Our history
For more than 100 years, Faurecia has been equipping the iconic vehicles that have built mobility over the years. From a French seats factory to a world-class tech company, discover our inspiring story.
Seats are mainly made for trams and the Paris metro.
The patent allows Bertrand Faure to perfect automotive seats and develop a new product, spring mattresses. This marks the start of a concerted effort to explore ways to improve occupant comfort.
At just 21 and 25 years of age, brothers Auguste and Maurice Cousin buy a workshop to repair light vehicles and trucks in Normandy, France, then expand the business to include tool manufacturing. They decide to set up shop in their home town of Flers in 1952. Bertrand Faure buys the company in 1983.
In December 1971, Sommer (automotive floor coverings) and Allibert (injection-molded automotive parts) merge to create Sommer-Allibert. The goal is to create a leader in the automotive industry.
In 1983, the Cousin brothers sell their company to Pierre Richier, CEO of Bertrand Faure, a precursor to the Faurecia Group.
Aciers et Outillages Peugeot and Cycles Peugeot merge to form Équipements et Composants pour l’Industrie Automobile (ECIA). This creates a PSA Peugeot Citroën subsidiary and major European equipment manufacturer built around four main product lines: exhaust and intake systems, seats, cockpits, and bumpers and structural parts.
The deal gives ECIA a 98.75% stake in Bertrand Faure and has the advantage of creating a strong Group able to meet the needs of customers around the globe. As a result, PSA comes to play a key role in the consolidation of the French OEM industry.
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ECIA and Bertrand Faure merge to form Faurecia, Europe's fifth-largest automotive equipment supplier and the world's number-three in OEM exhaust systems and seats. The Group makes its debut at the Paris Motor Show, where it unveils a new name and logo.
Faurecia announces the launch of the first diesel particulate filter (DPF). Developed in partnership with PSA Peugeot-Citroën, the technology eliminates more than 99% of even the finest exhaust particles from diesel engine emissions. The technology is mass-produced the following year for the new Peugeot 607.
In October, Faurecia absorbs the automotive arm of plastics manufacturer Sommer-Allibert. The company is well established in Germany, Spain and the United States, and is one of Europe's leading names in vehicle interiors, including door panels, instrument panels and acoustic modules.
Faurecia signs a major contract with General Motors to supply complete seat systems for a number of the automaker's models, based on a standard platform. The order, worth an annual total of around $500 million, makes Faurecia one of the leading suppliers in North America.
Between 2004 and 2006, the Exhaust Systems business group (now Clean Mobility) strengthens its foothold in Asia by opening new production sites, buying Daeki Industrial, South Korea's second-largest maker of catalytic converters, and creating an exhaust systems R&D center for local automakers.
Faurecia launches its Happy Attitude concept car in late 2005, using a Nissan Micra to provide a full-scale showcase for its latest innovations in automotive interiors. The car demonstrates Faurecia's ability to take on board consumer demand for vehicle customization while anticipating the needs of automakers looking to differentiate their models by offering four interior "ambiences" (Gingko, Kumquat, Moon and Pop). Happy Attitude wins the Janus de l’Industrie award in 2006, bringing an official stamp of approval for quality and a benchmark for industrial design.
Faurecia demonstrates its expertise at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November 2007, where it unveils a Czech-made 1972 Tatra sedan with a brand new cockpit! The Group highlights an array of innovations in terms of comfort (height-adjustable seat cushion, electrically-operated central armrest, electric "relax" feature for the rear seats and automatic headrests) and safety (including the RALF concept, which incorporates an airbag into the instrument panel. Premium Attitude wins the 2008 Janus de l’Industrie award.
The financial crisis shakes the global economy and especially the automotive industry. Anticipating a significant downturn in production in Europe and the United States, compounded by a sharp drop in sales in 2009, Faurecia introduces the "Challenge 2009" plan in late 2008 to cut costs.
The crisis turns out to be a catalyst for transformation and progress. Faurecia begins by taking steps to boost competitiveness. The Group then acquires Emcon Technologies and Plastal to strengthen its position in two of its four business groups (completing the acquisitions in 2010).
Emcon Technologies, a US company specializing in emissions control technologies, joins Faurecia Exhaust Systems to create Faurecia Emissions Control Technologies (later named Faurecia Clean Mobility). The acquisition strengthens Faurecia's scope for innovation and production in a fast-growing segment spurred by the introduction of increasingly stringent standards. Emcon Technologies also allows Faurecia to gain a foothold in a new market: industrial vehicles. Following the acquisition, Faurecia establishes an exclusive partnership to supply complete emissions control systems to Cummins, the world's leading manufacturer of diesel engines for commercial vehicles.
