Harm Lagaay
Encyclopedia
Harm Lagaay is a Dutch
automobile designer. Educated in the Netherlands he completed the studies at the IVA and went to work for a Dutch company Olyslager in Soest.
In the late 1960s, Lagaay went to work for Simca
, then from 1971 for Porsche
. He worked in the team designing the Porsche 911
and designed the Porsche 924
. From 1977 Lagaay worked as Chief of Design for Ford
in Cologne
, and moved to BMW
in 1985.
Lagaay designed the BMW Z1
sports car, with electric doors hiding under the car's chassis and easily exchangeable body panels. This car was too advanced for its times and did not have commercial success, as only 8000 were made. Today, the BMW Z1
is a collector's item.
He returned to Porsche in 1989 as head of the "Style Porsche" department in Weissach. As well as the Porsches of the period — the Porsche 968
, Porsche 993
(the 1993-1997 generation of the 911 for which Englishman Tony Hatter is also credited), Boxster
, Cayenne
, 996
(the all-new 911 of 1997), Carrera GT
— he also oversaw the company's work for external clients.
He retired from Porsche in July 2004 and has been followed by Michael Mauer of Germany
.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
automobile designer. Educated in the Netherlands he completed the studies at the IVA and went to work for a Dutch company Olyslager in Soest.
In the late 1960s, Lagaay went to work for Simca
Simca
Simca was a French automaker, founded in November 1934 by Fiat. It was directed from July 1935 to May 1963 by the Italian Henri Théodore Pigozzi...
, then from 1971 for Porsche
Porsche
Porsche Automobil Holding SE, usually shortened to Porsche SE a Societas Europaea or European Public Company, is a German based holding company with investments in the automotive industry....
. He worked in the team designing the Porsche 911
Porsche 911
The Porsche 911 is a luxury 2-door sports coupe made by Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany. It has a distinctive design, rear-engined and with independent rear suspension, an evolution of the swing axle on the Porsche 356. The engine was also air-cooled until the introduction of the Type 996 in 1998...
and designed the Porsche 924
Porsche 924
The Porsche 924 is an automobile produced by Porsche AG of Germany from 1976 to 1988. A two-door, 2+2 coupé, the 924 replaced the 914 as the company's entry-level model, and was the model that finally retired the 912. In production terms, the 924 was the first Porsche model powered by a...
. From 1977 Lagaay worked as Chief of Design for Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
in Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
, and moved to BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
in 1985.
Lagaay designed the BMW Z1
BMW Z1
The BMW Z1 was a two-seat roadster developed by BMW and produced from March 1989 to June 1991. The Z1 featured doors which dropped down into the door sills. A total of 8,000 cars were produced.-History:...
sports car, with electric doors hiding under the car's chassis and easily exchangeable body panels. This car was too advanced for its times and did not have commercial success, as only 8000 were made. Today, the BMW Z1
BMW Z1
The BMW Z1 was a two-seat roadster developed by BMW and produced from March 1989 to June 1991. The Z1 featured doors which dropped down into the door sills. A total of 8,000 cars were produced.-History:...
is a collector's item.
He returned to Porsche in 1989 as head of the "Style Porsche" department in Weissach. As well as the Porsches of the period — the Porsche 968
Porsche 968
The 968 is a sports car sold by Porsche AG from 1992 to 1995. It took over the entry-level position in Porsche's lineup from the 944, with which it shared about 20% of its parts...
, Porsche 993
Porsche 993
The Porsche 993 is the company's internal name for the version of the Porsche 911 model manufactured and sold between late 1993 and early 1998, replacing the 964...
(the 1993-1997 generation of the 911 for which Englishman Tony Hatter is also credited), Boxster
Porsche Boxster
The Porsche Boxster is a mid-engined roadster built by Porsche. The Boxster is Porsche's first road vehicle to be originally designed as a roadster since the 550 Spyder....
, Cayenne
Porsche Cayenne
The Porsche Cayenne is a five seat mid-size luxury crossover manufactured by the German manufacturer Porsche since 2002, with North American sales beginning in 2003. Its platform was developed by Porsche and is shared with the Volkswagen Touareg and the Audi Q7. It is the first V8-engined vehicle...
, 996
Porsche 996
The Porsche 996 is the internal designation for the Porsche 911 model manufactured and sold between 1998 and 2005. It has since been replaced by the Type 997...
(the all-new 911 of 1997), Carrera GT
Porsche Carrera GT
The Porsche Carrera GT is a mid-engined sports car that was manufactured by Porsche in Leipzig, Germany.- History :The development of the Carrera GT can be traced back to the 911 GT1 and LMP1-98 racing cars. Due in part to the FIA and ACO rule changes in 1998, both designs had ended. Porsche at...
— he also oversaw the company's work for external clients.
He retired from Porsche in July 2004 and has been followed by Michael Mauer of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
External links
- OnlyPorsche.net: Porsche names new Design Chief; veteran Harm Lagaay to retire
- BMW Designers An overview of automotive designers working for BMW.