Ferdinand Piëch has died. Image courtesy of Volkswagen
German automaker Volkswagen Group is remembering its longtime CEO and chairman Ferdinand Piëch for his role in automotive history.
Mr. Piëch, who died suddenly at the age of 82 on Aug. 25, was a member of the Porsche family. His legacy includes bringing the luxury marques Bentley, Lamborghini and Bugatti under the Volkswagen umbrella and internationalizing the auto group.
“Ferdinand Piëch has written automotive history – as a passionate manager, ingenious engineer and a visionary entrepreneur,” said Hans-Dieter Pötsch, chairman of Volkswagen AG’s supervisory board. “Since the 1960s, he has significantly shaped the development of the automobile, pushing forward the entire industry and above all Volkswagen, transforming the company into a global mobility group.
“Our company and its people owe Prof. Piëch a lot. With deep respect, we bow to his life's work,” he said. “We mourn with his family and relatives. And we will always keep him and his life's work in honorable memory.”
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Mr. Piëch was the grandson of engineer Ferdinand Porsche, who founded the eponymous marque. The Porsche family owns a controlling 52 percent stake in Volkswagen AG through a holding company.
In the 1970s, Mr. Piëch joined Audi AG, and he became CEO of the automaker in 1988. Mr. Piëch then became CEO of Volkswagen AG in 1993.
From 2002, Mr. Piëch was the chairman of the supervisory board of Volkswagen Group. He left in 2015 amid the company’s emissions scandal (see story).
“Ferdinand Piëch was bold, entrepreneurially consistent and technically brilliant,” said Herbert Diess, CEO of Volkswagen Group, in a statement. “As a young engineer, he has made Porsche a brand in racing through legendary vehicles such as the 917 and the Le Mans victory.
“Since 1972, he has brought Audi to the next technological level with innovations such as the quattro drive and the TDI engine, and has shaped Audi into a premium brand as CEO,” he said. “Heading the Volkswagen Group, Ferdinand Piëch has advanced its internationalization, the integration of Bentley, Lamborghini and Bugatti into the group, and has led our volume brands to international competitiveness through a consistent platform strategy.”
Bugatti Veyron. Image credit: Bugatti
Among the other engineering feats that Mr. Piëch oversaw at Volkswagen AG were the 1,001-horsepower Bugatti Veyron and a modular construction technique that enabled its Audi, Skoda and Volkswagen brands to share some parts.
A number of Volkswagen locations are flying their flags at half-mast in honor of Mr. Piëch.