Nature of Operations	6 Months Ended
Jun. 26, 2011
Nature of Operations [Abstract]
Nature of Operations [Text Block]	Nature of Operations Headquartered in Van Nuys, California, the principal business of Superior Industries International, Inc. (referred to herein as the “company” or in the first person notation “we,” “us” and “our”) is the design and manufacture of aluminum road wheels for sale to original equipment manufacturers (OEM). We are one of the largest suppliers of cast aluminum wheels to the world’s leading automobile and light truck manufacturers, with wheel manufacturing operations in the United States and Mexico. Customers in North America represent the principal market for our products. In addition, the majority of our net sales to international customers by our North American facilities are delivered primarily to such customers' assembly operations in North America. Ford Motor Company (Ford), General Motors Company (GM) and Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler), were our only customers individually accounting for more than 10 percent of our consolidated wheels shipped and together represented approximately 76 percent and 79 percent of our total wheel sales during the first two quarters of 2011 and 2010, respectively. We also manufacture aluminum wheels for BMW, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru, Toyota and Volkswagen. The loss of all or a substantial portion of our sales to Ford, GM or Chrysler would have a significant adverse impact on our operating results and financial condition. This risk is partially mitigated by our long-term relationships with these OEM customers and our supply arrangements which are generally for multi-year periods. Beginning with the third quarter of 2008, the automotive industry was negatively impacted by the continued dramatic shift away from full-size trucks and SUVs caused by continuing high fuel prices, rapidly rising commodity prices and the tightening of consumer credit due to the then deteriorating financial markets. Accordingly, our OEM customers announced unprecedented restructuring actions, including assembly plant closures, significant reductions in production of light trucks and SUVs, delayed launches of key 2009 model-year light truck programs and movement toward more fuel-efficient passenger cars and cross-over type vehicles. These restructuring actions culminated in the bankruptcy reorganization of Chrysler and GM in 2009. Following steep declines in 2009, automotive markets have experienced significant recovery in 2010 and into 2011, especially in North America. According to Ward's Automotive Group, production of automobiles and light-duty trucks in North America reached 11.9 million vehicles in 2010, an increase of 3.3 million, or 39 percent, from 8.6 million in 2009. For the first two quarters of 2011, North America vehicle production increased 8.5% to 6.5 million vehicles when compared with the comparable period in 2010. Conversely, total 2009 production decreased 4.0 million, or 32 percent, from 12.6 million for the full year in 2008. This relatively recent history from 2008 to 2010 reflects the high degree of volatility that our customers and the market for our products can experience. Despite the improvement in the U.S. automotive industry that began in the later part of 2009, vehicle production levels still remain below historical high points. There can be no guarantee that recent improvements will be sustained or that reductions from current production levels will not occur in future periods. Vehicle demand is subject to many unpredictable factors such as changes in the general economy, gasoline prices, consumer credit availability and interest rates. Demand for aluminum wheels can be further affected by other factors, including pricing and performance comparisons to competitive materials such as steel. Finally, the demand for our products is influenced by shifts of market share between vehicle manufacturers and the specific market penetration of individual vehicle platforms being sold by our customers. While we historically have had long-term relationships with our customers and our supply arrangements generally are for multi-year periods, maintaining such long-term arrangements on terms acceptable to us has become increasingly difficult. Despite recovery of the market for our products in 2010 and into 2011, global competitive pricing pressures continue to affect our business negatively as our customers maintain and/or further develop alternative supplier options. Increasingly global procurement practices, the pace of new vehicle introduction and demand for price reductions may make it more difficult to maintain long-term supply arrangements with our customers, and there are no guarantees that we will be able to negotiate supply arrangements on terms acceptable to us in the future. We are engaged in ongoing programs to reduce our own costs through improved operational and procurement practices in an attempt to mitigate the impact of these pricing pressures. However, these improvement programs may not be sufficient to offset the adverse impact of ongoing pricing pressures and potential reductions in customer demand in future periods. Additional factors such as inconsistent customer ordering patterns, increasing product complexity and heightened quality standards also are making it increasingly more difficult to reduce our costs. It is also possible that as we incur costs to implement improvement strategies, the initial impact on our financial position, results of operations and cash flow may be negative. The raw materials used in producing our products are readily available and are obtained through numerous suppliers with whom we have established trade relations.

