Blaupunkt

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Blaupunkt
OwnerEstablished. Inc.
CountryGermany
Introduced1924
Marketsautomotive, consumer electronics, e-bikes, appliances, power tools
Previous ownersRobert Bosch GmbH, Aurelius Group
Websiteblaupunkt.com

Blaupunkt (listenⓘ) is a German brand for consumer electronics. As of 2023, 50 licensees are responsible for product development and distribution.[1] Since its foundation in the early 20th century, the brand has been known for car radios, consumer electronics, and at times also for equipment used in professional audio and television studios.[2][3][4] Today, in addition to radios and other consumer electronics like appliances, the brand is also associated with e-bikes, as well as power tools[2] and electric garden equipment.[5]

History

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The brand originated from the company Ideal Radiotelefon- & Apparatefabrik GmbH, founded in Berlin in November 1923.[6][7] The company initially produced headphones, which were marked with a small blue celluloid dot once they had passed the final quality check.[6][8] The popularity of these headphones with this blue dot led to the brand name "Blaupunkt" (German for "blue dot").[4][3]

In 1930, Ideal was acquired by the Robert Bosch Group, initially via a Liechtenstein-based holding company due to existing licensing agreements with Telefunken that restricted outside involvement. The acquisition became official in 1933, making Ideal a Bosch subsidiary.[4] One year earlier, in 1932, Ideal launched the AS 5, the first car radio in Europe.[9] Ideal was officially renamed Blaupunkt in 1938.[2]

After World War II, Blaupunkt moved its headquarters and production to Hildesheim.[4] In 1949, Blaupunkt advertised the first FM-capable car radio[10] and in 1959, Blaupunkt produced its one millionth car radio.[11] By the 1960s and 1970s, Blaupunkt had become one of the leading German brands of car radios and car audio equipment.[2] Blaupunkt launched the first car radio with a traffic information receiver in 1974.[9] Nine years later, in 1983, the first Blaupunkt in-dash CD player was introduced.[10] In 1989, the first mass production ready traffic navigation system was launched.[9] The company went on to introduce its first web-linked navigation system in 2002.[12]

Between 2008 and 2009, Bosch sold Blaupunkt to the Munich-based Aurelius Group.[4][3] On 12 July 2012, Blaupunkt signed an agreement with Rockford Fosgate granting the Rockford Corporation exclusive distribution rights for their car multimedia and headphones range for the North American market. Rockford Fosgate started selling Blaupunkt products, including car radios, navigation, amplifiers, loudspeakers, rear seat entertainment, connectivity, and electronics for the OEM market, through distributors.[13][14]

In 2014, Aurelius sold Hildesheim-based Blaupunkt GmbH, a company operating under licence and using the Blaupunkt name, to a British investment fund.[2] The Blaupunkt brand and trademark rights were not part of this transaction and remained with Aurelius. Blaupunkt GmbH filed for bankruptcy in late 2015[15] with liquidation proceedings completed in early 2016.[16][17] The Blaupunkt brand itself continued uninterrupted under licence.[18]

In 2018, Blaupunkt entered the e-mobility market by launching two pedelecs.[19]

In 2023, the Blaupunkt brand rights were acquired by Established. Inc.,[1] a global licensing company backed by Ares Management and Crosstimbers Capital Group.[20]

Products

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Blaupunkt operates as a licensing brand[21] for products such as consumer electronics, home appliances, mobility, and home safety, extending beyond its origins in car radio manufacturing.[5]

In the field of audio, home entertainment, and automotive technology, Blaupunkt-branded devices include radios, speakers, headphones, and home cinema systems. In the automotive sector, the brand is featured on multimedia and driver assistance systems, including in-car entertainment and retro-style components.[8][22] (Folding) e-bikes and e-bike components,[5] kitchen appliances,[23] cleaning devices, power tools[2] and electric garden equipment are also sold under the Blaupunkt brand.[24]

The production facility for Blaupunkt-branded bicycles for the European market is located in Poland. For the U.S. market, production takes place in Paraguay, where a car audio manufacturing plant was opened in 2018.[5]

