LONDON (Dec. 28, 2001)—Automotive News Europe has named Group Michelin founders Andre and Edouard Michelin to its "European Automotive Hall of Fame."
The Michelin brothers were joined by Ford Motor Co. founder Henry Ford, Italian designer Battista Pininfarina and Nikolaus Otto, the inventor of the first practical four-stroke, high compression gasoline engine, in the class of 2001.
Automotive News Europe—published by Tire Business´ parent company Crain Communications Inc.—established the Hall of Fame in 2000, when it inducted 13 charter members.
The Hall of Fame honors technical, managerial and entrepreneurial achievements in the automotive industry. Inductees are honored at a dinner during the annual Geneva motor show in March; there is a permanent Hall of Fame exhibit at Geneva's Palexpo exhibition center.
Automotive News Europe cited the Michelin brothers' resolve in building a rural rubber and agricultural goods company founded by their grandfather into a company that would become a global automotive empire. The brothers were involved in the company from 1886 to their deaths in 1931 and 1940, respectively.