Blaupunkt
Encyclopedia
GmbH is a German
manufacturer of electronics
equipment, noted for its home
and car
audio equipment
. It was a 100% subsidiary of Robert Bosch GmbH
until March 1st, 2009 (Date of closing) when its Aftermarket and Accessories branch including the brand name were sold to Aurelius AG of Germany for an undisclosed amount.
as "Ideal", the company changed its name to "Blaupunkt" in 1938, German for "blue point" or "blue dot" after the blue dot painted onto its headphones
that had passed quality control
. After the Second World War, Blaupunkt moved its headquarters and production to the city of Hildesheim
. Today the majority of Blaupunkt products are manufactured overseas, with large manufacturing centres in Tunisia
(speakers) and Malaysia (speakers and electronics).
During the 1960 and 1970s, Blaupunkt had become the leading German manufacturer for car radios and car audio equipment.
traffic-information system for car radios, and provided this feature on their German-market car radios from the late 1970s. The company attempted to have ARI used in the USA but had only a few radio stations per major city involved.
For many years, Blaupunkt car audio equipment models often carried the name of a city somewhere in the world, eg "London RDM126". In Blaupunkt model nomenclature, this can be translated as "An RDS
CD player capable of controlling a Multichanger, rated at 4x30W RMS
(4x30 = 120) from model year 1996". High-end models typically had German place names.
Blaupunkt also used the brand "Velocity" to sell products aimed at the top, audiophile end of the market. Audi
, Volkswagen
, Porsche
, Mercedes
, Vauxhall
and BMW
all fit Blaupunkt products into their cars, often branded with the car manufacturer's own mark (eg The VW Gamma or Audi Symphony lines), with Fiat
using them, occasionally unbranded but generally unmodified. Some later Holden Astra
models are fitted with Blaupunkt systems (with others being produced by Delphi
). Blaupunkt also specialised in coach installations, selling TVs, multiple-speaker setups and PA equipment to that industry. However, that part of the business remained with Robert Bosch Car Multimedia GmbH, a 100% subsidiary of Robert Bosch GmbH.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
manufacturer of electronics
Electronics
Electronics is the branch of science, engineering and technology that deals with electrical circuits involving active electrical components such as vacuum tubes, transistors, diodes and integrated circuits, and associated passive interconnection technologies...
equipment, noted for its home
Home
A home is a place of residence or refuge. When it refers to a building, it is usually a place in which an individual or a family can rest and store personal property. Most modern-day households contain sanitary facilities and a means of preparing food. Animals have their own homes as well, either...
and car
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
audio equipment
Audio equipment
A piece of audio equipment is any device designed principally to reproduce, record or process sound. This includes microphones, radio receivers, AV receivers, CD players, tape recorders, amplifiers, mixing consoles, effects units and loudspeakers....
. It was a 100% subsidiary of Robert Bosch GmbH
Robert Bosch GmbH
Robert Bosch GmbH is a multinational engineering and electronics company headquartered in Gerlingen, near Stuttgart, Germany. It is the world's largest supplier of automotive components...
until March 1st, 2009 (Date of closing) when its Aftermarket and Accessories branch including the brand name were sold to Aurelius AG of Germany for an undisclosed amount.
History
Founded in 1923 in BerlinBerlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
as "Ideal", the company changed its name to "Blaupunkt" in 1938, German for "blue point" or "blue dot" after the blue dot painted onto its headphones
Headphones
Headphones are a pair of small loudspeakers, or less commonly a single speaker, held close to a user's ears and connected to a signal source such as an audio amplifier, radio, CD player or portable Media Player. They are also known as stereophones, headsets or, colloquially, cans. The in-ear...
that had passed quality control
Quality control
Quality control, or QC for short, is a process by which entities review the quality of all factors involved in production. This approach places an emphasis on three aspects:...
. After the Second World War, Blaupunkt moved its headquarters and production to the city of Hildesheim
Hildesheim
Hildesheim is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located in the district of Hildesheim, about 30 km southeast of Hanover on the banks of the Innerste river, which is a small tributary of the Leine river...
. Today the majority of Blaupunkt products are manufactured overseas, with large manufacturing centres in Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
(speakers) and Malaysia (speakers and electronics).
During the 1960 and 1970s, Blaupunkt had become the leading German manufacturer for car radios and car audio equipment.
Products
Blaupunkt was involved in the development of the Autofahrer-Rundfunk-InformationssystemAutofahrer-Rundfunk-Informationssystem
Autofahrer-Rundfunk-Informationssystem was a system for indicating the presence of traffic information in FM broadcasts used by the German ARD network of FM radio stations from 1974...
traffic-information system for car radios, and provided this feature on their German-market car radios from the late 1970s. The company attempted to have ARI used in the USA but had only a few radio stations per major city involved.
For many years, Blaupunkt car audio equipment models often carried the name of a city somewhere in the world, eg "London RDM126". In Blaupunkt model nomenclature, this can be translated as "An RDS
Radio Data System
Radio Data System, or RDS, is a communications protocol standard for embedding small amounts of digital information in conventional FM radio broadcasts. RDS standardises several types of information transmitted, including time, station identification and programme information.Radio Broadcast Data...
CD player capable of controlling a Multichanger, rated at 4x30W RMS
Audio power
Audio power is the electrical power transferred from an audio amplifier to a loudspeaker, measured in watts. The electrical power delivered to the loudspeaker, together with its sensitivity, determines the sound power level generated .Amplifiers are limited in the electrical energy they can...
(4x30 = 120) from model year 1996". High-end models typically had German place names.
Blaupunkt also used the brand "Velocity" to sell products aimed at the top, audiophile end of the market. Audi
Audi
Audi AG is a German automobile manufacturer, from supermini to crossover SUVs in various body styles and price ranges that are marketed under the Audi brand , positioned as the premium brand within the Volkswagen Group....
, Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
, Porsche
Porsche
Porsche Automobil Holding SE, usually shortened to Porsche SE a Societas Europaea or European Public Company, is a German based holding company with investments in the automotive industry....
, Mercedes
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
, Vauxhall
Vauxhall Motors
Vauxhall Motors is a British automotive company owned by General Motors and headquartered in Luton. It was founded in 1857 as a pump and marine engine manufacturer, began manufacturing cars in 1903 and was acquired by GM in 1925. It has been the second-largest selling car brand in the UK for...
and BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
all fit Blaupunkt products into their cars, often branded with the car manufacturer's own mark (eg The VW Gamma or Audi Symphony lines), with Fiat
Fiat
FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...
using them, occasionally unbranded but generally unmodified. Some later Holden Astra
Holden Astra
The Holden Astra is a compact car that was marketed by Holden, the Australian subsidiary of General Motors. Spanning five generations, the original, Australia-only Astra of 1984 was a derivative of the locally-produced Nissan Pulsar, as was the 1987 Astra...
models are fitted with Blaupunkt systems (with others being produced by Delphi
Delphi (auto parts)
Delphi Automotive PLC is an automotive parts company headquartered in Troy, Michigan, USA. Delphi is one of the world's largest automotive parts manufacturers and has approximately 146,600 employees ....
). Blaupunkt also specialised in coach installations, selling TVs, multiple-speaker setups and PA equipment to that industry. However, that part of the business remained with Robert Bosch Car Multimedia GmbH, a 100% subsidiary of Robert Bosch GmbH.