Chinese entrepreneur honored at 2022 Automotive Hall of Fame induction

Lu Guanqiu, founder of Wanxiang Group, has become the first Chinese national inducted into the U.S. Automotive Hall of Fame (AHF). Lu was honored at the 2022 AHF Induction & Awards Ceremony at the ICON Convention Center in Detroit on Thursday.

"It is my pleasure to present the final award of the year, the induction of Lu Guanqiu into the Automotive Hall of Fame, the first inductee from China, " said Jonathon Husby, vice chairman of the AHF Board of Directors at the ceremony.

Husby told audience a story about Lu's career from an owner of a bicycle repair store to a founder of a global enterprise, and said that Lu's legacy has built a vision that lasts into the next generations.

The global enterprise is Wanxiang, the first Chinese company to sell auto parts to American Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and now has operations in 26 U.S. states.

In Lu's leadership, Wanxiang acquired and revived A123 Systems and Fisker Automotive Holdings, Inc. which later transformed into Karma Automotive, a luxury electric-vehicle producer.

Lu passed away in 2017 at the age of 72.

Lu Weiding, son of Lu Guanqiu and current CEO of Wanxiang Group, gave a presentation at the ceremony on Thursday. He said that his father's dream of making Wanxiang's own clean-energy car has come true, and he will carry on with his father's legacy and lead Wanxiang with responsibility, just as his father led the drive for clean energy in the 1990s.

As a non-profit organization, the AHF aims to honor and celebrate the automotive/mobility industry's leaders and innovators through awards and programs that challenge young and old alike to higher levels of personal achievement.

Founded in 1939, the AHF has so far honored nearly 800 awardees from around the world who have impacted and influenced the automotive and mobility industry.

Other inductees in the AHF class of 2022 include Ferruccio Lamborghini, Taiichi Ohno, Lyn St. James, and Alma and Victor Green.

With the induction being the highest award, the AHF on Thursday has also conferred awards in other categories during its annual event, which are Industry Leader, Industry Influencer, and Mobility Innovator.