Dr Ferdinand Karl Piëch – undoubtedly one of the most significant automotive industry figures since the end of World War II – died suddenly last Sunday, August 25th, at the age of 82. As engineering director of Porsche he was the motivating force behind their near mass production of such purebred sports-racing cars as the Porsche 908 and 917 cars into the early 1970s. He then directed Audi’s creation, development and World Rally Championship domination with the fabulous four-wheel-drive Audi Quattro line. And ending his business career with Volkswagen he presided in varying measure to the marque’s simple survival, its modernisation, diversification and even to its incredibly damaging recent emission scandal involvement.
Dr Ferdinand Karl Piëch, 1937‑2019
Doug Nye began writing about racing cars at ‘Motor Racing’ magazine in 1963-64. Today he is a multiple award-winning motor sports journalist and author of over 50 years’ experience, with some 70 books to his name. He is Goodwood Motorsport’s founding Historian and consultant and fulfils similar roles for Bonhams Auctioneers and the Collier Collection/Revs Institute in Naples, FL, USA. He is a member of the National Motor Museum Advisory Council at Beaulieu, Hants, and is a regular columnist for ‘Motor Sport’ magazine, while contributing to many other specialist periodicals worldwide.
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