• Wayne Griffiths, CEO of Spanish Volkswagen, and father of Cobra brand, resigned at his request to “follow up on new challenges.” Just three weeks ago, the correspondents told that his current position was a dream job and was hoping that he would be present to see the launch of CUPRA in the United States. It can Stelantis Beyon?

Three weeks ago, Wayne Griffiths was looking for greedy to the opening of June for the presence of the pioneering cobra in the United Kingdom

The father of the brand for Spanish cars that describe itself as the London rebel, but Manchester, the first industrial city in the world, did not choose the CEPRA CEO and the broader seat group.

“You can imagine that I am really looking to return home,” Griffiths told reporters at his company’s annual press conference. “Like CUPRA, it’s in my DNA.”

This will not happen anymore-at least not as the head of the seat (Say-Ahn).As of Monday, he suddenly stepped down at his request.To follow new challenges“The news came as a shock after reporting the results of the record though aThe European car market is stagnantIn 2024, it generates 90 % of its total revenue.

In fact, Griffiths just said last month that he had no ambition to leave after assuming the role of the CEOIn late 2020. And why should he be? On the right track this year to reach one million cumulative cars that have been sold since its establishment for the year 2018 as an independent trademark,Cobra was a child.

Griffiths was preparing to unveil the Raval Small EV team, based on the concept of urban rebels, and even exploring a deal to bring CUPRA toAmerican marketWith local retail penske automotive, byThe end of the contract.

“I have always said that this company is my destiny, because I am all until the end of my career,” Griffiths told reporters at this event. “For me personally, this, as I say, is the function of dreams. I don’t want to be anywhere else. I don’t have any other plans.”

CUPRA has been created from an empty sheet

Griffits can only be described as a marketing genius when he created CUPRA in 2018. Unlike other famous brands in Europe that often outperforms the essence and recognition of names only a century of car history and motorsport, CUPRA is a brand that has been effectively cooked by the committee in the hall of the Board of Directors.

However, thanks to Griffiths on the strategy, sites and design, it was able to overcome their other excellent peers such as Hyundai Genesis, Politar in Sweden, DS in France, and even more firm players such as BMW Mini.

In this process, a unified rotation of 14.5 billion euros (15.7 billion dollars) achieved operating profits of 633 million euros last year. Both are standard levels of the seat, a long child of the problem of the Parents Group Volkswagen, where he wanders in the red ink after a year amid repeated rumors of a possible closure. More than half of its total revenues 2024 came from Cobra alone, according to the head of the finance.

The key to this success was the transformation a decade ago by Jurgen Stagman, who pushed an ambitious strategy through Volkswagen to expand SUVs for the first time in 2016 with ATECA. But it was Griffiths who occupied a seat that was restructured and turned into a strong shareholder in the leadership of Cobra.

In LinkedInmailOn Tuesday, Griffiths did not throw any light on his next step 37 years after the Volkswagen group – or whether he already had a new task. Stelantis and Heir John Elkann president is currently looking for the new CEO, for example.

“As my hero David Boy said,” I do not know where to go from here, but I promise that he will not be boring. “

Stelantis spokesman refused to comment on luckThe company reaffirmed the announcement of the CEO before the end of the second quarter.

This story was originally shown on Fortune.com

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2025-04-01 17:45:00