ATS D4
 |
|
| Full name | ATS Wheels |
|---|---|
| Base | Germany |
| Founder(s) | Günter Schmid |
| Noted staff |
Robin Herd Giacomo Caliri Gustav Brunner Jo Ramírez |
| Noted drivers |
 Jean-Pierre Jarier Keke Rosberg Manfred Winkelhock Eliseo Salazar Gerhard Berger
|
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| First entry | 1977 United States Grand Prix West |
| Races entered | 101 |
| Constructors' Championships |
0 |
| Drivers' Championships |
0 |
| Race victories | 0 (best finish: 5th, 1979 United States Grand Prix and 1982 Brazilian and San Marino Grands Prix) |
| Pole positions | 0 (best grid position: 4th, 1980 United States Grand Prix West) |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| Final entry | 1984 Portuguese Grand Prix |
ATS was a German Formula One team, named after German alloy wheel brand Auto Technisches Spezialzubehör. The company is based in Bad Dürkheim near the Hockenheimring, its team was active in Formula One from 1977 to 1984.
The ATS company created some revolutionary new lightweight wheels for Porsche and VW automobiles. ATS manufactured a light aluminum alloy 5 spoked wheel for AMG, the high performance tuner for Mercedes-Benz automobiles, in the 1970s and 1980s. This 5 spoked wheel is popularly known as the AMG "Penta" wheel. The AMG "Penta" spoked wheel by ATS, designed by Hans-Werner Aufrecht in 1979, was the first aluminum alloy rim marketed by AMG when it was still an independent tuning company.
ATS owner Günter Schmid had sponsored various national motorsport events, before realising Grand Prix racing was an ideal way of promoting his brand. Due to his temper, Schmid was notoriously difficult to work with, and a rapid turnover of staff plagued ATS for their entire history.
In 1977, ATS purchased the remaining PC4 chassis from Penske Racing. Jean-Pierre Jarier was signed to drive the car, placing 6th on the team's debut at the United States Grand Prix West.
A second car was entered in the 1977 German Grand Prix for German touring car racer Hans Heyer. Heyer failed to qualify, but famously took the start anyway in front of his home crowd at the Hockenheimring. The race organisers only noticed when he retired with a broken gear linkage. Hans Binder would then take the second car for the rest of the season, though the team missed the final three races of the year.
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