Nature of Operations

Headquartered in Van Nuys, California, the principal business of Superior Industries International, Inc. (referred to herein as the “company” or in the first person notation “we,” “us” and “our”) is the design and manufacture of aluminum road wheels for sale to original equipment manufacturers (OEM). We are one of the largest suppliers of cast aluminum wheels to the world’s leading automobile and light truck manufacturers, with wheel manufacturing operations in the United States and Mexico. Customers in North America represent the principal market for our products. In addition, the majority of our net sales to international customers by our North American facilities are delivered primarily to such customers' assembly operations in North America.

Ford Motor Company (Ford), General Motors Company (GM) and Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler), were our only customers individually accounting for more than 10 percent of our consolidated wheels shipped and together represented approximately 76 percent and 79 percent of our total wheel sales during the first two quarters of 2011 and 2010, respectively. We also manufacture aluminum wheels for BMW, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru, Toyota and Volkswagen. The loss of all or a substantial portion of our sales to Ford, GM or Chrysler would have a significant adverse impact on our operating results and financial condition. This risk is partially mitigated by our long-term relationships with these OEM customers and our supply arrangements which are generally for multi-year periods.

Beginning with the third quarter of 2008, the automotive industry was negatively impacted by the continued dramatic shift away from full-size trucks and SUVs caused by continuing high fuel prices, rapidly rising commodity prices and the tightening of consumer credit due to the then deteriorating financial markets. Accordingly, our OEM customers announced unprecedented restructuring actions, including assembly plant closures, significant reductions in production of light trucks and SUVs, delayed launches of key 2009 model-year light truck programs and movement toward more fuel-efficient passenger cars and cross-over type vehicles. These restructuring actions culminated in the bankruptcy reorganization of Chrysler and GM in 2009. Following steep declines in 2009, automotive markets have experienced significant recovery in 2010 and into 2011, especially in North America. According to Ward's Automotive Group, production of automobiles and light-duty trucks in North America reached 11.9 million vehicles in 2010, an increase of 3.3 million, or 39 percent, from 8.6 million in 2009. For the first two quarters of 2011, North America vehicle production increased 8.5% to 6.5 million vehicles when compared with the comparable period in 2010. Conversely, total 2009 production decreased 4.0 million, or 32 percent, from 12.6 million for the full year in 2008. This relatively recent history from 2008 to 2010 reflects the high degree of volatility that our customers and the market for our products can experience.

Despite the improvement in the U.S. automotive industry that began in the later part of 2009, vehicle production levels still remain below historical high points. There can be no guarantee that recent improvements will be sustained or that reductions from current production levels will not occur in future periods. Vehicle demand is subject to many unpredictable factors such as changes in the general economy, gasoline prices, consumer credit availability and interest rates. Demand for aluminum wheels can be further affected by other factors, including pricing and performance comparisons to competitive materials such as steel. Finally, the demand for our products is influenced by shifts of market share between vehicle manufacturers and the specific market penetration of individual vehicle platforms being sold by our customers.

While we historically have had long-term relationships with our customers and our supply arrangements generally are for multi-year periods, maintaining such long-term arrangements on terms acceptable to us has become increasingly difficult. Despite recovery of the market for our products in 2010 and into 2011, global competitive pricing pressures continue to affect our business negatively as our customers maintain and/or further develop alternative supplier options. Increasingly global procurement practices, the pace of new vehicle introduction and demand for price reductions may make it more difficult to maintain long-term supply arrangements with our customers, and there are no guarantees that we will be able to negotiate supply arrangements on terms acceptable to us in the future.

We are engaged in ongoing programs to reduce our own costs through improved operational and procurement practices in an attempt to mitigate the impact of these pricing pressures. However, these improvement programs may not be sufficient to offset the adverse impact of ongoing pricing pressures and potential reductions in customer demand in future periods. Additional factors such as inconsistent customer ordering patterns, increasing product complexity and heightened quality standards also are making it increasingly more difficult to reduce our costs. It is also possible that as we incur costs to implement improvement strategies, the initial impact on our financial position, results of operations and cash flow may be negative.

The raw materials used in producing our products are readily available and are obtained through numerous suppliers with whom we have established trade relations.