Where legends meet
The European Automotive Hall of Fame has welcomed the industry’s greats since 2001
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Located at the Palexpo exhibition center in Geneva, Switzerland, the hall of fame opened in 2001.
The inaugural class featured nine men whose names are synonymous with the auto industry: Karl Benz, Robert Bosch, Ettore Bugatti, Andre Citroen, Gottlieb Daimler, Rudolf Diesel, Enzo Ferrari, Ferdinand Porsche and Louis Renault. Rounding out the amazing collection of talent was the father of the Volkswagen Golf, Giorgetto Giugiaro; the creator of the original Mini,
Alec Issigonis; the founder of Jaguar, William Lyons; and the longtime chairman of Fiat, Giovanni “Gianni” Agnelli.
Later this month the hall will grow to 35 members as Charles Rolls, Henry Royce, VW’s Carl Hahn, Volvo’s Nils Bohlin and Renault’s Pierre Dreyfus take their rightful places alongside the industry’s other legends.
6 - Number of direct relatives in the hall of fame: Ferdinand and Ferry Porsche (father and son); Henry and Henry Ford II (grandfather and grandson); Andre and Edouard Michelin (brothers)
15 - Number of hall of famers whose family names still ride on cars built today: Benz, Bugatti, Citroen, Daimler, Ferrari, Ford (2), Lancia, Maybach, Porsche (2), Peugeot, Renault, Rolls, Royce
European Automotive Hall of Fame members and year of induction
| Giovanni “Gianni” Agnelli | -2001 | Alec Issigonis | -2001 |
| Herbert Austin | -2005 | Eberhard von Kuenheim | -2004 |
| Karl Benz | -2001 | Vincenzo Lancia | -2005 |
| Giuseppe Bertone | -2003 | Pierre Lefaucheux | -2005 |
| Nils Bohlin | -2006 | William Lyons | -2001 |
| Robert Bosch | -2001 | Wilhelm Maybach | -2004 |
| Ettore Bugatti | -2001 | Andre Michelin | -2002 |
| Andre Citroen | -2001 | Edouard Michelin | -2002 |
| Gottlieb Daimler | -2001 | Heinz Nordhoff | -2003 |
| Rudolf Diesel | -2001 | Nicolaus Otto | -2002 |
| Albert de Dion | -2004 | Battista Pininfarina | -2002 |
| Pierre Dreyfus | -2006 | Ferdinand Porsche | -2001 |
| Enzo Ferrari | -2001 | Ferry Porsche | -2005 |
| Henry Ford | -2002 | Armand Peugeot | -2003 |
| Henry Ford II | -2003 | Louis Renault | -2001 |
| Giorgetto Giugiaro | -2001 | Charles Rolls | -2006 |
| Carl Hahn | -2006 | Henry Royce | -2006 |
| August Horch | -2004 | ||
