Michael Porter wrote:
> Randall wrote:
>
>>> I always thought that Lucas belongs to TRW Automotive.
>>> TRW bought Lucas in 1999 as far I remember.
>>>
>>
>>
>> TRW did own at least some of Lucas. There have been so many
>> companies with
>> rights to use the Lucas name in certain markets that it's hard to
>> keep track.
>> But TRW no longer exists, and various pieces of the business were
>> sold off.
>> ISTR reading that they had already started to divest much of their
>> automotive
>> replacement business even before being bought by Northrup-Grumman.
>> Some of
>> Lucas belongs to Goodyear, some to BF Goodrich, some to a bunch of
>> investment
>> bankers. Probably some still belongs to NGC, too.
>>
>> But there doesn't seem to be anything on Bosch's website about
>> acquiring the
>> Lucas name ...
>>
>>
> Just to amplify on this a bit. TRW, Inc. acquired Lucas Varity (the
> automotive supplier side of Lucas--there are others with the Lucas
> name, including Lucas Aerospace--acquired by Goodrich when it was spun
> off--and Lucas Engineering Consulting, for example) around 1999 for $9
> billion. In 2002, Northrop Grumman acquired TRW, Inc., in a hostile
> takeover for about $10 billion (TRW had bitten off more than it could
> chew with the acquisition of LV). Northrop Grumman retained TRW
> Aerospace and TRW Information Systems and integrated them into
> Northrop Grumman, and sold the remainder to the Blackstone Group in
> March, 2003. The Blackstone Group then created a new,
> automotive-focused TRW, Inc., out of the pieces, and it was this
> company which was offered as an IPO in 2004. Lucas Varity was
> entirely absorbed into the new TRW, Inc., and is no more. If you try
> to get to lucasvarity.com, it's the new TRW, Inc. web site.
> Cheers.
>
Mike
You have fairly accurately told the story. TRW has been my foundation
and ABS brake supplier for the past 7 years. Prior to all that Kelsey
Hayes existed as a Detroit based automotive supplier until Varity
purchased Kelsey prior to 98. About 1998 the company became Lucas
Varity. TRW did pick up the company in 99 and it became part of the TRW
group. When Northrup Grumman picked up TRW they sold off the automotive
group to the Blackstone group. Today TRW appears to be doing well as a
safety and chassis systems supplier in the global marketplace..
Bosch is another story, they picked up Bendix in the mid to late 90's,
so their foundation brake business is based on a combination of Bendix
and Bosch Europe.
It's my understanding that they still sell under the Lucas name in
England and Europe
|