Harm Lagaaij: “I am proud of the headlights of the 996’

Posted on 27-06-2016 at 23:00 by perry_snijders – 18 Comments”

He says: ‘Anyone can be ugly, but I am proud of the headlights of the 996.’

If the former Porsche designer Harm Lagaaij, the discussion is always from the headlights of the 996. It annoys Lagaaij not: “You must never forget that Porsche is therefore still exists.’

It is the Saturday of the Historic Grand Prix. I walk to the centre of Zandvoort, for the annual parade through the village, the ride of the race cars through the center of Zandvoort. On the go is my eye on a beautiful BMW Z1. Ten meters away stands the designer of the car, the Dutchman Harm Lagaaij. He would finally be an appropriate means of transport have found for the times that he is staying in the Netherlands? “No, that Z1 is unfortunately not of me, but it pleases me also to be here to see. It aged well, don’t you think?’ Before I do something about the Z1 can say, talk Lagaaij again further. “You have a Mercedes? Can you give us maybe just a lift?” Of course, against Harm Lagaaij you say no if he asks for a lift. Fortunately, he said no no, when I asked him for an interview early.

Mess
Harm Lagaaij, celebrated designer, knighted, but especially remembered for the headlights of the Porsche 996 and Boxster. He has been living for decades in Germany and at home he speaks English with his wife, an Italian. “It will take some time for the Dutch weather on the way, I have a few minutes.’
We can imagine that Lagaaij insanely bored, actually, is to always but about those headlights talking. ‘Not at all. The mistake that many people make is that they to those headlights look with the look of now. Porsche is now successful and makes a profit every year. At that time, the production methods are very different, the production of the 911 was frankly a mess.’ Thus, that’s an exaggeration: there are stories of factory workers that the crates with the parts had to be searched if they, for example, a steering wheel in a 911 wanted to mount. It was requested help from the Japanese to the production methods improve.
“And then there was the 928, which at the end of his life. If a car a year or ten will last, you need to do. But for the 928 was not a next stage figured out. In addition, we lost millions. If it is about the headlights of the 996, you have to look at it with the look of the time. Porsche was finished, in fact we were out of business. Therefore, we had to have that lamp in that way. Everything is in one unit: the headlights, but also the direction indicators and all other lamps. For the 997, I was also responsible, as were the two units. But then if you look at the material, to manufacturing, to the tooling that you need to fabricate, you can see that the lights of the 997, and perhaps the tenfold cost of that of the 996. That money had we simply not when we, the 996 developed, but with such solutions we could the company save. You should never forget that Porsche is therefore still exists. Anyone can be ugly, but I’m still proud of it. No, I have headlights of the 996 also not framed above my bed hang. But you can say that we are the headlights of the 996 ensure that the 997 could pay for.’

Trips
Although Lagaaij is primarily known for his work at Porsche, he also made excursions to other brands. To Ford, for example, but it is always difficult to find what he exactly did. ‘That was actually quite easy, I was responsible for the exterior design of the Escort, the Sierra and the Scorpio. And of course the Sierra Cosworth.’ That Escort was the first Escort with front wheel drive, introduced in 1980. “When the Scorpio went to the first version,” emphasizes Lagaaij. He found the second version may be less successful? With a smile: “One brand which I still have headlights should have me well enough.’

Special projects
After his time at Ford, he left in 1985 to BMW, where he signed for the design of the Z1. ‘That Z stood for Zukunft, we were with special projects.’ When I was last a look could take in the holy halls of BMW Classic there was a Z1 Coupé Concept, that was such a special project? “Yes, we wanted a cross between the Z1, already in production, and an SUV. Eventually, it was the nothing, not because the concept was not good, but because we the production lost. That was actually intended for voorserie-cars and prototypes, hence the Z1, there is a limited edition and only linksgestuurd. When we that location have lost, meant that the project was over.’ However, you can somewhat see similarities between the Z1 Coupé Concept and the later Z3 Coupe, upper, I. “No, that is really a very different concept. Another technique, another thought, completely different.’ His contacts with BMW are still good; you can Lagaaij still regularly see racing with classic BMW’s, but also partly due to BMW organized Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este is he every year in the jury.

Addictive
However, he left after four years at BMW to Porsche. “I was there earlier, of course and she asked me back. It is often thought that design, cars drawing, but it is much more than that: we had to think about how we efficient cars could be built, but also how we at a reasonable cost, more models could be built. Thus was born the Boxster, which up to the A-pillar was identical to the 996.’ It is no exaggeration to the Boxster as the car that Porsche saved, all call others the Cayenne. Also by Lagaaij designed, just like the Carrera GT. To drive, he is currently in Cayenne, with a special design on the back. ‘So can I use my motorcycle to carry a KTM. Directly on the back of the car, that drives so much nicer and easier than with a trailer. I’m talking about cars, but this is since ten years my real passion. If I see that the weather in the mountains is good, I drive there. The Alps, now I have a little, now the Pyrenees are the on the turn. Addictive!’

Gallery: Harm Lagaaij

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Photos: Luuk van Kaathoven