OE and Aftermarket supplier Magnetti Marelli has picked up the “Supplier of the Year” Award at the Vehicle Dynamics International Awards 2013.

Magneti Marelli’s Suspension Systems Business is one of the most innovative around. For several years it has been further developing ultra-lightweight  steel suspension components, and two made production last year. Now it is turning its research focus to alternative materials, not just carbon fiber but – always with an eye on production feasibility and cost – basalt- and glass-fiber materials. Ultra- lightweight suspension arms have already been produced in prototype form using hybrid composite construction, while Marelli is also studying the potential for composite knuckles and working on a front subframe made from a composite material.

Given the importance of lightweight components to vehicles in the current CO2-conscious climate, it’s perhaps no surprise that the judges were more than impressed with Marelli’s innovative approach, with them identifying the Italian-based supplier as a clear winner.

“Magneti Marelli has always been a highly regarded original-equipment and aftermarket supplier, and this reputation has been expanded with its growth in the suspension business thanks to innovation and the delivery of new developments,” commented Irish Juror, Padraic Deane of Automotive Publications, publishers of AutoTrade.ie