PC GUIDE TO... AL-KO KOBER

From humble beginnings in Germany, Al-Ko has grown to become one of the world's biggest manufacturers in the leisure vehicle sector.

- John Sootheran reports

IT'S NO EXAGGERATION to say that Al-Ko saved my bacon. I will be forever grateful to the company's ATC stability control system, which saved my blushes, caravan, French holiday, quite a few thousand pounds, and possibly even my life. (If the major autoroute accident I avoided hadn't finished me off, Mrs S almost certainly would have!)

When a speeding panel van sent my tourer into a terminal 'wobble', only ATC pulled things back from the brink - its clever sensor detected the unwanted sway and slammed the caravan brakes on. Phew! Thank-you, Alois.

Yes, my saviour that day was Alois Kober. In 1931, he was a 23-year-old master locksmith who opened a small forge in the Bavarian village of Großkötz. From those modest beginnings, he laid the foundations for what would become one of Europe's most respected names in engineering - Al-Ko Kober.

The company name is drawn from its founder, and Kober's early focus on innovation, craftsmanship and quality set a tone that continues to define the brand today.

After the Second World War, Al-Ko grew rapidly, shifting its focus from agricultural metalwork towards more specialised mechanical components.

By the 1950s, it was producing overrun brakes and trailer couplings, soon followed by complete caravan chassis and running gear. These innovations secured Al-Ko's place as a key player in Europe's burgeoning leisure-vehicle industry.

UK OK?

The firm's UK arm, Al-Ko Kober Ltd, was established in 1951 to serve the British trailer and caravan markets.

From the company's base in Warwickshire, it has supplied axles, chassis, towing and suspension technology to manufacturers and consumers across the country, becoming a trusted name among caravan and motorhome owners.

Through the 1970s and 1980s, Al-Ko diversified into air-technology and garden machinery, broadening its reach beyond leisure vehicle technology.