You are unlikely to find a single angler who's not familiar with the Abu Garcia brand. Abu Garcia, previously AB Urfabriken and then ABU Svängsta, was established in Sweden in 1921. The company originally produced watches, telephone timers, and taximeters. Luckily for anglers, the founder's son Göte Borgström was a fishing enthusiast and decided to steer the company's production toward fishing equipment.

Thus, in the early 1950s, Abu Garcia presented its first spinning reel, the Swedish-made ABU 444. Shortly after, the renowned Cardinal range was introduced on the market. In 1957, these two success stories would be followed by Abumatic. The famous Ambassadeur range of baitcasting reels was first introduced at the New York World's Fair in 1964. These models still maintain Abu Garcia's traditions today and have become a firmly established part of angling history.