The company’s success has been marked by a long list of major product contributions in the automotive, aviation, aerospace and transportation industries. With brakes on cars, trucks, trailers, buses, farm and construction equipment, airplanes, golf carts and even bicycles, Bendix® was long recognized as the producer of more brakes for more kinds of vehicles than any other producer in the world. With over 80 years of experience backing us up, Bendix® brake pads offer quality that is unmatched. From domestics to imports – SUVs to fleet vehicles. We’ve got the right brake pad for just about anything with an engine and four wheels. And, since the recent introduction of our enhanced friction formulations, Bendix semi-metallic brake pads combat noise and dust better than ever before – minimizing customer comebacks after they have brake work done.
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1911 |
Driving innovation to meet industry demands has been a company tradition since its founding by Vincent Bendix in 1924. While this innovator’s earliest automotive interest prompted him to a career in car manufacturing, extreme competition quickly pushed him out of the market. He became determined, however, to solve the problem associated with starting automobile engines at the time and soon saw success with his invention of the starter drive in 1911. Bendix advertised it as "the mechanical hand that cranks your car."
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| 1924 |
In 1924, after meeting French engineer Henri Perrot at a European auto show, Bendix acquired the license to Perrot's shoe-brake patents.
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| 1927 |
Bendix Corporation formed, company produces "Safety Servo"
vacuum brake under the Braggs-Kliesrath name.
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| 1930 |
Bendix-Westinghouse Automotive Air Brake Company established following
the merger of Bendix Corp. and Westinghouse Automotive Air Brake.
Headquarters located in Wilmerding, Pa.
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| 1934 |
Bendix-Westinghouse takes automotive air brake worldwide by establishing licensing
agreements with Westinghouse companies in France, Germany, Italy and England.
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| 1941 |
Bendix-Westinghouse establishes new headquarters in Elyria, Oh.
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| 1945 |
Vincent Bendix embarked upon a remarkable career with the launch of the Bendix
Engineering Works and the Bendix® trademark, a brand name that is still
recognized and used long after the founder’s death in 1945. |
| 1949 |
WWII accelerates developments, and air braking becomes standard on all heavy trucks,
tractor-trailers, buses, fire trucks and off-highway vehicles.
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| 1960 |
Automatic slack adjusters, air dryers, dual brake valves and first generation
antilock braking systems are under development.
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| 1962 |
The brand’s greatest innovations have been in vehicle braking and In 1962,
Bendix® supplied the first four-wheel disc brakes for a U.S. production car
– the high performance Studebaker Avanti
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| 1967 |
In 1967, dual-braking master cylinders pioneered by Bendix became standard equipment
on all U.S. cars. That same year, Bendix reached a milestone when it manufactured its
200-millionth automotive brake shoe.
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| 1969 |
In July 1969, one giant leap for mankind also became a giant leap for Bendix as Apollo
11 astronauts Neil A. Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin Jr. became the first men to walk on
the moon, carrying scientific instrument packages designed and built by Bendix®. The
Bendix® Corporation, as it was then known, was heavily involved in space missions
during the late 60s and 70s and had a Bendix Launch Support Division located at the
Kennedy Space Center. Bendix Corporation acquires 100 percent ownership of
Bendix-Westinghouse.
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| 1971 |
Only a few years later in 1971, Bendix introduced the industry to Anti-Lock Brakes
(ABS), with the first four-wheel ABS system being used on the Chrysler Imperial.
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| 1973 |
Bendix-Westinghouse becomes Bendix Heavy Vehicle Systems Group, a division of Bendix
Corporation.
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| 1975 |
Bendix dual air brake system becomes standard for the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration's Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 121.
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| 1980 |
Bendix establishes worldwide parts distribution center and remanufacturing operation
in Huntington, In.
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| 1982 |
Bendix Corporation merges with Allied Corporation and the division becomes an
operating unit of Allied Automotive, an independent supplier to the worldwide
automotive industry under the brand names of Bendix®, Fram® and Autolite®
.
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| 1986 |
The Bendix Heavy Vehicle Systems Group of Allied merges with Bendix Limited European
truck air brake operation establishing Bendix Heavy Vehicle Systems Group-Europe.
Allied Corporation acquires Signal operations establishing AlliedSignal Inc. as the
division's parent company.
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| 1989 |
Bendix Heavy Vehicle Systems Group-Europe acquires truck air brake operation of
Magneti Marelli, strengthening European operations.
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| 2006 |
After years of experience, Honeywell Friction Materials continues the Bendix®
tradition of unleashing new brake technologies and products, which are welcomed by
the world's most popular vehicle manufacturers and professional technicians alike. A
deep history, innovative braking technology and outstanding customer service have
allowed the Bendix® name to become one of the best-known names in the industry.
And with our new friction formulas, we’re pioneering the quiet revolution
in brake pad technology. The company has a reputation for answering tough brake
questions and providing technical support and training through its Stop Shop
Program, the Bendix Brake Answerman and staff ASE certified technicians.
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