Status: 01/15/2023 08:28 a.m
During his tenure, VW rose to become a global corporation: Former Volkswagen boss Carl Hahn made the Beetle big in the USA and initiated VW’s expansion into China. Now he died at the age of 96.
The longtime CEO of Volkswagen AG, Carl Hahn, has died at the age of 96. Hahn fell asleep peacefully at home in Wolfsburg, a spokeswoman for the Hahn Foundation confirmed to the dpa news agency.
During his time as VW boss, the manager had laid the foundations for the global corporation. During his tenure from 1982, the takeovers of Seat and Skoda fell. Hahn also began the company’s expansion into China.
Head of the US division
Hahn, who was born in Chemnitz, began his career at Volkswagen in 1954 as head of export promotion. From 1959 to 1964 he headed the American division of VW and made the Beetle big there. In 1965 he became a board member and head of sales for the group.
After differences about the independence of Audi, there was a break with the then VW boss Rudolf Leiding: Hahn left the car company and took over the management of the then Continental-Gummi-Werke AG in Hanover in 1973.
Acquisition of Seat
In 1982 he returned as VW CEO. Under his leadership, VW became the largest car company in Europe. After entering China in 1982, Seat was taken over in 1986, and in 1989 VW started business in the former GDR and Eastern Europe. In 1991 the company took over the Czech car manufacturer Skoda. In 1992 Hahn handed over his office to Ferdinand Piëch. Hahn was a member of the VW supervisory board until 1997.
Even at an advanced age, Hahn supported early childhood education with his foundation. According to information from “Welt”, the funeral service will take place on January 24 in Wolfsburg.