The history of TERRANGER: From racing innovations to off-road adventures

TERRANGER is now a leading provider of high-quality vehicle components for off-road use. But the company's history does not begin off-road, but in the automotive industry and on the race track. The brain behind TERRANGER is Heiko Ernst, a mechanical engineer with decades of experience in the automotive industry and a deep passion for vehicle technology and off-road adventures.

The beginnings of off-road adventures

Heiko Ernst's enthusiasm for vehicles began early. At the age of 17, he bought a crashed VW-183 from the German army, known in military jargon as a VW-Iltis. With extensive manual work and a meager budget, he repaired the vehicle and converted it according to his ideas. This first project awakened his passion for off-road vehicles. His talent for handling vehicles in difficult terrain quickly became apparent, and at the age of 19 he won his first trophies in trial driving with his self-built and modified VW Iltis.

Experience from the automotive industry

After studying at the technical university in Karlsruhe, Ernst worked in his father's company, a machine factory for materials, testing and special machines. Due to his interest in vehicles, he tried to find new customers and orders in the automotive sector. After just a few years, many well-known vehicle manufacturers across Europe were among his customers. Among other things, he developed:

Dynamic test benches for vehicle transmissions, all-wheel drive systems, combustion engines, electric motors and hybrid systems for motorsport.

• Static crash systems and mobile crash barriers for vehicle tests
• Special test benches for forage harvesters, aircraft engines and much more
• During this time he gained valuable experience and refined his skills as an engineer.

The beginnings in motorsport

By obtaining an international racing license, Heiko Ernst entered long-distance motorsport. Together with a fellow student and close friend, he founded the company "Shark Motorsport GmbH" alongside his work in his father's company, which specialized in the development of racing components for Porsche vehicles. The focus of their work was particularly on the Porsche 944, a model that had a lot of technical potential and was also within the young men's budget. The two newly qualified engineers developed innovative solutions and gained recognition in the racing community. Among other things, they built and operated their own test bench for combustion engines, built their own racing car and started as the "Shark Motorsport" team in several long-distance races on the Nürburgring and the legendary Nordschleife.

The turning point: family and new paths

When Heiko Ernst became a father in 2006, he decided to turn his back on racing in order to be there for his family and avoid the high risk of injury. He also wanted to implement his own ideas and not "just" implement development work for other large companies and their specifications. So he looked for a way to combine his own wealth of ideas with his wealth of experience and his continued interest in vehicles.

The beginning of TERRANGER: A rear carrier for the VW T5

The actual starting signal for TERRANGER was given in 2009. A former classmate of Heiko Ernst from elementary school - who ran a small car repair shop at the time - asked him to build a rear carrier for his VW T5. Ernst accepted the challenge and modified the original VW bike rack.

The first rear carrier available for the VW bus was created, and soon the first interested people from the surrounding area came along and wanted to modify their vans with it.

This was the beginning of a new era for Heiko Ernst and thus the birth of TERRANGER. The company name at the time was TERRANGER Automobile GbR. In addition to Heiko Ernst, the partner was Andre Szebrowski, a school friend who commissioned the first rear carrier.

The small car workshop became a conversion company, and the first warehouse was a 6-foot sea container. In addition to the T5, products for the Mercedes Vito and some off-road vehicles were soon offered.

Innovations and growth

After the success of the first rear carrier, other innovative products quickly followed. TERRANGER began to develop a wide range of accessories for off-road vehicles. The earliest and most successful products included underrun protection, a centrally installed cable winch for the VW Transporter and a raised chassis for the Mercedes Vito. These products set new standards in the industry and established TERRANGER as a leading market player.

Technological advances and specialization

Over time, TERRANGER expanded its product portfolio further and developed special solutions for selected vehicle models. These include roof racks, rear racks, side transport systems, conversion kits to increase the wading depth, reinforced gas springs for lifting roofs and tailgates.

New company name

In order to meet the changing challenges of the market, the two company founders decided in 2022 to pursue the path they had previously taken together independently of each other in parallel and founded two independent companies at the beginning of 2023.

Andre Szebrowski now runs Terranger Service GmbH, which modifies customer vehicles for off-road use. TERRANGER products are mainly used.

Heiko Ernst founded TERRANGER Products GmbH with his wife Carmen Ernst

Both companies continue to work closely together and benefit from the local proximity and many shared customers.

Today TERRANGER offers tailor-made solutions for vans from Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz and Ford. To this end, TERRANGER works closely with automobile manufacturers to offer tailor-made and manufacturer-compliant solutions for these vehicles. Partnerships and trade fair appearances TERRANGER can now rely on a strong, international network of competent assembly partners who trust in TERRANGER products and install them professionally. Regular participation in the Abenteuer & Allrad trade fair in Bad Kissingen, the largest off-road and adventure trade fair in Europe, and in off-road tours in Europe and Africa, helped TERRANGER to present its products to a wide audience and receive direct feedback from end customers. Conclusion: A success story of passion and innovation TERRANGER has developed from humble beginnings into a leading provider in the off-road and adventure industry. The combination of technical expertise, passion for vehicle technology and a deep understanding of customer needs has made TERRANGER what it is today. With a clear focus on quality, sustainability and continuous development, TERRANGER is well prepared for the challenges and adventures of the future.