hub program is complemented by the automatic switching two-speed Torpedo-Automatic. Ernst Wilhelm Sachs died in a 1977 heliskiing accident in Val d'Isere. In 1981, the Foundation of Fichtel & Sachs (West Africa) Ltd. in Lagos, Nigeria, together with Salzgitter AG was founded. In 1986, Fichtel & Sachs started to develop prototypes for micro combined heat and power plants and started 10-year field trials. Mannesmann & Bosch / Siemens era After the sale of the majority shareholding to the British GKN group in 1977 had been prohibited by the consumer financial conduct authorities, as well as the death of Ernst Wilhelm Sachs, the sale of the company was excluded due to a clause of his will for the next 10 years. In 1987, Gunter Sachs and his brother's daughters sold the company to Mannesmann. In 1991, the takeover was completed by Mannesmann and the majority entry of Mannesmann in the Boge AG with the former head office in Eitorf, which was also completely taken over two years later. In 1997, engine construction was discontinued or sold and the production of bicycle hub gears and other components sold to SRAM. Sachs Bikes took over part of the two-wheeler activities. Furthermore, this year Fichtel & Sachs was renamed Mannesmann Sachs. As part of the Mannesmann takeover by Vodafone, the company went in 2000 as part of the previously founded Mannesmann Atecs to a consortium of companies around Bosch and Siemens. ZF Friedrichshafen Era In 2001, Fichtel & Sachs was sold to ZF Friedrichshafen and renamed ZF Sachs in the same year. The traditional French chain manufacturer Sedis has been resold to the Indian bicycle and industrial holding 'Tube Investments'. As early as November 2002, a large development center was opened in the Werk-Süd. On August 1, 2011, the company merged with ZF Friedrichshafen. As a result, ZF Sachs as an independent company, the business operations and the brand Sachs led ZF Friedrichshafen. The Schweinfurt south plant has been continuously expanded since the takeover by ZF until today, also with a plastic center and a development center for e-mobility. In 2017, the Schweinfurt location with 9,500 employees almost reached its peak employee number from the post-war period. Products Today's product range Today's product range coming from the Schweinfurt plants of ZF Friedrichshafen AG includes drive components such as clutch systems, torque converters, dual-mass flywheels, electric drives and complete modules for hybrid vehicles, as well