Henri Pigozzi (* 26. June 1898 in Turin, Italy; "† 18 November 1964) was et an French-Italian autobuyer and Industrieller and a founder of the automobile enterprise Simca Industrielle de de Carrosserie automobiles.

As Enrico Teodoro Pigozzi in Turin born, disappeared his father 1912 and left to it the responsibility for his nut/mother and sister as well as for a small transport enterprise. For the end of the First World War it is drawn in and can take up only again 1919 its trade.

It secures itself the rights to distribute for English and American motorcycles in the region Piemont and sells motorcycles from allied army existence. Besides it works from 1920-1922 for a company, which imports coal from the Saarland. 1924 it creates its own company, which imports scrap iron from France, which is needed for the steelmaking in Piemont - and here particularly for FIATS -. Thus Goivanni Agnelli becomes attentive to it, which looked for a general representative for France at that time. Since Pigozzi is already been versed in the French industry, it becomes 1926 with 28 years of the general representatives for FIATS in France.

When desired of FIATS and with approval of the French government he created 1927 the SAFAF anonymous of the automobile Fiat), which imported first vehicles from Italy. Already three years later the increase of the import duties the import of the vehicles made practically not possibly, why Pigozzi acquired the former workshop of the brothers Manessius in Levallois, to sell in order to install here the FIAT Balilla than "6 CV Fiat "from imported and in France manufactured parts, and than French product.

He sees at the end of of 1934 on the road in of Paris pc. Germain a poster, which offers the shut down autofactory to Donnet in Nanterre for the purchase, which acquires Pigozzi for 8,050,000 F. On 2 November 1934 the company Simca Industrielle de et de Carrosserie automobiles) is created, in whom FIAT is involved to large parts. The acquired factory in record time modernized and already in the spring 1935 to come the first 6 CV in Nanterre off the line. The mark becomes a large success, particularly with the production of the Simca 5 starting from 1936, manufacture under licence of the Fiat 500 Topolino. Under Pigozzis direction becomes the factory in Nanterre one of the most modern car factories of its time.

1954 transfer Simca the Ford works to Poissy with Paris convert these until 1957 to the then most modern car factory to Europe. 1960 are divided Simca in two companies, the Simca of automobile S.A. (for automobile products) and Simca Industries S.A. (for non-automobile products).

Since the late 50igern negotiates Pigozzi with Chrysler about the extension of the participation in Simca, which is not gladly seen however by the French state. It does not fit into a time, in which France leaves NATO that an international amerkanisches enterprise takes over a flourishing French company. On 5 October 1962 de Gaulle on that welcomes it Paris automobile salon with the words "Bonjour, Mister Pigozzi"Â… "and makes public thereby the negotiations with Chrysler. Until 1971 Chrysler increased its portion of Simca on scarcely 100%.

It remains until 1963 president of Simca and by the Americans is entmachtet, when they state that the transaction not "the Simca Industries S.A. "covers, which regards important trademark laws as "the Simca of automobile S.A. ". To 30. May takes over Georges which comes from Sud aviation, the line of Simca.

On 18 November 1964, nearly on the day exactly 30 years after establishment of Simca, Pigozzi died unexpectedly. Time of its life it had its private life of the public shielded. On 21 November the automobile world in the church Saint Pierre de Neully met around Pigozzi to discharge. The grave speech held among other things Umberto Agnelli. Pigozzi was buried on 23 November in Turin.

Literature

• Jean Paul Rousseau and Jaques Rousseau: Simca Histoire D' une marque, Fontainebleau 1996 ISBN 2-84078-039-9

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