The store at Østerport was K.W. Bruun's pride and joy
K.W. Bruun, 1897-1980
"Money should never be the goal. Only the means."
This was one of the rules of life for Karl Wilhelm (K.W.) Bruun - the founder of K.W. Bruun & Co.
Classic Car House is part of K.W. Bruun & Co, a Danish family-owned group with roots dating back to 1914, when founder K.W. Bruun sold his first cars. K.W. Bruun was a pioneer in the automotive industry and had a unique business acumen that created a solid foundation for the company that today is led by the 4th generation of the Bruun family; Maria Bruun-Lander.
Franz Eilertsen, Jørgen Bruun and K.W. Bruun in the company of Peugeot 504
However, his lifelong passion for cars started as early as 1907, when K.W. Bruun sat in the back seat of his father's brand new Oldsmobile with a tiller. In 1925, K.W. Bruun became an importer for Fiat, and in 1930 he founded British Motors, importing Hillmann, Humber, Sunbeam.
During the war
When Denmark was occupied in 1940, K.W. Bruun hid 150 cars in barns and friends' houses and turned the car dealership in Østerbro into an art gallery. By focusing on art, peat, shoe soles, and 'hidden cars', K.W. Bruun made it through the war. Bruun came through the war well - even with a profit and without having to lay off any employees, the latter of which was very important to him.
K.W. Bruun in front of Egebakken on Caroline Amalievej in Lyngby
In 1952, British Motors changed its name to Interdan, the same year that Peugeot was also imported. In the 1960s more brands were added, Trabant, Wartburg, Datsun and DAF, and in the 1980s Dodge, Alfa Romeo and Nissan. Over 25 different car brands have been imported by K.W. Bruun has imported over the years.
The connection to Kgs. Lyngby
The Bruun family has with K.W. Bruun and wife Ragnhild Bruun have roots in Kgs. Lyngby, where the couple built Egebakken on Caroline Amalievej in 1937 and lived for many years until they passed away. The construction of Classic Car House in Kgs. Lyngby is a great source of pride for the family, both personally and professionally.
K.W. Bruun & Co today
K.W. Bruun & Co is today owned by two family foundations, K.W. Bruun & Hustrus Familiefond and Ragnhild Bruun's Foundation, and is led by Maria Bruun-Lander, who is the 4th generation after the founder. Today, the group consists of five divisions with over 900 employees.
K.W. Bruun Import A/S is one of the largest car importers in the Nordic region with car and spare parts imports of Peugeot, Citroën, DS, Opel and Mitsubishi in Denmark and Sweden and Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Jeep, Hongqi and Voyah in Denmark. K.W. Bruun Import is also a modern logistics company with logistics centers in Greve and Stockholm, which handles the distribution of spare parts and accessories to our network of over 500 dealers and workshops.
K.W. Bruun NxT A/S focuses on developing digital business concepts, including Bilabonnement and auto.nu and the Quickpoint workshop chain.
Investment activities in the Group are handled partly by K.W. Bruun Invest A/S with investment and operation of residential rental properties as well as investment in securities and alternative investments, and partly by K.W. Bruun Collection A/S with a portfolio of classic investment cars.
The group's passion for cars and associated cultural heritage for more than 100 years culminates in Classic Car House A/S.
Go to the K.W. Bruun Group website here.
Chairman of the Board and 4th generation Maria Bruun-Lander