Summary:
Many manufacturers of bucket seats offer products for road use or racing and it is sometimes difficult to find your way among all the items available. Which brand to choose, which model to choose? To answer this question, we have chosen to go back over the history of the most famous manufacturers and to mention the specificities of some of their emblematic products.
Since their introduction on the market in the second half of the 21st century, the bucket seats did not cease evolving, improving and bringing new solutions to the problems of the drivers. The following brands have all played a major role in the history of this equipment through their innovations in safety, comfort, performance and design.
1. Sparco bucket seats
The racing DNA
The Italian brand Sparco was founded in 1977 by two Turin drivers, Enrico Glorioso and Antonio Parisi. Their goal: to develop and produce safer equipment for motorsport. Indeed, at the end of the 1970s, very serious accidents were commonplace in competition and the two men wanted to do everything possible to increase the safety of drivers and co-drivers.
In 1978, the company designed a fireproof racing suit and its first competition bucket seat. Only 5 years after its debut, Sparco won its first F1 World Championship with Nelson Piquet in 1983 and the World Rally Championship title with the Lancia Rally 037 equipped with Sparco seats.
Sparco designed and manufactured its first carbon fiber racing seat in 1984. Then, from the 90s, the company opened up to the tuning market so that all enthusiasts could equip their car with quality aftermarket products. In 1998, Sparco unveiled its first adjustable carbon seat and started producing original sports seats for supercars, first with the Lamborghini Diablo and then for other prestigious brands: Ferrari, Bugatti, Aston Martin, McLaren, Lotus, Mercedes AMG…
Over time, the brand expanded its range to cover all uses and distinguished itself by integrating features into its products designed to improve the comfort of the driver and passengers. Since 2010, Sparco has offered sports seats with side airbags, a heating or ventilation system, and other state-of-the-art functions.
State-of-the-art technology
Sparco bucket seats are developed and designed using highly advanced technical processes. Catia and NX CAD software are used in particular, as well as very useful virtual mannequins to optimize the ergonomics and safety of the products. Controls are carried out, in particular with the help of FEM structural analysis methods guaranteeing optimal solidity of the seats, and numerous road tests with manufacturer or partner drivers are carried out.
For the production of its products, the brand uses fiberglass, preimpregnated carbon or short-fiber forged carbon depending on the seats. It should also be noted that Sparco has a special division entirely dedicated to the design of carbon parts.
Sparco is also renowned for creating QRT (Quick Resin Technology) which is inspired by aerospace techniques. The fiberglass seats benefiting from this process have an excellent weight/stiffness ratio and prove to be an excellent alternative to carbon models due to their much lower price.
In a QRT seat, the rapid and uniform melting of the shell allows for a better distribution of the resin, resulting in a weight saving of approximately 30% compared to a conventional fiberglass shell design. In addition, the layout of the fibers in the shell is also optimized for increased mechanical strength.
2. Recaro bucket seats
Over a century of experience
Recaro‘s roots date back to 1906, when the German master craftsman Wilhelm Reutter founded his body shop: Stuttgarter Carosserie und Radfabrik. In 1930, the company began working with Porsche. This was followed by the production of numerous bodies and upholstery for Porsche vehicles. In 1936, the workshop registered a patent for an adjustable seat for cars and in 1953, another one for a hinge system for reclining seats.
The bodywork was taken over by Porsche in 1963, while the seat production business was renamed Recaro GmbH (REutter CAROsserie). At the 1965 Frankfurt Motor Show, the brand presented its first aftermarket sports seat, featuring foam padding on the sides for better support. In 1967, the Rallye I with a fiberglass shell was launched, followed by the Rallye II in 1974, the first Recaro reclining bucket seat for motorsport.
The evolution continued with the arrival of the plastic-shell Recaro A8 in 1989, followed by the first ABE approved (Allgemeine Betriebserlaubnis) aftermarket seat with a side airbag in 2004. The German brand took a new step forward in 2019 with the launch of the Podium, the only seat on the market that was both FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile) approved for racing and ABE approved for road use. Finally, Recaro introduced in 2020 a new offering for vintage and classic car enthusiasts with its classic range.
Alongside the greatest
For decades, Recaro has produced standard and optional seats for the world’s leading manufacturers. Recent cars include for example Aston Martin Vanquish S, Audi R8 Spyder, BMW M4 GTS, Mercedes AMG GT Black Series, Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport, Nissan GT-R, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X, Renault Megane RS, Subaru WRX STI and Toyota 86 GR.
The German brand takes great care to use high quality raw materials and to treat each bucket seat or sport seat with a high quality finish. The combination of noble materials and a traditional production method allows Recaro to meet the expectations of the most demanding professionals and individuals.
Recaro also places ergonomics at the heart of its design process in order to offer comfort, support and practicality. The brand has also made safety its priority. Recaro is one of the few seat manufacturers to have a dedicated crash test workshop, which has been operational since 1990.
3. Corbeau bucket seats
A historic brand
The Corbeau company was founded in 1963 in the south-east of England by Colin Folwell following an observation. At the time, this racing driver realized that the seats supplied as standard were not suitable for motor sports, either in terms of support or safety. Not finding a competition seat on the market, he decided to create it himself. He thus gave birth to the Corbeau Equip.
Historically, Corbeau is considered the first manufacturer of racing seats. It was also the first British manufacturer to obtain FIA homologation in 1992. In 2016, Corbeau launched a brand new seat with FIA 8862-2009 approval for 10 years, the Predator. This highly advanced computer-designed bucket seat features an innovative ventilation system that cools the entire body (shoulders, torso and thighs).
The English brand is renowned throughout the world and has a range of racing bucket seats, fixed or reclining sports road seats, but also classic seats for vintage cars and youngtimers using emblematic retro designs from the 60s and 70s. Corbeau also manufactures OEM seats, installed in some Lotus sports cars, among others.
The firm stands out from other manufacturers by offering its own seat mounts for a wide range of vehicles. This particularity ensures a simple installation without modification.
4. Bride bucket seats
The Japanese quality
Launched in 1981, the Bride brand is renowned for its seats made exclusively in Japan. The GT model, the firm’s first reclining sports seat, was introduced that year. In 1985, the Pro reclining racing bucket seat was launched, while in 1990 Bride developed a very low rail system in collaboration with the French group Faurecia, allowing a significantly lower driving position.
A major milestone was reached in 1995 with the Zeta-ZZR, the first Japanese seat to obtain FIA homologation. In 2004, the brand introduced a new series of ultra-low seat, the Low Max, which instantly became iconic products. Also very popular, the edirb series offered since 2013 are distinguished by their premium finish.
Depending of the model, the shell of the Bride seats is made of FRP (fiber reinforced polymer), super aramid (aramid fibers) or carbon aramid (raw material of Kevlar). Each shell is handcrafted. The lining, made of leather, suede or other fabrics, is designed using CAD software, cut by an automatic cutting machine and then sewn by hand. Many stages of control and verification occur throughout the manufacturing process. Bride also produces its own seat mounts.
Appreciated by car enthusiasts looking for genuine “JDM” products, Bride seats are also ubiquitous in the Japanese racing landscape. Indeed, many racing cars are equipped with the brand’s seats, for example in Super GT, D1GP, Super Taikyu, or in one-make series.
Want to learn more about this topic? Find out how to choose between a road or FIA approved bucket seat!
Photo sources: Nissan / Lancia / Goodwood / Recaro / BMW / Corbeau / Streetfx