Ivan Vicario Martin
Juan Miguel Antoñanzas Pérez-Egea has died at the age of 90 in Madrid. A key figure in the automotive industry in Spain in the second half of the XNUMXth century has left us, as he held positions of top responsibility in companies such as Barreiros/Chrysler, the National Institute of Industry (INI) or SEAT.
Antoñanzas was born on October 4, 1932 in San Sebastián, although he completed a large part of his studies in Madrid. At the Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Industriales, he entered with number one in his course, later obtaining the title of Doctor of Industrial Engineering, with the National End of Degree Award included. In 1958, he became part of Barreiros, a company in which he spent ten years., the last when it was already Chrysler Spain. There he was general director of Sales and general director of Manufacturing and Assembly, with responsibilities over all the plants.
In 1969, he signed for ITT Spain, a company within which he was appointed CEO of Marconi Española in 1970. He became vice-president of ITT Europe two years later. In the spring of 1974, he became deputy to the president of the INI, then Claudio Boada Villalonga. On March 14, 1975, he was appointed president of the INI, replacing José María Guerra., position in which he would remain until January 1977.
SEAT PRESIDENT
In February 1977, Juan Miguel Antoñanzas became president of SEAT, the main car manufacturer in Spain. He lived through one of the most turbulent stages in the history of our brand, with the separation from Fiat and the search for a new technological partner. Thanks to the ability of Antoñanzas, SEAT was able to survive a moment of maximum uncertainty, whose moment of greatest tension was trial before the Paris Court of Arbitration.
There the possibility that the new SEAT Ronda, based on the Italian Rhythm, could be exported to Europe or not. If the arbitration had been lost, it is possible that the Spanish brand would have been forced to close. Antoñanzas was the main person in charge of the agreements with Porsche for the System Porsche mechanics, with Giugiaro for the bodywork of the Ibiza or Karmann for the interiors. In addition to meeting with Nissan or Toyota, guaranteed the viability of SEAT leaving the agreement with the Volkswagen Group on track.
He would leave the presidency of SEAT of his own free will in December 1983, when he passed the baton to Juan Antonio Díaz Álvarez. Barely two months later, he becomes executive director of Russell Reynolds Associates of Spain. Already in January 1985, he became Vice President of Técnicas Reunidas. From 1998 to 2002, he was in charge of Grupo Uralita as Chairman of the Board of Directors. Furthermore, between 1998 and 1996 He was president of the Spanish Association of Automotive Professionals (Senior consultant at Repsol and President of Engines, fuels and lubricants commission in ASEPA).
Juan Miguel Antoñanzas has been granted the Great Cross of Merit of Spain and the Grand Cross of the state of Mauritania among many other distinctions. He was the father of ten children. Rest in peace.
Historic SEAT photographs.
