You may remember the name Franz-Josef Paefgen. Until recently, the German engineer and executive was head of both Bentley and Bugatti. Before that he was chief executive of Audi, after working for several years at Ford. He technically “retired” earlier this year, but like the cars he helped create, an executive like Paefgen could never really retire. So it should come as little surprise that the Volkswagen Group has named Dr. Paefgen head of its Classic program.

In his new capacity, Paefgen will oversee the historic automobile activities of the entire VW Group, including those of Volkswagen, Seat, Skoda, Audi, Lamborghini, and of course Bentley and Bugatti. It strikes us as a suitable semi-retirement for the man responsible in no small part for the Bugatti Veyron and Bentley Mulsanne, to name just two, and who was decorated in 2006 by the ACO as the “Spirit of Le Mans” for his contribution to endurance racing. Read the official announcement after the break.

Continue reading Volkswagen Group names Paefgen head of classics program

Volkswagen Group names Paefgen head of classics program originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 04 Oct 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments
Autoblog

No related posts.

The Historic Vehicle Association wants to change the fact that there are national historic registries for places, boats, planes, and trains, but nothing to protect vehicles with historic value. The Association, started in 2009 by Hagerty Insurance, a company that specializes in coverage for classic vehicles, is championing the passage of laws that further protect historically significant vehicles and allow them to stay on the road.

Determining which vehicles are significant and assigning a degree to that significance is one of the head-scratchers the Association is up against right now. “We’re looking at how things are treated, everything from a Marmon Meteor to a milk truck,” says Carmel Roberts, Association Director of Government Relations. There are design, ownership and origin factors that determine a vehicle’s place in history, and the association is open to upgrading vehicles so they can continue to be used, the same way historic homes can be outfitted with modern plumbing and wiring.

It’s unclear whether the effort and expense to pass laws protecting older cars will have any effect on their preservation. Cash for Clunkers didn’t apply to 1957 Chevrolet Bel Airs or 1973 Lamborghini Espadas, for example, and legislation doesn’t change the expensive reality of just storing a car properly, let alone restoration.

Group seeks national registry for historic cars originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 10 Sep 2011 18:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments
Autoblog

No related posts.

GoAuto RSS – Car News

No related posts.

msnbc.com: Autos

No related posts.

While at this year’s Concorso d’Eleganza at Villa d’Este (yeah, we’re roughing it here) we grabbed BMW Group chief of design Adrian von Hooydonk for an interview about his team’s latest two-person open-top concept car, the 328 Hommage.

The 328 Hommage marks 75 years since the launch of the gorgeous 1930s icon, the 328, and carries on the tradition of that car in its lightness. While the 328 six-cylinder was underpowered on paper in its day, it kicked butt on the race circuit due to its very light weight and superior dynamics.

The 328 Hommage frankly looks more like an homage to the 1950s sex-tastic 507, but at least the concept gets the open sides, leather straps, and wingnut wheels fairly correct. And we like that the tall kidneys on the grille make a modern return.

Von Hooydonk admits that the 328 Hommage isn’t proportionally much like the 328 of old, but, he says, “Any sports car today needs to be wider and lower anyway.” We, however, harken back to the 2006 Mille Miglia coupe concept, which simply blew one and all away. That car also went directly from its public unveiling into the BMW museum in Munich, never to be seriously driven.

Click through to the jump to continue reading and to watch the video.

Continue reading BMW Group design boss von Hooydonk talks 328 Hommage [w/video]

BMW Group design boss von Hooydonk talks 328 Hommage [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 May 2011 19:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments
Autoblog

No related posts.