Emil Frey (entrepreneur)
Emil Frey (born December 3, 1898 in Brombach ; † April 16, 1995 in Herrliberg , legal resident in Biberstein and Zurich ) was a Swiss entrepreneur .
Life
Emil Frey, a member of the Reformed Church , was born on December 3, 1898 as the son of the textile worker Otto Frey in Brombach. Frey completed an apprenticeship as a mechanic in Brombach, then found jobs in Oberndorf , Stuttgart and Basel .
From 1918 he worked as a bicycle and motorcycle mechanic in Zurich, where he set up his own car repair shop in 1924. In 1926 Frey began selling Swiss and since 1928 British motorcycles, and since 1931 British cars.
In 1945 Emil Frey initiated the establishment of the leading import company Emil Frey, which was renamed Emil Frey AG in 1954 . In 1967 he became the first importer of Japanese cars, namely Toyota . He also traded in motorcycles, diesel and boat engines as well as commercial vehicles. He created a network of large garages , with the center in Safenwil created in 1951 . In the 1970s he sold the company - now Switzerland’s second largest car importer - to his son Walter . In 1981 he was appointed Commander of the British Empire . In 1988 his " Auto-Biographie " appeared.
Emil Frey, who was married twice, died on April 16, 1995 at the age of 96 in Herrliberg.
book
- Emil Frey: Auto Biography. The story of my life (Editor: Karl Lüönd ). Zurich 1988, ISBN 3-85569-150-9
Web link
- Markus Bürgi: Frey, Emil. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Frey, Emil |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Swiss entrepreneur |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 3, 1898 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Brombach |
| DATE OF DEATH | April 16, 1995 |
| Place of death | Herrliberg |