4-cylinder turbocharged engine. ATS fielded a single new

-designed D6 car for Winkelhock. There were some good qualifying results from the German, but reliability problems marred his season, and 8th place at the

European Grand Prix The European Grand Prix (also known as the Grand Prix of Europe) was a Formula One event that was introduced during the mid-1980s and was held every year from to , except in . During these years, the European Grand Prix was held in a countr ...

was his best result. For 1984, Brunner's new D7 chassis was introduced. Winkelhock ran 3rd at the

before the electrical system failed, but his best finishes were 8th places in the

Canadian Grand Prix The Canadian Grand Prix () is an annual motor racing event held since 1961. It has been part of the Formula One World Championship since 1967. It was first staged at Mosport Park in Bowmanville, Ontario, as a sports car event, before alterna ...

and the

Dallas Grand Prix The Dallas Grand Prix was a series of auto races held at temporary street circuits in the vicinity of Dallas starting in 1984. The inaugural 1984 event was round of the Formula One World Championship and took place in Fair Park, near downtown Da ...

. From the

Austrian Grand Prix The Austrian Grand Prix () is a Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile sanctioned motor racing event that was held in , –, and –. It returned to the Formula One calendar in , where it has remained since then. It was first held at ...

, a second D7 was added for

Gerhard Berger Gerhard Berger (; born 27 August 1959) is an Austrian former racing driver and motorsport executive, who competed in Formula One from to . Berger won 10 Formula One Grands Prix across 14 seasons. Berger competed in Formula One for 14 seasons, ...

. After a gearbox failure on the grid at the

Italian Grand Prix The Italian Grand Prix () is the fifth oldest national Grand Prix motor racing, motor racing Grand Prix (after the French Grand Prix, the United States Grand Prix, the Spanish Grand Prix and the Russian Grand Prix), having been held since 1921 ...

, Winkelhock finally quit. In the race, Berger finished 6th, but the point was not awarded as the second entry had not been registered at the start of the season. After limping to the end of the season with Berger alone, BMW revoked the use of their engines, and Schmid folded the ATS team.

Comeback with Rial

Having established a new brand of wheels with

Rial Rial, riyal, or RIAL may refer to: * Rial (surname), a surname (and list of people with the name) * Royal Institution for the Advancement of Learning, McGill University * Rial Racing, a former German Formula One team Currency Various currencies ...

, Schmid would return to

in with the team of the same name.

Complete Formula One World Championship results

( key) (Results in bold indicate pole position; results in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap.) ''*'' Started illegally, having failed to qualify.
† Ineligible for points.

References

External links

ATS website with Motorsport history
{{DEFAULTSORT:Auto Technisches Spezialzubehor Formula One constructors Formula One entrants German auto racing teams German racecar constructors Companies based in Rhineland-Palatinate 1977 establishments in West Germany 1984 disestablishments in West Germany Auto racing teams established in 1977 Auto racing teams disestablished in 1984