German to take the wheel at Rolls
12 April 2012
THE luxury car company that for 100 years helped define Britishness, is to be run by a foreigner. Tony Gott, the British chairman of Rolls-Royce & Bentley, is to leave and finance director Hans-Georg Melching will take charge while the group - bought by Volkswagen in 1999 - seeks a permanent chief executive.
Gott, 45, who has been with the company for 17 years, is to 'pursue other interests'. He joined as a senior design engineer and was appointed chairman by Volkswagen. The UK works, at Crewe, produces 1800 Bentleys and Rolls-Royces a year.
