Pierre Dreyfus

Pierre Dreyfus (November 18th, 1907 with Paris - December 25th, 1994 in Paris) was a French senior official, chairman of the car manufacturer Renault of 1955 to 1975, and Minister of Industry of 1981 to 1982. It was related neither with Alfred Dreyfus, central figure of famous the business which bears its name, nor with the Louis-Dreyfus family.

Senior civil servant of the State

Pierre Dreyfus grows in a family easy and cultivated between a university mother and a father business man. Figures of reputation such as Claude Lévi-Strauss and Robert Marjolin belong to his/her friends of childhood. At the 18 years age, it launches out in the business world. As of this time, it defines its philosophy: “I had horror of all that. I had only one idea at the head: to be a civil servant, i.e. with the service of the State. I considered that it was the only profession which was of interest. ” ( Le Monde , December 27th, 1994)

Its doctorate in right obtained, Dreyfus integrates the public office in 1935 like adviser technical with the ministry for Industry. Engaged in the Resistance during the Occupation, it is named with the Libération general inspector of the Industrial production. The rise is then regular for this courteous senior official, reserved, excel administrator: principal private secretary of the Trade and Minister of Industry Robert Lacoste of November 1947 in October 1949, chair Collieries of the Lorraine coalfields in 1950, president of the Commission of Energy in the Plan in 1951, finally principal private secretary of the Trade and Minister of Industry Maurice Bourges-Maunoury in 1954. During all this period, Dreyfus also sits at the board of directors of Renault, then State enterprise, of which it occupies the post of vice-president as from 1948.

With the head of an industrial giant

Following in March 1955 death of the chairman of Renault, Pierre Lefaucheux, in a road accident, Dreyfus agrees to take the orders of the Control. The choice of the State, which belongs only partly to traditional the " parachutage" of senior official considering the functions of Dreyfus to the board of directors, proves to be a quasi-total success. Assisted by engineers of talent such as Yves Georges or Claude Prost-Lady, Dreyfus shows a real capacity to anticipate the evolution of the automobile product and does not hesitate to engage the company in innovative projects which, although risky, meet the commercial success. Thus the Renault 4, first Traction before of Renault, launched in 1961 around the revolutionary concept of a truck with Forage ladder and floor of flat loading, is a phenomenal success and remains the French car most produced to date with more than 8 million specimens. The Renault 16, left in 1965, is the first truck in the world with transformable back and gives birth to on the French market a preference for the body 5 doors which still lasts. Most orthodoxe Renault 12, marketed in 1969, is not less one family " average basse" perfectly targeted and will remain produced in Turkey, Argentine, or Romania until the end of the Nineties. Lastly, the Renault 5, left in 1972, lance with it only the segment of small town and will be produced to 5 million specimens, sometimes reaching 18% of the sales of the French market, an unequalled figure since. In same time, Dreyfus makes of Renault the absolute master of the heavy truck in France with acquisitions of Latil and Somua in 1955 to form celebrates it Saviem then the repurchase in 1975 of number 2 national Berliet.

The commercial success of Renault is accompanied by important progress in the social domain, under the influence of the trade unions and the political heritage of the Nationalization of Renault which make company the " vitrine" French social model. The third week of paid vacations, a first in France, is acquired in 1955, then the fourth in 1962. Pierre Dreyfus contributes of full liking to these projections. In its book Freedom to make a success of , it defines its design of owner of a nationalized company: Renault must “enrich the nation” and “to make progress the condition of the workers. These two objectives are indissociable of the same reality”. “With what”, do he question themselves, “would serve a prosperous economy if it did not improve the fate of the men? ”

In spite of its sensitivity shown to the social questions, Dreyfus does not remain about it less the rigorous and sometimes keen defender of the economic interests of its company. The relations between employees and employers, tended after the events of May 1968, degenerate with beginning of the year 70 in very hard actions whose consequences are sometimes dramatic. Pierre Dreyfus finds himself thus quoted to appear with the lawsuit of the assassin of the militant Maoist Pierre Overney, cut down in February 1972 by an security agent of Renault at the time of a demonstration in front of the factory of Billancourt. The image creates sensation in France which is not accustomed to yet seeing heads of undertaking and senior officials to ravel with the court.

When it yields the place to Bernard Sliding gauge-Mitigate in December 1975, Pierre Dreyfus leaves with his successor a company in full expansion. First manufacturer European at the end of the Seventies, innovating and crowned success in automobile sport (Formula 1, 24 Hours of Mans), Renault will still collect several years the fruits of the long work of this qualified and discrete man.

Minister and adviser

Proustien of pace, Dreyfus is of long time close to the socialist thought. It adheres young person to SFIO, precursor of current the Socialist party, but leaves it in 1936 following a dissension with the policy of Leon Blum (then chief of the government) on the Guerre of Spain. During its career at Renault, Dreyfus is cut off behind its rigorous reserve from senior official, but will declare “socialist, if it is necessary to choose a label” after his departure ( Nouvel Observateur , November 1979). It joins again openly with the policy after the election with the presidency of the Republic of François Mitterrand in 1981 and accepts the post of minister of Industry in the government of Pierre Mauroy, into full " state of grâce" Socialist after twenty-three years in the opposition. Tired, Dreyfus only resigns in June 1982 at the end of one year but still preserves a few years a function of adviser near the president of the Republic. It also forms part of the board of trustees of the pharmaceutical group Roussel-UCLAF before withdrawing public life.

External bond

Obituary of Pierre Dreyfus in the daily newspaper '' Humanity ''

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