Bentley and Bugatti get a new Chairman & CEO

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed)
Jan 11th 2011 at 7:02PM

The keys to one of the most coveted positions in the luxury and automotive industries have been handed over on the floor of the Detroit Auto Show. The exchange took place between Dr. Franz-Josef Paefgen, outgoing chairman and CEO of Bentley Motors as well as Bugatti, and his successor Wolfgang Dürheimer.

Paefgen steps down from the position after eight years at the helm of Bentley and nearly four at Bugatti. He'll continue in an advisory capacity to both, as well as to the parent company Volkswagen. His successor Wolfgang Dürheimer comes from sister company Porsche, where he served as a vice-president for several years.

The ceremonial changing of the guard took the form of the keys to company founder W.O. Bentley's 1930 8-Litre saloon, the pride of Bentley's historical collection.

Tags: bentley, bugatti, dürheimer, dr. franz-josef paefgen, durheimer, franz-josef paefgen, paefgen, wolfgang dürheimer