• www.blaupunkt.com/us/index.asp

It all started with the blue dot... The blue spot stands for technical competence. Blaupunkt, a subsidiary of Robert Bosch Ltd. is the European market leader in the car radio industry. Headquarters is located in Hildesheim, Germany where 2800 people are employed. Worldwide, Blaupunkt employs around 7500 staff and produces more than 5 million car radios and 500 000 navigation systems every year.

In the 1920s, Blaupunkt bore a different name. In 1923, when radio was first introduced in Germany, a company called "Ideal" was formed in Berlin. At first, it just manufactured headphones. Each piece of equipment was carefully tested by technicians and marked with a symbol of quality - the blue dot.

It wasn't long before consumer began asking for the earphones with the blue dot - Blaupunkt. The symbol of quality had become the company's trademark and in 1938 it became the name of the company as well. Meanwhile, Blaupunkt has belonged to the Bosch Group for six decades. After WW II, the company re-located from Berlin to Hildesheim. 100 years of automotive history have been accompanied by a host of technical innovations. In 1932, "Ideal" laid the foundation for the development of the in-car audio systems of our day with the first European car radio, the Blaupunkt AS 5. That bulky piece of equipment for medium and long-wave radio claimed approximately ten litres of space a good sixty years ago. There were not yet any special car antennas. Conventional antenna wiring was used and simply laid under the car roof or along the running boards.

Because this radio took up so much space, it was not possible to install it within the reach of the driver. A steering-wheel mounted remote control unit proved to be the perfect solution in those days as well, a present-day luxury limited to top-of-the-line models. The first car radio cost 465 Reichsmark, a third of the purchase price for a small automobile.

North American operations are divided into two areas – aftermarket and original equipment. Aftermarket sales and distribution are based out of Broadview, Illinois and the OE division is based out of Farmington Hills, Michigan.

Over the years we have had many relationships with auto manufacturers, and those partners include, but are not limited to, Volkswagen, Audi, Mercedes Benz, Porsche, Opel, and most recently Ford, with its model the Focus.

As we continue to grow we invite you to become a member of our family. By owning our products you will enter into a group of people that truly understands and appreciates the value of the blue dot, also known as Blaupunkt, the seal of quality.

The future is already a reality for us at Blaupunkt. Transforming your car into a mobile communication centre is our aim and we are constantly working on developing new technologies with this in mind. It will soon be possible to receive emails without being distracted as the message will be read out loud to you. You will be able to send emails from your car, make purchases, arrange meetings.....

In this way the 'advantage in your car' will also become an advantage to your leisure time. This future vision will soon become a Blaupunkt standard. We now invite you to take a look at the products Blaupunkt already has on offer....

• 1923 Founding of the company in Berlin
• 1924 Registration of the trade mark 'Blaupunkt'
• 1932 First Car Radio in Europe
• 1952 First VHF car radio in the world.
• 1959 One million Blaupunkt car radios sold
• 1969 The first stereo car radio in the world
• 1971 10 million Blaupunkt car radios sold
• 1974 First car radio with ARI
• 1979 25 million Blaupunkt car radios sold
• 1980 First stereo-cassette-radio combination
• 1982 Prototype of the first route guidance system EVA
• 1988 The first RDS car radio
• 1989 First European navigation system
• 1990 50 million Blaupunkt radios sold
• 1995 First Blaupunkt DAB receiver
• 1996 Dynamic navigation system for the Japanese market
• 1997 The Radiophone: the first car radio/ mobile phone combined unit
• 1999 Production of the 100 millionth Blaupunkt car radio
• 2001 1 million navigation systems sold! Plus presentation of the first DAB car radios with MP3
• 2002 First online-linked navigation system
• 2003 DAB-/ MP3-car radio with 'Digital Recorder'

Toll Free: 800-950-2528
Fax: 708-681-7188