Faurecia buys the Ford plant in Saline, Michigan in May 2012. Production begins the following month after a series of refits and upgrades to ensure the site meets the Group's own manufacturing performance standards.
The acquisition strengthens Faurecia's ties with Ford, which becomes its second-largest customer in terms of sales, while making Faurecia Interior Systems the market leader in North America.
Faurecia's new TechCenter for Automotive Seating, Interior Systems and Automotive Exteriors gives the Group significant R&D resources in China, where automotive production is a fast-growing business, with local manufacturers gaining an increasing share of the market. In addition to designing and developing projects for the Chinese market, the Shanghai TechCenter also handles the development of several global programs.
In March 2014, Faurecia launches "Being Faurecia", an ambitious plan to transform its company culture. The plan is designed to support the Group's accelerated growth—Faurecia doubled in size between 2009 and 2012—and unite all employees (aka "Faurecians") worldwide. The plan rests on two pillars: one fostering a culture of performance and value creation that promotes entrepreneurial spirit, autonomy and responsibility; the other developing the skills of employees through training and functional mobility.
The Faurecia Automotive Exteriors business is sold to Plastic Omnium in July 2016 for €665 million. The deal allows Faurecia to eliminate its debt while developing two focal points of its strategy: Smart Life on Board and the Cockpit of the Future. The Group then sets up an investment vehicle called Faurecia Ventures to fund innovative tech startups such as Taktotek, Canatu, Ad-Venta, Cloud-Made, etc.
Established in 2012, Faurecia University achieves unprecedented growth through its own digital transformation in 2016, when it creates the Learning Lab, an in-house training platform used by nearly 50,000 employees. This allows the University to offer online training sessions through more than 120 massive open online courses (MOOCs).
In February 2017, Faurecia unveils its new logo and "inspiring mobility" tagline, marking the launch of a new strategy to mirror major trends in the automotive industry.
In 2017, Faurecia also accelerates the roll-out of its new strategy (Sustainable Mobility and the Cockpit of the Future) by developing its innovation ecosystem. The Group makes a number of key investments throughout the year and establishes partnerships with ZF, Malhe and Accenture to focus on safety, thermal comfort and mobility services. To strengthen its presence in China, Faurecia creates new joint ventures with established and emerging players in the Chinese market, including Dongfeng, Wuling and BYD.
In January 2018, Faurecia makes its first appearance at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, showcasing several innovations resulting from its recent strategic partnerships. Examples include the next-gen Morphing Instrument Panel, which provides an adaptive display tailored to the driver's chosen mode, along with cockpit voice controls and gesture recognition.
In late 2018, Faurecia announced its ambition to acquire Clarion to become a global leader in cockpit electronics systems. With this strategic and complementary acquisition in terms of technology offer, geographic presence and customer portfolios, Faurecia is positioned as a leading player for cockpit systems integration, able to offer unique user experiences.
Faurecia’s legal status better reflects the Group's European dimension and strengthens its international image and attractiveness among all stakeholders. Faurecia continues to be governed by French law and remains listed on the Paris Stock Exchange. The change in legal form had no impact on its headquarters, which remains located in Nanterre, France
Based in Saitama, Japan, this activity has the ambition to become a global leader in cockpit electronics. Faurecia Clarion Electronic, combines Clarion with Faurecia’s previous acquisitions of Parrot Automotive, Coagent Electronics, Covatech and Creo Dynamics.
Develop and operate Android app Store solutions for the global automotive market.
A joint venture created by Faurecia and Michelin, combining all their hydrogen fuel cell stack systems dedicated activities, with the aim of becoming a world leader in hydrogen mobility.
The RFP, which uses micro-perforated patches placed along the tailpipe to cancel resonances, offers a lightweight alternative to a resonator, and it is best-suited for pickup truck and light commercial vehicles. With its simplified design, the RFP provides 3 to 5kg of weight-savings. By removing the resonator from the architecture of the exhaust system, the RFP also enables more flexible and compact packaging.
Memorandum of Understanding to acquire the remaining 50% of its SAS joint venture from Continental. This joint venture was established in 1996 and has become a key player in complex interior module assembly and logistics.
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