Albrecht von Goertz

Albrecht Graf von Schlitz genannt von Goertz von Wrisberg (en: Count Albrecht von Goertz, widely known as Albrecht Goertz) (January 12, 1914 – October 27, 2006) was a German industrial designer who designed cars for BMW including the BMW 503 and BMW 507.

He was born in in Lower Saxony, the second of three children Rudolf Graf von Schlitz gen. von Goertz und Freiherr von Wrisberg (1884–1933) and of Else Meyer (1882–1968). However, his elder brother Eberhard died, and while Albrecht did not technically inherit the honorific, he began to call himself "The Count," and is often referred to that way.

After attending school, Goertz was apprenticed to Deutsche Bank in Hamburg and then in London at a private bank, Helbert Wagg & Co, but his prospects were not good, so in 1936 he emigrated to the United States of America. He eventually moved to Los Angeles and worked at a car wash and in a factory making aircraft engines. In 1938 Goertz rented a garage and showroom and modified Ford Model A and B models. On a Mercury chassis, he built a two-door coupe called the "Paragon". This was exhibited at the World Exhibition in New York in 1939.

Goertz joined the US Army in 1940 and served for five years. After leaving the Army he drove the Paragon to New York and while driving it he accidentally encountered Raymond Loewy, the famous car designer. Loewy invited Goertz to his office, sent him to college to learn about design and later gave him a job in the Studebaker studio in Indiana.

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