Bentley Appoints New Engineering Director

Bentley Motors is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Ulrich Eichhorn as its new member of the board for engineering reporting directly to chairman and chief executive Dr Franz-Josef Paefgen. Eichhorn will take up this position on 1 March, 2003 and takes over from Hans-Joachim Rothenpieler who will assume another role within the Volkswagen Group.

Ulrich Eichhorn, 41, joins Bentley from Volkswagen where he has been head of research since July 2000. Prior to this, Eichhorn was with the Ford Motor Company for seven years, working in the UK, US and Germany on individual vehicle projects and as worldwide head of vehicle dynamics.

Eichhorn’s role at Bentley Motors will be to enhance still further Bentley’s fast growing reputation as a centre of engineering excellence, maintaining the momentum that has transformed the business into a state of the art operation in the last four years.

‘Truly I am thrilled by this appointment,’ said Eichhorn. ‘Not only am I coming to Bentley at the most exciting period of its history certainly within my lifetime, but perhaps more importantly, Bentley has always been an engineering company at heart. WO Bentley was one of the greatest engineers of his era in any field and just the thought of following in those footsteps is a fantastic honour for me. Happily Bentley now has the resources – both human and physical – to carry on the work and I look forward to this unique challenge and playing my part in shaping the future of this great, resurgent marque.’