The company was founded on 1 October 1906 by Wilhelm Reutter as Stuttgarter Carosserie und Radfabrik.

[5] The result was bodies including interior fittings for almost all well-known manufacturers of the time, in particular Daimler-Benz (and predecessor) as well as the Chemnitzer Wanderer-Werke.

[9] Economic problems led the Reutter family to sell the business in 1969 to three companies, Keiper, Huber & Wagner, and Metzeler.

[11] This resulted in four legally and economically independent companies, including Recaro Aircraft Seating GmbH & Co.

[11] In 2004, Recaro bought the traditional company "Storchenmühle", which concentrates on the production of child seats.

[12][13] In 2013, after restructuring, Recaro Holding relocated its registered office back to Stuttgart, Germany.

In July 2024, news reports surfaced that Recaro Automotive GmbH (Germany) had filed for bankruptcy and was subsequently approved for self-administration by a German court.

[7][20] The Aircraft seat production began in 1971 under license under the name Recaro Aircomfort, initially in Stuttgart.

[7] Recaro Aircraft Seating GmbH & Co. KG also has production plants in Poland, South Africa, the USA and China in addition to its headquarter in Schwäbisch Hall.

In 2020, Adient sold RECARO Automotive to a privately held entity and is headquartered in Clinton Township, MI, USA.

The Recaro Child Safety GmbH & Co. KG, headquartered in Marktleugast, which merged with the long-established Storchenmühle company in 2004, ended its business operations on 31 July 2018.

[7][24] At the end of October 2018, Recaro Holding and Artsana Group signed a global license agreement.

The agreement covers the development, production and distribution of premium children's seats and prams under the Recaro Kids brand name.