SSR Wheels bankruptcy info
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Registered User
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 414
From: Nether reach of CA delta
Car Info: 03 WRX Sedan MBP/17X7.5 SSR Comps/225 Kumho MX
SSR Wheels bankruptcy info
I may have been the last person to learn about this, but it seems that the companies in Japan (Speed Star Racing) that manufacture SSR wheels have filed for bankruptcy. A number of theads have appeared on i-club with information about this business development. Here is a related link to a page found printed in the English language: 
http://www.tsr-net.co.jp/english/b_news/day/05jan.html
The good news: There is plenty of buzz around that SSR is going to re-organize and start producing again.
For now, it's a good assumption that the factory is shut down. I'm guessing that once re-organization is complete, it will take some time to get the factory back into production and to ship its wheels to distributors in North America. It's quite possible that warehouse stocks of unsold SSR wheels may be gone before the supply lines are back in swing. SSR Professors, always in short supply, are now very scarce if not unobtainable.
I have a set of four SSR Competitions on my WRX. Last Friday I ordered a fifth wheel from Tire Rack so that I would have a spare on hand. No down time if I bend a wheel, no problems with having to buy an entirely new set of wheels, go back to stock rims or by an iffy used wheel if I bend one and the SSR Comps are out of stock.
The spare wheel arrived today. It came from Tire Rack's Reno warehouse double-boxed: the SSR factory box was packed inside a larger box for a slightly larger wheel. Tire Rack included the factory center cap and metal-clad valve stem. Yep, the correct wheel lugs and decal sheets (yuck) were there, too. I don't want this to sound like an infomercial for Tire Rack because there are other good dealers around that handle the SSRs. I just have some loyalty for Tire Rack and the good job they do.
SSR makes fantastic wheels that are strong, light and reasonably-priced for the performance you get, so I wanted to make sure i-clubbers knew about this situation. SSRs are popular on a lot of other marques too, from Miatas to 'Vettes. I suspect that SSR will re-organize and get back into production, but can't hazard a guess as to when. For the present, the time to act is now if you want to protect the investment you already made in a set of four SSRs buy getting a spare. Over the past 15 years, I've bent an alloy wheel every seven years or so, but of course, your usage may vary. I want to be on the safe side.
If you are considering buying a set, think about buying a spare, too. Who knows what the supply situation will be like during the summer? Will some of the SSRs go at close-out prices? Dunno.
I sent an e-mail to SSR asking them whazzup and if I get a reply, I'll post it here. If you can pass allong any pertinent info or have ???, plz do...
http://www.tsr-net.co.jp/english/b_news/day/05jan.html
The good news: There is plenty of buzz around that SSR is going to re-organize and start producing again.
For now, it's a good assumption that the factory is shut down. I'm guessing that once re-organization is complete, it will take some time to get the factory back into production and to ship its wheels to distributors in North America. It's quite possible that warehouse stocks of unsold SSR wheels may be gone before the supply lines are back in swing. SSR Professors, always in short supply, are now very scarce if not unobtainable.
I have a set of four SSR Competitions on my WRX. Last Friday I ordered a fifth wheel from Tire Rack so that I would have a spare on hand. No down time if I bend a wheel, no problems with having to buy an entirely new set of wheels, go back to stock rims or by an iffy used wheel if I bend one and the SSR Comps are out of stock.
The spare wheel arrived today. It came from Tire Rack's Reno warehouse double-boxed: the SSR factory box was packed inside a larger box for a slightly larger wheel. Tire Rack included the factory center cap and metal-clad valve stem. Yep, the correct wheel lugs and decal sheets (yuck) were there, too. I don't want this to sound like an infomercial for Tire Rack because there are other good dealers around that handle the SSRs. I just have some loyalty for Tire Rack and the good job they do.
SSR makes fantastic wheels that are strong, light and reasonably-priced for the performance you get, so I wanted to make sure i-clubbers knew about this situation. SSRs are popular on a lot of other marques too, from Miatas to 'Vettes. I suspect that SSR will re-organize and get back into production, but can't hazard a guess as to when. For the present, the time to act is now if you want to protect the investment you already made in a set of four SSRs buy getting a spare. Over the past 15 years, I've bent an alloy wheel every seven years or so, but of course, your usage may vary. I want to be on the safe side.
If you are considering buying a set, think about buying a spare, too. Who knows what the supply situation will be like during the summer? Will some of the SSRs go at close-out prices? Dunno.
I sent an e-mail to SSR asking them whazzup and if I get a reply, I'll post it here. If you can pass allong any pertinent info or have ???, plz do...
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Joined: Nov 2002
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as we know SSR filed for bankruptcy on 1-27-05 .... well, the laws in Japan are quite different than ours and the company was forced to sell out .... the Company that purchased Speed Star Wheel is a well know Japanese perfromance company.
here's the official notice I recieved today
here's the official notice I recieved today
As you know, Speed Star Co. Ltd and Speed Star Sales Co. ltd went bankrupt on January 27th this year. The disappearance of their high end technology and the traditional brand maintained for more than thirty years will not be acceptable to the people concerned in the after market as very shocking and unforgettable news of 2005.
We were looking for measures of their reconstruction in some way since January 27th because we had been engaged in the sales of their products in South East Asian countries and had a favorable relationship with them long term.
We, Tanabe Co.,Ltd, have been selected as the exclusive buyer of business rights and assets of the two companies (Speed Star Racing & Speed Star Wheel) as the result of the tender invited by the receiver.
We will need more or less one month to complete the transfer of the assets from the receiver and to restart the production and sales. We will keep you informed each time the details come to be clear.
We will continue to produce SSR products as well as our Tanabe products
We were looking for measures of their reconstruction in some way since January 27th because we had been engaged in the sales of their products in South East Asian countries and had a favorable relationship with them long term.
We, Tanabe Co.,Ltd, have been selected as the exclusive buyer of business rights and assets of the two companies (Speed Star Racing & Speed Star Wheel) as the result of the tender invited by the receiver.
We will need more or less one month to complete the transfer of the assets from the receiver and to restart the production and sales. We will keep you informed each time the details come to be clear.
We will continue to produce SSR products as well as our Tanabe products
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 414
From: Nether reach of CA delta
Car Info: 03 WRX Sedan MBP/17X7.5 SSR Comps/225 Kumho MX
Excellent! Thanks Luke! I'm still glad I have the spare, as fast as your service is, it's good to have one onhand anyway.
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stealth-wrx
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