Rudolf Leiding
German businessman (1914-2003) · Germany · On the map · Died at 88
Rudolf Leiding was the third post-war chairman of the Volkswagen automobile company, succeeding Kurt Lotz in 1971.
Rudolf Leiding is read about 18 times a day, in 9 languages.
A typical day, 30 days to 18 August 2026
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During his time in charge of Volkswagen's São Paulo based operations Leiding oversaw the development of the Volkswagen SP2.
One of Leiding's first actions on assuming the top job at Wolfsburg was the cancellation of Development Project 266, a near launch-ready mid-engined air-cooled model intended to replace the Beetle, and pictured here. Despite the lukewarm reception of Volkswagen retailers and service outlets to the recently introduced front-engined water-cooled Volkswagen K70, Leiding instead bet the company's future on the Fiat-inspired FWD configuration, using the Audi 80 project as a template for the successful Polo/Golf/Passat ranges.Awards
About this person
Country
Germany
Status
Deceased
Dates
Lived 1914 to 2003 · aged 88