Wolfgang Hatz is director of research and development at PorschePorsche director of research and development Wolfgang Hatz is presented with the Issigonis Trophy at the Autocar Stars event in London
Wolfgang Hatz, Porsche’s director of research and development, has been awarded the Issigonis Trophy at the Autocar Stars event in London.
The award, which was presented by Autocar editor-in-chief Steve Cropley, honours the individual who has contributed the most to the health, excellence and competitiveness of the European motor industry.
The Issigonis Trophy invokes the name of Sir Alec Issigonis, who designed the original 1959 Morris Mini, which changed the face of the motor industry forever.
Speaking at the ceremony, Steve Cropley described the award as “Autocar’s very personal compliment to a man whose accomplishments in motoring have been enormous.
“Take a long look at the wonderful, market-leading cars Porsche has created in the past few years - everything from the 918 Spyder hybrid supercar to the Macan SUV, via the latest 911 GT3 and the Cayman GT4, and you soon understand the scale of our winner’s achievements and what they mean to all who love great cars.”
On receiving the Issigonis Trophy, Hatz said: “When I moved into my office four years ago as head of R&D an old team-mate dropped in and said 'I never would have thought that one of us could ever become head of Weissach'. It was good to be back home and I thought it can’t possibly get any better than that. But that was before we developed the 918 Spyder and so many other true Porsches. And that was before we returned to Le Mans with our 919 Hybrid.
"One reason I feel very much at home among our fans and customers in the UK - obviously including journalists - is their sound judgment of cars in general and sports cars in particular. This award gives me great pride."
Earlier in the evening, Citroën's head of design strategy Mark Lloyd was presented with the Sturmey Award. Named after Autocar's founding editor Henry Sturmey, the award recognises innovation and excellence in the motoring industry.
Read more:
Autocar Stars awards 2015 - everything you need to know
Citroën's Mark Lloyd wins Autocar's Henry Sturmey Award for 2015
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