Gemballa GmbH is a German automobile manufacturing and tuning company that specializes in customization and aftermarket parts for Porsche cars. The company was founded by Uwe Gemballa in 1981 and is based in Leonberg, Germany. Gemballa is known for producing high-performance vehicles with significant power output, and some of its models have held lap records at the Nürburgring race track.
In 2010, the company faced a setback when its factory was seized by German authorities following the disappearance of Uwe Gemballa, who was later found dead in South Africa. However, the brand rights and name rights were later acquired by CEO Andreas Schwarz and investor Steffen Korbach, who refounded the company as Gemballa GmbH in August of the same year. In 2016, Korbach became the sole CEO of the company after Schwarz stepped down, reportedly also taking over the shares in the company from his former partner.
Gemballa has produced several high-performance models over the years, including a 600 hp (450 kW) model that held the lap record for road cars at the Nürburgring in the late 1990s and again in 2001 when Wolfgang Kaufmann lowered it to 7:32:52 min. However, this record was later beaten by a Porsche Carrera GT by less than a second. Today, Gemballa continues to produce custom-built vehicles and high-performance parts for Porsche cars, catering to enthusiasts and collectors around the world.
