Arnold Wagner, co-Founder of Andial Porsche Performance, dies at 75

Arnold Hubert Wagner, an original partner of Andial--one of America's most successful and respected authorities on Porsche performance tuning--has died in California at the age of 75.

Wagner worked at Vasek Polak Porsche, along with partners Dieter Inzenhofer and Alwin Springer, in Redondo Beach before the three Porsche specialists formed Andial (AN for Arnold, DI for Dieter and AL for Alwin).

From the company's 1975 formation, Andial established its credentials in the racing arena during an era when privateer racing teams could compete very effectively.

"Arnold was the backbone of Andial, as he was the Porsche parts expert as well as the one who kept the business running smoothly," said Springer, who left the business in 1997 to become president of Porsche Motorsports North America, where he stayed until his retirement in 2004.

"Not only has the Porsche community lost a skilled high-performance expert, but we have all lost a friend with Arnold's passing," said Springer, who now works as a rules consultant for Porsche Motorsports North America.

Some of Andial's major sports-car-racing accomplishments include:

-- The 24 Hours of Daytona saw Andial-powered cars in the winner's circle from 1983-1987 and again in 1989. In the 1987 race, the first- through fifth-place finishers were in Andial-powered cars.

-- Winning the IMSA Supercar Series championship in 1992.

-- IMSA-GT Championships in 1983, 1985, 1986 and 1987; North American GT-1 Endurance Cup championship in 1994 and GTS-2 in 1996.

-- Winning the SCCA World Challenge championship in 1994.

-- Class wins at Pikes Peak in 1994, 1996, 1997 and 1998.

The impressive list of drivers that campaigned Andial-powered cars include:

-- Al Holbert

-- The Andrettis

-- The Unsers

-- A. J. Foyt

-- Derek Bell

-- Rolf Stommelen

-- Johnny Rutherford

-- Danny Ongais

-- The Whittington brothers

-- Bob Wollek

-- Harald Grohs

-- Hurley Haywood

-- Hans-Joachim Stuck

-- Jim Busby

-- Pete Halsmer

-- Jeff Zwart

Along with Andial's racing ventures, the company developed street-tuned performance applications. In 2004, with their ex-partner Alwin officially retired from Porsche Motorsports North America, Inzenhofer and Wagner reduced their workload but did not retire entirely.

Instead, they moved from Santa Ana, Calif., to a smaller location in Fountain Valley and gave up the daily Porsche service business. Instead, they focused on their specialties, including engine projects, maintaining prior special engines and restoring race or other significant cars, and they continued to supply parts that customers had come to rely on during the preceding three decades. That business still operates today.

Wagner is survived by his wife Gerda, two children and four grandchildren.