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Our History.

From local Beginnings 
to a European 
automotive Group.

From its origins as a local Swiss business, Swiss Automotive Group has developed into an integrated European group through continuous growth and expansion. Today, Swiss Automotive Group brings together a network of automotive companies across multiple markets, combining strong local expertise with the scale and capabilities of a unified organisation.

From Switzerland to Europe!

1930
Jean‑Jacques Derendinger and Walter Morf founded Derendinger in Zurich as a company specialising in braking and clutch components.
1950-1960
Derendinger expanded across Switzerland, opening new locations including Bern and Lausanne and establishing a stronger presence in both German- and French-speaking regions.
1969
In Austria, Matik was founded as a distributor specialising in brake pads, later developing into a full-range supplier for commercial vehicle spare parts.
1980
MĂ©traux Services SA was established in Switzerland, adding new capabilities and contributing to the foundation of what would later become Swiss Automotive Group.
2009
Swiss Automotive Group was founded through the merger of Derendinger AG and MĂ©traux Services SA.
2011-2014 
Initial growth followed through the integration of several companies, including Klaus, Matik, Hella, Augros, Ihle and Normauto.
2015 
The acquisition of the Autonet Group marked Swiss Automotive Group’s entry into the Central and Eastern European market.
2017–2018
The acquisitions of FCAR and Davasa AutomociĂłn further expanded the business, establishing a broader European footprint.
2019-2021 
Swiss Automotive Group took over the Hella Gutmann activities in Switzerland and Austria and continued its growth with acquisitions such as APM Automotive, Stahlgruber CZ, ATP Autoteile and Augsburg International.
2023
Several companies, including Derendinger, Technomag, Matik and Normauto, were brought together under the Derendinger name, creating a more unified market presence in Switzerland.
2025
A new ownership structure was established, with the Schmidheiny family becoming the anchor shareholder and supporting the long-term development of Swiss Automotive Group.