Head of 911 line has made his final model, hands over to Frank-Stefen Walliser
Walliser To Replace Achleitner
August Achleitner, head of production for the 911 model line, has announced he is to retire. The German, who has enjoyed an illustrious career at Porsche overseeing development of the 911 for the last 20 years, made the announcement at the unveiling of the Porsche 992 in Los Angeles.
The Porsche brand ambassador and compére for the 992 presentation, Mark Webber, hinted at the news during his onstage interview with Achleitner. “This is going to be your last 911; how do you feel about it?” Webber asked Achleitner, who later confirmed to journalists his intention to leave the Stuttgart manufacturer within the next few months.
August Achleitner started his Porsche career in 1983, working on chassis development. He then led the Technical Product Development, Vehicle Concepts and Package department from 1989 to 2000 before taking over responsibility for the 911 in 2001. “The radiance of the 911 always fascinated me – its unique form and the concept. I have always been driven by the aim of preserving those aspects while nonetheless making everything better – and that approach has challenged me time and again,” Achleitner recalls.
“We thank Gustl Achleitner for his extraordinary commitment to our company. Over the course of 18 years he shaped the Porsche 911 more than anyone else. He understood just how to continually refine the 911 while always retaining its character,” commented Oliver Blume, CEO of Porsche AG, of Achleitner’s services to the sports car icon. Achleitner will be replaced in the role by Frank Steffen Walliser in a gradual process throughout Q1 2019. Walliser’s current role as head of Motorsports and GT vehicles will in turn be taken by Fritz Enzinger, effective from 1 January 2019.
