Peter Schutz, the Porsche Executive Who Saved the 911, Has Died. - Sensationalist Headlines

[url]http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/a13119179/peter-schutz-porsche-911-obituary/[/url] [quote]Peter Schutz, CEO of Porsche AG from 1981-1987 and the man credited with saving the 911, died over the weekend at the age of 87. His death was first reported by German auto-enthusiast site GTSpirit, and confirmed by head of Porsche Classic Ray Shaffer. If you love Porsche, you owe Schutz a huge debt of gratitude. Schutz was born in Berlin in 1930, but his Jewish family fled Nazi Germany soon after, settling in Illinois when he was 11. Schutz attended the Illinois Institute of Technology, then went on to work as an engineer for Caterpillar tractors for 15 years. He then worked for diesel engine builder Cummins, where he was VP for sales and service of US truck engines. In 1978, Schutz moved to Germany to head up the engine manufacturing arm of Kloeckner-Humboldt-Deutz AG. Soon after, Ferry Porsche personally invited Schutz to apply to be the CEO of Porsche. He became the first American to run the company on January 1st, 1981. Schutz was hired as CEO of Porsche during a trying time—the automaker's sales were in a slump, and Porsche lost money for the first time in 1980. In a 2013 story he wrote for Road & Track, Schutz noted that employee morale was extremely low when he took the job: Porsche had recently decided to cancel the 911, a car that executives viewed as outdated, expensive, and tricky to drive. Employees mourned the fate of the iconic car, but felt powerless to defend it. [/quote] Here's how he singlehandedly saved one of the best cars of All Time. [quote]I went down to the office of our lead engineer, Professor Helmuth Bott, to discuss plans for our upcoming models. I noticed a chart hanging on his wall that depicted the ongoing development trends of our top three lines: 911, 928, and 944. With the latter options, the graph showed a steady rise in production for years to come. But for the 911, the line stopped in 1981. I grabbed a marker off Professor Bott's desk and extended the 911 line across the page, onto the wall, and out the door. When I came back, Bott stood there, grinning. 'Do we understand each other?' I asked. And with a nod, we did.[/quote] [t]https://s1.cdn.autoevolution.com/images/gallery/PORSCHE911Turbo---2999_1.jpg[/t]

Someone had a new 911 Turbo parked out back by my job today. I had no idea they were ~$160,000

Very sad to hear. I was exposed to Porsche at a very young age. My father owned them almost his whole life (had a short stint with a Lotus but quickly went back). He joined Brumos & Porsche Club of America and took me with him on club outings and activites. I never really understood his passion for them until years later as a teenager, but I valued the time we spent together bonding, and those moments were made possible thanks to Porsche.

i feel like they probably could do better now though as everything they're making is either an suv or a 911 of some variety (im gonna get hate for this)

[QUOTE=Sableye;52839755]i feel like they probably could do better now though as everything they're making is either an suv or a 911 of some variety (im gonna get hate for this)[/QUOTE] No hate, but you're factually incorrect. They also make sedans and mid-engined (not rear, unlike the 911) Boxsters and Caymans. Nothing wrong with a focus on 911 anyways; it's a brand synonymous with Porsche itself. They could probably remain solvent even if they only sold 911s.

What a shame to see him go. I owe him so much for saving some of my favorite Porsches ever.

[QUOTE=BF;52839806]No hate, but you're factually incorrect. They also make sedans and mid-engined (not rear, unlike the 911) Boxsters and Caymans. Nothing wrong with a focus on 911 anyways; it's a brand synonymous with Porsche itself. They could probably remain solvent even if they only sold 911s.[/QUOTE] No doubt, just like the F150 and Mustang do for Ford over here. Certain carmakers have iconic vehicles that form, for better or worse, the bulk of that company's sales, and a Porsche that doesn't have a 911 on offer is a Porsche that quickly fades and goes bankrupt.

[QUOTE=Kylel999;52839307]Someone had a new 911 Turbo parked out back by my job today. I had no idea they were ~$160,000[/QUOTE] Air-cooled Porsches are skyrocketing in value

[QUOTE=rampageturke 2;52840204]Air-cooled Porsches are skyrocketing in value[/QUOTE] He said New 911 Turbo. Those are water-cooled.

[QUOTE=Sableye;52839755]i feel like they probably could do better now though as everything they're making is either an suv or a 911 of some variety (im gonna get hate for this)[/QUOTE] I like the Cayennes tbh, they are incredibly reliable now. I just wish they came back in manual transmission though, I had the chance to drive a first gen Cayenne with stick and it was the most fun I have had in an SUV (until I can afford a used Trackhawk, that is :v:).

[QUOTE=rampageturke 2;52840204]Air-cooled Porsches are skyrocketing in value[/QUOTE] Actually, most Porsche’s are skyrocketing in value, with the exception of the 928 and the 944. The rising prices of these cars is commonly referred to as the “Porsche Bubble” Also didn’t mean to box you, my apologies