Who is Ferdinand Piech? That’s who is the former grand old Volkswagen – Il Sole 24 Ore

It is not only one of the grandsons of Porsche and that in itself would be enough to make it a leading figure in the industry “automotive”, but Ferdinand Karl Piech has always been a big fan of automotive technology.

Entered in 1971 the Volkswagen Group as Head of Technical literally imposed solutions such as four-wheel drive Audi Quattro, which later became a “plus” of the brand of the “four rings” and still wanted a perhaps excessive number of brands defying the skeptics , a choice that has allowed the Volkswagen Group to act as the upcoming world number one. Deep admirer of the “Made in Italy” has decided to refine the knowledge in the field of design relying on what has since Piech has called the Master, Giorgetto Giugiaro. And the designer Piedmont has reciprocated the admiration creating a model, the Golf, intended to overcome even the legendary Beetle in terms of units sold that longevity.

Among the choices discussed Piech l ‘ I tore at General Motors Spaniard José Ignacio López de Arriortúa charging him to study a program of fiscal consolidation in the Group. The measures of cost reduction initiated by Lopez, however, were interrupted because the manager had to leave the Spanish Volkswagen later accusation of espionage leveled at him by the same GM. Noted also the clash with the top managers of Porsche, Wendelin Wiedeking, wanted by the Piech family according brand of Stuttgart, but that after the takeover attempt initiated by Wiedeking against Volkswagen, Piech was able to weaken, then bringing in ‘field of the same Porsche VW Group.

Then the long “liaison” with Martin Winterkorn that Piech had wanted before driving the Audi flagship of the Group’s brands and then driving operational all the VW Group, but recently had resulted in a controversy heavy evidently spawned the discharge of the same Piech and his wife from all positions on the supervisory board of VW Group. Winterkorn, the man who brought the VW Group’s industry leading “automotive” internationally has therefore won the battle, but lost not only the most powerful man of the group, but also a great connoisseur of automotive engineering.

It is therefore inevitable that the disappearance of Piech will weigh on the choices that the Group will have to take on a technical level in the coming years, less than a possible reconstruction of the two at the time totally unpredictable. ( C.Ca. )