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  • BTX Decoder DC 36
    BTX Decoder DC 36
  • VHS-C camcorder CR 4500
    VHS-C camcorder CR 4500
  • PA2150 Class T amplifier
    PA2150 Class T amplifier
  • Blaupunkt-Stockholm Radio (1963)
    Blaupunkt-Stockholm Radio (1963)
  • Blaupunkt Radio (1954)
    Blaupunkt Radio (1954)
  • Radio Blaupunkt Köln (1958)
    Radio Blaupunkt Köln (1958)

References

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  1. ^ a b Pralow, Norman (18 August 2023). "Established. Acquires Blaupunkt trademark business and brand rights from GIP Development S.à r.l." Blaupunkt. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Sonnabend, Nora (10 January 2025). "Mit Autoradios gepunktet". Wirtschaftswoche (in German). p. 94.
  3. ^ a b c Zimmermann, Tassilo (12 August 2011). "Rückkehr zu den Wurzeln". Lebensmittel Zeitung (in German). p. 26.
  4. ^ a b c d e Czauderna, Rolf (17 October 2024). "Wie sich das Blaupunkt-Werk entwickelt hat". Salzgitter Zeitung (in German). p. 17.
  5. ^ a b c d Frothingham, Steve (15 June 2022). "Blaupunkt looks to near-shore e-bikes in Europe and US". Bicycle Retailer and Industry News. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
  6. ^ a b "Blaupunkt". Süddeutsche Zeitung (in German). 27 August 2011. p. 28.
  7. ^ Sethi, Anand Kumar (2013). The Business of Electronics: A Concise History. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 33. ISBN 9781137330420.
  8. ^ a b "Bosch stößt Traditionsmarke Blaupunkt ab". Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (in German). 19 December 2008. p. 16.
  9. ^ a b c Sauerwein, Uwe (5 July 2007). "Ideen auf Knopfdruck". Die Welt (in German). pp. 2–4.
  10. ^ a b White, Annie (March 2019). "AV Club: Odyssey of Sound". Car and Driver.
  11. ^ "Radios mit blauem Punkt". Hamburger Abendblatt (in German). 27 August 1999. p. 23.
  12. ^ "Vasco koordiniert die Kommunikation. System ist ab 2002 zu haben". Berliner Zeitung (in German). 19 May 2001. p. 3.
  13. ^ "Rockford Announces Details on Blaupunkt Deal". ceoutlook.com. 11 July 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
  14. ^ "Blaupunkt big in the USA — Aurelius AG". Archived from the original on 9 August 2012. Retrieved 14 July 2012.
  15. ^ "Autoelektronik-Spezialist – Blaupunkt stellt Insolvenzantrag". Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung (in German). 17 September 2015. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
  16. ^ "Blaupunkt Hildesheim entlässt auch die letzten Mitarbeiter". Deutsche Wirtschaftsnachrichten (in German). 16 February 2016. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
  17. ^ Emmanuel, Marina (22 October 2015). "Blaupunkt winding up Penang operations". NST Online. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
  18. ^ "Der Schlusspunkt hinter Blaupunkt". Neue Presse (in German). 2 September 2025. p. 18.
  19. ^ "Blaupunkt bringt Klapprad". Auto Bild (in German). 13 April 2018. p. 14.
  20. ^ "Carlsquare hat GIP Development (AURELIUS-Gruppe) beim Verkauf des Blaupunkt-Markenportfolios an Established. incorporated beraten". Majunke.com (in German). 5 July 2023. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
  21. ^ "Made in Germany: Diese deutschen Traditionsmarken sind Geschichte". Nordkurier (in German). 15 October 2019. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
  22. ^ "Blaupunkt Infotainmentsystem Hamburg/Cape Town: Viele Medien, großer Touchscreen". Autoservicepraxis (in German). 3 January 2024. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
  23. ^ Richards, David (8 April 2019). "Blaupunkt Appoint New Distributor". Channel News. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
  24. ^ Richards, David (19 October 2020). "Blaupunkt Looking For Distributors To Stick Name On Products". Channel News. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
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