Ferdinand Piech’s best cars
Tributes paid to Volkswagen’s visionary leader
FERDINAND Piech, the man largely responsible for turning the Volkswagen Group into the automotive powerhouse it is today, died last week at the age of 82. The former VW Group chairman and CEO, and grandson of the legendary Ferdinand Porsche, died “suddenly and unexpectedly”, according to his wife.
Piech was born in 1937 in Vienna, Austria, and spent his professional life working for Germany’s largest car makers, starting at Porsche (founded by his grandfather) in 1963. During his time he led the development of the famous 917 racer, which secured the brand’s first victory at the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1970.
Piech moved to Audi in 1972, and eventually became CEO of the brand in 1988; five years later, he was appointed CEO of the VW Group. Known for his aggressive and demanding management tactics, he turned around the firm’s financial troubles, and also expanded the Group’s portfolio by acquiring brands such as Lamborghini, Bugatti and Bentley.
The list of products that Piech played a key role in helping develop is long, but several models stand out. He set the template for the Bugatti Veyron, stating a wish to see a top speed in excess of 250mph and a power output many of his engineers believed was unachievable.
At the other end of the spectrum, Piech challenged his staff to build a car that was capable of travelling 100km (62 miles) on a single litre of diesel. The result was the Volkswagen XL1, of which only 250 examples were ever manufactured.
Piech also laid the groundwork for the famous Audi Quattro – the car Auto Express readers voted for as the most influential model produced under his reign.
“Piech turned around the VW Group’s financial troubles, and also expanded its portfolio“