Wendelin Wiedeking
The hard-nosed engineer who turbocharged Porsche's profits by building better cars more efficiently, then nearly swallowed Volkswagen.
Born 1952 (age 74)·German businessman·Birthday: August 28·Baby Boomers
Biography
Wendelin Wiedeking was the unflinching turnaround artist who saved Porsche from itself. Hired in the early 1990s when the sports car maker was adrift, the production engineer attacked bloated costs and slow processes with Toyota-like precision. His 'lean production' revolution wasn't about cutting corners on quality; it was about building legendary cars like the 911 and Boxster with ruthless efficiency, restoring Porsche to breathtaking profitability. His ambition, however, ultimately overreached. In a dramatic corporate gambit, he leveraged Porsche's success to secretly amass a huge stake in the much larger Volkswagen Group, aiming for a takeover. The 2008 financial crisis exposed the risky debt behind the move, leading to his ouster and the stunning reversal of Porsche being absorbed by VW instead.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Wendelin was born in 1952, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Wendelin Was Born
The biggest hits of 1952
#1 Movie
The Greatest Show on Earth
Best Picture
The Greatest Show on Earth
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Wendelin's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1952Born
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1957Started school
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1965Became a teenager
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1968Could drive
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1970Could vote
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1973Turned 21
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1982Turned 30
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1992Turned 40
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 50
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 60
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Turned 70
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 74 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- As CEO from 1993 to 2009, he returned Porsche to profitability through a strict lean manufacturing system.
- Oversaw the successful launch of the Porsche Boxster in 1996, a critical model for the company's revival.
- Led Porsche's audacious attempt to take over the Volkswagen Group, which ultimately backfired.
- Became the highest-paid executive in Germany during his tenure at Porsche's helm.
Did You Know?
He holds a doctorate in engineering.
Before joining Porsche's management, he worked as a production consultant.
The failed takeover attempt led to years of complex legal proceedings in Germany.
He is known for his direct, sometimes abrasive, management style.
“We don't make cars for museums; we make them to be driven.”
