ZF Friedrichshafen AG
Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen — 'gear factory in Friedrichshafen' — was founded in 1915 to make gears for Zeppelin airships. The transition to automotive transmissions began in the 1920s and accelerated through the post-war period. The 2015 acquisition of US brake-systems maker TRW Automotive for $13.5 billion transformed ZF into a top-three Tier 1 supplier worldwide.
ZF's Q4 2025 delivered $12.2B in revenue — down 8.3% versus the same quarter a year ago.
Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen — 'gear factory in Friedrichshafen' — was founded in 1915 to make gears for Zeppelin airships. The transition to automotive transmissions began in the 1920s and accelerated through the post-war period. The 2015 acquisition of US brake-systems maker TRW Automotive for $13.5 billion transformed ZF into a top-three Tier 1 supplier worldwide.