Albrecht von Goertz

'''Count Albrecht von Goertz''', also known as '''Albrecht Goertz''' (German: ''Albrecht [[Graf]] von Schlitz genannt von Goertz und von Wrisberg''; 12 January 1914 – 27 October 2006), was a German [[industrial design]]er who designed cars for [[BMW]], including the [[BMW 503]] and [[BMW 507]].<ref name="petrol">{{cite web |title=petrolicious |date=13 March 2014 |url=https://petrolicious.com/the-designer-s-story-albrecht-goertz |accessdate=17 March 2017 }}</ref><ref name="Autoblog">{{cite web |title=Autoblog |url=http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/29/count-albrecht-graf-goertz-bmw-507-designer-dies-at-92/ |accessdate=17 March 2017 }}</ref> He also was an early contributor to the design of the legendary [[Toyota 2000GT]] and the first generation [[Nissan Silvia#CSP311|Nissan Silvia]].<ref name=Ernst>[https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2015/08/20/stereotype-shatterer-toyotas-first-u-s-market-2000gt/ "Stereotype shatterer: Toyota’s first U.S. market 2000GT", Kurt Ernst, August 20, 2015]</ref>

==Early life== He was born at [[:de:Brunkensen|Brunkensen]] in [[Lower Saxony]], the second of three children of Rudolf Graf{{efn|{{German title|Graf}}}} von Schlitz genannt von Goertz und von Wrisberg (1884–1933) and his wife, Else Meyer (1882–1968). His elder brother Eberhard died in 1951, and while Albrecht did not technically inherit the honorific {{Citation needed|date=April 2008}}, he began to call himself "The Count," and is often referred to that way.<ref name="Autoblog"/>

After attending school, Goertz was apprenticed to [[Deutsche Bank]] in [[Hamburg]] and then in [[London]] at a private bank, Helbert Wagg & Co, but his prospects were not good, so he immigrated to the [[United States of America]] in 1936. He eventually moved to [[Los Angeles]], where he worked at a [[car wash]] and in a factory making aircraft engines. In 1938, Goertz rented a garage and showroom, and he modified [[Ford Model A (1927-1931)|Ford Model A]] and [[Ford Model B (1932)|B]] models. On a [[Mercury (automobile)|Mercury]] chassis, he built a two-door coupe called the "Paragon". This was exhibited in 1939 at the [[World Exhibition]] in [[New York City]].

==Studebaker and BMW designs== [[Image:BMW 507 - Bj. 1958 - 17.07.2005.jpg|thumb|The [[BMW 507]], designed by Albrecht von Goertz.]] Goertz joined the [[US Army]] in 1940 and served for five years. After leaving the army, he drove the Paragon to New York City and, while driving it, he accidentally encountered [[Raymond Loewy]], the famous car designer. Loewy invited Goertz to his office, sent him to college to learn about design, and later gave him a job at the [[Studebaker]] studio in [[Indiana]].<ref name="petrol"/>

In 1953, Goertz set up his own design business and got to know [[Max Hoffman]], BMW's main importer in America. Hoffman knew of BMW's plans to build a sports car and suggested that Goertz should contact BMW in [[Munich]]. Goertz then designed the [[BMW 503]] and the [[BMW 507]], both in 1955.<ref name="petrol"/><ref name="Autoblog"/>

==Other car designs== [[File:TOYOTA 2000GT.jpg|thumb|The Japanese stereotype-shattering [[Toyota 2000GT]] ''[[Grand tourer|gran turismo]]'']] Goertz claimed that he worked for [[Porsche]], although this 'work' seems to have been an unsolicited 'design' submission for the [[Porsche 911 (classic)#Introduction|901]], which was rejected.{{Citation needed|date=June 2018}} However, he was employed as a consultant to [[Nissan]] – visiting the factory intermittently over a limited period, mainly to instruct in full-size clay modelling. He also carried out consultation work on a two-seater sports car project for Nissan, called the Project "A550X" which became the Datsun Coupe 1500 and debuted as the [[Nissan Silvia#CSP311|Nissan Silvia CSP311]]. Goertz then worked with Nissan, in collaboration with company technical partner [[Yamaha Motor Company]], to develop a world-class sports car.<ref name=Ernst/> By the time the prototype was ready for display in 1965, Nissan had abandoned the project, leaving partner Yamaha to offer the car to [[Toyota]], then perceived as the most conservative of the Japanese car manufacturers. Looking to add its own touch to what became the iconic [[Toyota 2000GT|2000GT]], Toyota tasked designer Satoru Nozaki to finalize the car's narrow-waisted shape, clearly influenced by British and Italian [[Grand tourer|''gran turismo'']] designs of the day.<ref name=Ernst/>

Goertz's last design was a grand piano for [[Steinway & Sons]] to celebrate the 125th anniversary of their Hamburg factory.<ref name="petrol"/>

==Personal life== Goertz married Julie [[Freiin]] von Bodenhausen (1902–1951), but they separated in 1942. He then married Susanne Nettel (b. 1925) in 1957 and they had a son, Peter Joseph, who was born in 1959.

==Notes== {{Notelist}}

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Goertz, Albrecht Von Goertz}} [[Category:1914 births]] [[Category:2006 deaths]] [[Category:German automobile designers]] [[Category:Counts in Germany]] [[Category:United States Army soldiers]] [[Category:United States Army personnel of World War II]]