For more than three decades, Peter Falk shaped the company’s motorsport history as an engineer and race director. He played a key role in numerous successes and developments. He passed away on January 23, 2026, at the age of 93.
Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG mourns the loss of Peter Falk. The former engineer and racing director passed away on January 23, 2026, at the age of 93. During his more than 30 years with the company, Falk was responsible for many triumphs of the sports car manufacturer from Zuffenhausen – including major successes on the world’s most renowned racetracks. “We mourn the loss of Peter Falk and our thoughts are with his family,” says Dr. Michael Steiner, Member of the Executive Board for Research and Development at Porsche AG. “He was more than an engineer and racing director. He was a visionary and pioneer – always deeply connected to the Porsche brand.” Porsche honors his contribution to the company with deep appreciation.
Peter Falk was born on November 27, 1932, in Athens as the son of an archaeologist. After an apprenticeship as a car mechanic, he studied mechanical engineering, specializing in automotive technology in Stuttgart. From an early age, he was fascinated by land transportation and engineering, making a career in motorsport a natural choice. At the age of 23, he competed in his first rally as co-driver to his neighbor and workshop owner Alfred Kling. The pair achieved a class victory. Further successes followed at the Geneva Rally and the International German Rally in 1957, as well as a sixth place in the Liège-Brescia-Liège road race.
In 1959, he began working as one of only ten employees in vehicle testing at Porsche. Five years later, Falk moved to pre-development and race support, helping, among other things, to bring the 911 onto the road. At the 1965 Monte Carlo Rally, he sat as co-driver next to Herbert Linge in the first international motorsport competition for a Porsche 911. The duo had already competed against each other in 1951 at the German Black Forest Rally, back on motorcycles. They finished the rally in fifth place overall – as one of only 22 teams to reach the finish, out of the original 237 that set out for Monte Carlo. A remarkable achievement for the 911’s competition debut.
In the following decades, Falk played a major role in shaping the company’s history. He led the Porsche 911 to worldwide success on racetracks and advanced the development of numerous models, from the 904 to the 917 for circuit and hill climb racing. From 1973 to 1981, he worked as Head of Testing in the series development of the 911, 924, and 928 model lines, thereby shaping the brand`s technical approach far beyond the racetrack. In his role as racing director, he was responsible for the successful era of the Porsche 956/962 in Group C. Under his leadership as racing director, Porsche achieved seven overall victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and eleven world championship titles in the 1980s. Additional highlights of his career include impressive five overall victories at Daytona and two overall victories in the Paris-Dakar Rally in 1984 and 1986. For Falk personally, the 1982 Le Mans victory and the 1984 Paris-Dakar Rally win were among his greatest achievements.
At the end of the 1980s, Peter Falk was head of chassis development until 1992 and was involved in the development of the fourth generation of the 911 (993). Naturally, the former racing director and head of race development did not miss the opportunity to participate regularly in races.
A pioneer with exceptional team spirit
Among drivers, colleagues, and employees, Falk was known as a superb theorist and practitioner who always put the team above personal recognition, true to his motto: “I’ve always said that I don’t count at all but my team has to be good. And that’s the most important thing.” Renowned companions such as Walter Röhrl and Hans-Joachim Stuck praised his calm, prudence, and extraordinary team spirit. This reflects what many appreciated about him: not only his technical brilliance, but also his humanity and subtle sense of humor.
After retiring in 1993, the Greek-born Falk remained closely connected to the company. For many years, he supported the Porsche Heritage and Museum team as a contemporary witness and interview partner. He was also a frequent guest at renowned classic car events and helped organize several vintage car rallies. Peter Falk leaves behind his wife Ruth, a daughter and a grandson.
Report by Porsche (first published on newsroom.porsche.com)
