Uli and I were in Wick, Scotland in 2003 for the global launch of the Continental GT, at Ackergill Tower, driving some 220 miles on the superb roads across the very top of Scotland, finishing in Inverness.
We toured the USA together in 2004, meeting the automotive media in New York, Detroit and Los Angeles, presenting the technical details of the Continental GT coupe.
Here's Uli in discussion with the American owner of both the famous Blue Train Bentleys,
and a great Dominic Fontenat shot of him at the wheel of the Gurney Nutting coupe once owned by Bentley Chairman Woolf Barnato.
Uli's tech life began after graduating Darmstadt University with a doctoral degree in mechanical engineering. He is also an alumni from Harvard Business School, and a fellow of the British Institute of Mechancial Engineers. His industry career started at Ford where he had several jobs in vehicle dynamics.
In total, Ulrich Eichhorn was with Bentley Motors, and the Volkswagen Group from 2000 through 2012 working alongside Franz-Josef Paefgen (Chairman of Bentley Motors-right); Ferdinand Piech (Chairman of VWAG-centre) and Bernd Pischetsrieder (then Chairman of Volkswagen-left).
He left VWAG in 2012 to become the Managing Director of the powerful German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA).
However, he returned to Volkswagen Group in 2016, to manage all corporate research and co-ordination within the Group, focussing on digitilaztion and electromobility, reporting directly to Chairman Matthias Müller.
I sincerely admire Ulrich's experience and achievements; but most of all value our friendship, because he's a boy racer at heart.
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