Ferdinand Piech has died

Ferdinand Piech, one of the most important figures in the automotive industry and grandson of Ferdinand Porsche, died at the age of 82

According to a statement signed by Ursula Piech, who was one of his five wives, Ferdinand Piech passed away unexpectedly last Sunday in a hospital in Bavaria.

According to the German newspaper Bild, the 82-year-old engineer suffered a blackout while he was with his wife and subsequently died at the hospital.

The life of Ferdinand Piech

Son of Anton and Louise, who in turn was the daughter of Ferdinand Porsche, founder of the legendary brand that bears his surname, Ferdinand Piech was born on 17 April 1937 in Vienna, the third of four children.

After his basic studies, Ferdinand Piech studied engineering, which earned him a place in the team of his uncle Ferdinand “Ferry” Porsche.

Within the family company, he played a prominent role, as he was one of the key figures in the development and construction of the 12-cylinder engines of the celebrated Porsche 917 racing car.

From the drawing boards to the boardroom

In 1972 he went to work for Audi AG, once his work in competition had been phased out, and in 1988 he was appointed CEO of Audi.

In 1993 he was named chief executive of Volkswagen and, under his leadership, the company became one of the automotive giants we know today.

Among others, he built the business group of brands that we know as the Volkswagen Group, which brought together luxury manufacturers such as Lamborghini and Bugatti, truck makers such as Scania and MAN, and motorcycle maker Ducati.

But, without a doubt, his greatest challenge and triumph was the acquisition of Porsche by Volkswagen in 2012, a reverse move that his own cousin, Wolfgang Porsche, had unsuccessfully attempted four years earlier.

In 2002 he was named chairman of the supervisory board of Volkswagen, and it was not until 2015, once he had lost the support of the rest of the brand’s top management, that he became aware of his loss of influence over the board.

He then sold his shares in the company among family members and retired.

82 years devoted to a passion

Even so, his figure has never ceased to make headlines, even this year, when, during the presentation of the Bugatti Bugatti La Voiture, inspired by the stunning Type 57 SC Atlantic, at the last Geneva Motor Show, rumours pointed to him as the possible owner of a unique model whose value is said to be close to 12 million euros.

His work, carried out as an obsession driven by his passion for the automobile, made him a figure as feared as he was admired, both inside and outside the group’s brands.

Thanks to his iron hand, he turned around the economic situation of Volkswagen and relaunched the brand to its current position.

But that same passion also bore part of the responsibility for the failure of projects that caused major losses for the Volkswagen group, such as the Audi A2, the relaunch of Bugatti with the production of the Bugatti Veyron, or the high-end Volkswagen Phaeton saloon.

In the press release on Ferdinand Piech’s death, his wife states, “Ferdinand Piech’s life was characterised by his passion for the automobile (…) Until the very last moment, he was an enthusiastic engineer and a car lover.”