54 years young and an extraordinary career that a normal man needs at least three live times to achieve the same results. Stephan Winkelmann is the man who last year was entrusted with the great task of making Bugatti big such as Lamborghini and Audi. How did he achieve this result? We are going to analyse his profile to understand how.
Born in Germany (on October 18, 1964, in Berlin, to be precise), but speaks perfect Italian. He has spent more than 30 years in Italy. Stephan Winkelmann is a well-known person. President of Bugatti since 2018, previously in Audi Sport (starting in March of 2016 and where he closed productivity, for the first time in the history of the sports division of the Four Rings, to over 20.000 units sold), but only after leading Lamborghini to the glories to which it is now (giving, at the end of his career in Sant’Agata Bolognese, the witness none other than Stefano Domenicali) – his last period in that of Bologna, in 2015, closed with a turnover of 872 million euros and with the production of 3,245 units, or a +28%, for the fifth consecutive year of growth – and have been noticed even earlier in Alfa Romeo and Fiat.
Stephan Winkelmann has been awarded with the highest titles in the Italian Republic (Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic first and then Knight of the Grand Cross), obviously because of his outstanding work achievements, as well as Lieutenant Reservist of the German Army. Stephan Winkelmann lived in Turin and Bologna and he got the degree in Political Science at the University of Munich after attending University studies in Rome. He began his professional career in 1991 in the world of finance, then he also worked for Mercedes-Benz, then in 1994 he joined what would become the current FCA Group and in 2005 he faced the challenge that earned him the real leap in his professional career, that is to say, taking up the position of President and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A..
But who is Stephan Winkelmann really? Beyond his duties, his personal and professional training, Stephan Winkelmann is the man of dreams. The Man, as the English would say. And the VAG Group knows that very well. That’s why Bugatti’s choice of guide fell right on him. Because no other man could perhaps have been better suited to this challenge (thanks to his record results, first with the House of the Bull and then with the House of the Four Rings). Yes, because the mission that has been entrusted to the German with Italian formation is not at all the simplest, on the contrary: one could say that it borders on the impossible.
As soon as Veyron gave way to the current Chiron, the Alsatian company (based in Molsheim) closed the year with a frighteningly negative sign. For each of the 450 units of the previous W16, the VAG Group (which has owned it since 1998) lost 4.58 million euros. Yes, you got it right: despite its ‘important’ list price, the Veyron caused 4.58 million euros of ‘hole’ for each sample assembled (and then marketed). An unacceptable result for a Group that is used to successes, victories and sales records.
THE RIGHT MAN IN THE RIGHT PLACE
That’s why Winkelmann was chosen (a choice that Matthias Muller, CEO of the Volkswagen Group, commented on at the time: “I accept Wolfgang Durheimer’s request to retire. I thank him for his outstanding work over 18 years in various capacities. Stephan Winkelmann joins Bugatti as a profound connoisseur of the sports car scene and the luxury sector. I am convinced that Winkelmann, with its many years of experience in these areas, its sensitivity in its relationships with exclusive customers and a deep understanding of the brand, will give new impetus to Bugatti and will lead this special brand towards a successful future”): to lead the famous French car manufacturer (whose foundation dates back to 1909 and whose 110th anniversary this year was honored by the Chiron Sport 110 Ans Bugatti) towards goals in line with the brand’s coat of arms.
Results that seem to be starting to show signs of improvement. The ‘recipe’ brings with it obvious ingredients from Lamborghini: larger numbers (ranging from the total 450 units of Veyron to the total 500 units planned for Chiron, which is also marketed at a higher cost: we talk about about 3 million euros per model), special series (such as the Chiron Sport), additional equipment (the Sky View and the optional telemetry are an example; obviously raising the list price of the hypercaralsatian), limited editions or even unique examples (a choice this contextualized to the greater exclusivity of the brand), such as the recent ‘La Voiture Noire‘, and strategic partnerships (the example is the super-hull signed in collaboration with Palmer-Johnson).
IN THE NAME OF SUCCESS
All in the name of exclusivity and performance (at the heart of all Bugatti projects – Chiron, Divo, La Voiture Noire – is the exuberant 8.0-litre quadruple W16 with 1,500 hp and 1,600 Nm of torque and a value to be indicated on the cheque booklet, for the purchase of a single unit, equivalent to the budget of a municipality), while continuing to talk about numbers, commercial feedback – so far – indicate the following: 100 copies sold at the end of 2018 and a total of 300 orders already exceeded.
Too early to get some idea about the current year, but enough to start to assume that the Winkelmann/Lamborghini cure is coming to an end and is starting to have its first effects (among the illustrious customers we find Cristiano Ronaldo, while the 100th unit was purchased by an Arab customer and characterized by a blue carbon fiber body with a matt finish, which alone costs 256,000 euros) at the rate of 70 cars produced per year (speaking only of the Chiron). So will Winkelmann be able to accomplish this feat too? The feedback available to date would seem to indicate yes (also marking, in 2017, a curious predominance of orders in the Old Continent: 43% of the total at the time). We believe in ‘The Man’!
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by Alessandro Colombo